Post by CALL OR TEXT 778-712-3135 on Feb 21, 2011 15:10:18 GMT -8
2012 McLaren MP4-12C - First Drive Review
A Horse With No Name: We finally get behind the wheel of Ferrari’s worst nightmare and find it’s surprisingly pleasant.
BY DON SHERMAN, ILLUSTRATION BY BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN
February 2011
www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q1/2012_mclaren_mp4-12c-first_drive_review
The McLaren MP4-12C needed only 100 yards to make clear that it won’t play by Enzo’s supercar rules. Pain is not part of the deal. Bumps don’t jangle its nerves. The engine and transmission do their business without a fuss. We expected the MP4 to be quick and track-hungry, but the baby-carriage ride we noted with the “normal” chassis mode—engaged for the scarred and tarred paths in Mexilhoeira Grande, Portugal, where McLaren presented the fruits of its seven-year labor—rang our “holy cow!” bell.
You spring open the MP4’s dramatic insect-wing door by sweeping a hand along a flush surface tucked under the side scoop’s upper edge. Leading with your right leg followed by a dab of body English, it’s an easy glide into the nicely bolstered seat. There’s a huge 9000-rpm tach and a steering wheel unburdened by switchgear, with a center-pivoting shift paddle. The leather and faux suede are sewn to Savile Row standards.
A Horse With No Name: We finally get behind the wheel of Ferrari’s worst nightmare and find it’s surprisingly pleasant.
BY DON SHERMAN, ILLUSTRATION BY BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN
February 2011
www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q1/2012_mclaren_mp4-12c-first_drive_review
The McLaren MP4-12C needed only 100 yards to make clear that it won’t play by Enzo’s supercar rules. Pain is not part of the deal. Bumps don’t jangle its nerves. The engine and transmission do their business without a fuss. We expected the MP4 to be quick and track-hungry, but the baby-carriage ride we noted with the “normal” chassis mode—engaged for the scarred and tarred paths in Mexilhoeira Grande, Portugal, where McLaren presented the fruits of its seven-year labor—rang our “holy cow!” bell.
You spring open the MP4’s dramatic insect-wing door by sweeping a hand along a flush surface tucked under the side scoop’s upper edge. Leading with your right leg followed by a dab of body English, it’s an easy glide into the nicely bolstered seat. There’s a huge 9000-rpm tach and a steering wheel unburdened by switchgear, with a center-pivoting shift paddle. The leather and faux suede are sewn to Savile Row standards.
