Video: McLaren MP4-12C review by Autocar, CAR and Jenson Button

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By Brett Davis | February 17th, 2011

The world’s automotive media is currently in a bit of a frenzy over the brand new McLaren MP4-12C supercar, and now some of the first ever reviews have just been posted up onto the Tube.

The lucky guys at Autocar in the UK were among the first to get their hands on the highly-anticipated McLaren MP4-12C and they got to test drive it for over 3200km.

It comes as no surprise that Autocar simply loved the car and its awe-inspiring performance from the 441kW 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. With acceleration from 0-100km/h achieved in just 3.1 seconds, it’s a package that’s hard to argue with.

CAR and Jenson Button also took the car for a spin on the circuit to see what all of the fuss was about. Formula One driver Jenson Button seems to be equally impressed by the new McLaren, saying that he’s never driven another road car like it. Button does contradict himself a bit, talking about the car’s sophisticated anti-lock braking system. He said,

“The great thing is, when I brake, I know I’m doing it… you know, it’s not all about the ABS.”

But then he goes on to say immediately after that,

“It’s working, you can felt it grabbing at certain wheels, and when it feels one is slipping, it uses the others [wheels] to brake. Very clever.”

Nonetheless, Button – who drives for McLaren in the Formula One World Championship – does seem fairly excited about the MP4-12C and says there isn’t really a dull area about the car.

“It makes me smile driving it, and that’s unusual in a road car,” he said.

Take a look below for CAR’s interview with Jenson Button while he test drives the car around the circuit.

Australian McLaren MP4-12C deliveries are set to begin during November. For more details on the massively impressive performance figures, click here.

brent

I’ve seen a few reviews now , including Evo’s Chris Harris, and the consensus seems to be that it’s the most amazing road car ever built but that it lacks the “wow factor” of other high end exotics – it’s supposedly a bit cold, lacking in personality.

I expect it’ll be a raging success regardless.
Stevo

I still think the 2012 Nissan GTR looks far better and is just as fast.

David

The GTR may be as fast to 100km/h but it won’t stand a chance above those speeds.

Agree the car looks a bit bland.

Pinky

Guys, I find this critism of the Mclaren across most media outlets quite weird.
When I buy a Mclaren i don’t want personality or emotion I just want cold hard thinking applied.
I think the word is clinical!
just like my house its clean, crisp nothing out of place and the furniture could also be described as cold and lacking in personality but thats how MEN like it.
Some men buy watches with leather straps and others like the cld hard feeling of the metal or metallic bands around their wrist.
I think another word for the Mclaren is Controlled.
I don’t want flaws and i expect design, technology and forward thinking to dictate how the Mclaren is made. If you want passion please buy a 458 or Gallardo.
But the fact is the original F1 and the Mclaren group are very much off a strict unemotional mindset.
I like that – in fact I have everything about that train of thought and thats why if i was in the market i’d buy the MP4-12C.
To me even the name appeals its clinical and sticks with Mclaren naming/numbers – heritage along with the formula one cars.
Mclaren are alos only looking for a small piece of that segment so they don’t expect to sell more than Ferrari or porsche or lambo they have budgetted and targeted a small piece of the pie and thats only 1000 cars this year and up a bit next year so its going to be a commercial success.
In the vision of the great man himself Ron Dennis this vehicle stands for everything Mclaren stand for.
on another note one thing i do like about Mclaren is the do actually introduce F1 technology into their road cars which is something everyone else talks about but mclaren actually do – check out the suspension coming out of the gearbox and the carbon tub!
Love, Love, Love this car – but being such a control freak without emotion means i can’t use the word love – doesn’t it, lol

anon

That’s what a McLaren is all about. It’s not about the short-comings of other cars that might be excused as “character”. No compromise – on anything. And listen to it – that sound is amazing. It sounds like an old DFV F1 engine.

Considering this may be thought of as an entree to the main-course (a rumoured full F1 replacement), rivals should be mighty worried.
brent

Good post. I’m not even in the same ballpark as the McLaren but I applied some of your logic to my recent purchase to some extent. For a variety of reasons I chose a Jaguar XKR over Aston and Maserati , none of which related to badge or soul etc…..it’s just a better damn car overall.

There’s plenty around who put in their 2c worth and tell me my car doesn’t have the soul of an Aston or the flair of an Italian ………

I guess we all place a different amount of emphasis on badge , image etc…..I can relate more to your line of thinking and would take the McLaren over a Ferrari or Lambo any day of the week. I also prefer something a little more understated , a little less “look at me”…….having said that you won’t be able to sneak around in the McLaren LOL.

Pinky

Thanks Brent!
They say the Mclaren has no passion or emotion but those things are really up to the individual as to what moves you, what makes you tick.
The Mclaren tugs at my heart strings in a really profound way – i adore the fact that its is clinical and to me that gets my heart pumping, thats its character, its personality is clinical and forward thinking and Controlled.
I get this car and the Mclaren mind set – its not for everyone like Robert said in the post below he would take the Ferrari and many people would based on many factors and thats fine!
But Mclaren never intended for this car to be for everyone its PURE. its not a compromise or trying to be two things like many cars today i find. Its a straight out supercar.
Like you choosing to take the Jag, thats a personal choice and the reviews would say that the others have that little something you can’t bottle (Ferrari play on this too) but if we lived by that rule Gents – we would all be driving Alfa Romeo’s!

Pinky

I was thinking…
You know what I like about them – They over engineer their products!
in a world where its all about CFO and financial controllers running the business its amazingly refreshing and I really admire this appraoch.
If we applied this approach and mindset to countries, companies, technology, science whatever it is the world would hve accomplished so much in the 50 years since we went to the moon.
They didn’t need to build a car that was as fast as the F1 and it was never intended to be but guess what they did and everything about this car is so far ahead of anything in the market place its not funny.
And guys – for all the talk about the Veyron being great it did nothing to move the industry forward or technology.
This car has a carbon tub thats a first and will become standard issue for all cars sometime between now and when we go back to the moon.
The suspension set up although tried in the range rover to some extend – it unique, its F1 derived it sticks outa the gearbox like an F1 car.
The one thing Mclaren did with this car and no one has mentioned it is they designed a car that will still look impressive and exceptional in 20 years time – its called understated looks – the 458 will age badly in my opinion.
guess what the original F1 was also attacked for its looks but 16 years on it really does look like pure no fuss design with purpose.
yep this is the car i would buy no questions asked!

Robert

I think most people would agree that looking back at the Ferrari’s of the past 60 years, most have ‘aged’ very well and many are still amoung the most beautiful designs ever penned.

Pinky

Agreed!
we’ll see how the 458 ages over the next 20 years!

john

If it gets a chance too age that is. They may all have gone up in flames or been crushed by hicks in their monster trucks by then!

Pinky

HAHA
Yeah thats a good point mate!
just like your money would if you took the 458 over the MP4-12C!

Robert

I look at it this way: If I am going to buy a car in this price catagorie (iow, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and up), I am only going to get one shot at it unlike some hyper millionaire who could buy a dozen and not worry.

In my case I’d have to chose one and there is only one, imo: Ferrari. It is a mythical name with a history of acheivements in the auto world in both racing and street vehicles. F1 from the beginning, building the entire car (most others are chassis builders, in reality). Sports cars, prototype, and production racing over 60year period. And it’s own history of the world’s most desirable road cars (again Ferrari makes the entire car, which Mclaren has just started doing) – names like Tessa Rosa, GTO, Daytona, 275GTB4, Dino, SuperAmerica, F40, Enzo, Italia…to name a smattering.

They weren’t always the fastest, nor did they need to be when you are at the top of the racing world. After all an Enzo or an mp4-12c or other super expensive super car would be blown away by an open wheel racer one could buy and race on a track for a quarter or less of the cost of the exotics price. And for that matter you can buy a Nissan GTR for a fraction of the cost of these exotics and , for all practicle purposes, be just about as fast.

Lambo? 45 year history of beautiful or outragous (mostly latter) fast exoticss but no real racing history. I’d vote Miura as their most desirable product.

McLaren – Long racing heritge with 45 years of F1 chassis building, dominant CanAM cars in the 60′s, early 70′s and Le Mans.. and 3 excellent street cars. Excellent but no history or passion.

Bugatti – The original cars of early last century along with Hispana Suiza, the SSK’s of MB and Alfa were a catagorie apart but the current revival is more of an oddity. Lightning fast but I’ll pass.

Camparo, Ultimo etc – custom racers for the street.. some faster than a 458 or mp4-12c will ever be. But again I could build a custom car (well I couldn’t, I admit but a hypothetical me could) or a run of a few dozen cars that are fast but…… someone will come along and build one 2 seconds faster next week…

Porche – some F1, mostly engine supply,Can Am (the 917 knocked McLaren out of the series in fact – they just couldn’t compete), Prototype and sports racing and production racing get high marks. The Carrara GT and other high end 911′s are great but again I’ve got one shot, i’m not going where I’ll see 25 similar cars tooling around my suburb.

Aston – Great Le Mans and sports car history and elegant cars and maybe if I was a loyal Brit??

Lexus – Don’t make me laugh

So for me, if I were to buy an exotic (assuming my wife didn’t kill me before I got to drive it!), it has to be a Ferrari. And it would have to be a new one or the fastest older one. I’d love a 1967 330 GTC for heaven sake. Or would I wait for the F70. 100hp more and 400 pounds lighter, it might even keep up with th mp4-12c

Pinky

Hey Rob, Here’s to you being able to buy multiple supercars one day rather than trying to scrape together the monthly payment on just one lonely supercar!!
On the topic of emotion and passion – we are all going to need a lot of passion and emotion to consider buying that new Ferrari station wagon thing!
No doubt that Ferrari would be the emotional purchase but those in the know would take the Mclaren.
Mclaren is not targeting one time supercar owners with this car they have said they fully expect the majority of owners will already own Ferrari’s and porsche’s but thats kinda gone out the window with the reviews i’m reading and watching saying it could be a daily driver with a ride and handling dynamic unlike any other – its going to be interesting.

David

I have never, ever, seen an in car video of a passenger enjoying the ride when being driven around on a track! hahahaha the fun is driving the car in my opinion and not being driven around in it….

Nice car by the way, a bit clinicial….sort of car for an engineer: technical, precise and functional.
Robert

For those really in the know, the McLaren would not get a look in…they’d go for a Caparo T1 or Ultima GTR. Both would leave the McLaren in the dust, I’m sure.
Pinky

Um… mate – those cars you mentioned do not compete with the MP4-12C.
But they are nice kit cars though…
OldBob

Pinky, I understand your like of functional – get on with it – focussed – unemotional purpose that the Mclaren can offer. That’s why I got a GTR