McLaren MP4-12C Review

Teamspeed gets exclusive seat time with the new Ferrari 458 Italia fighting McLaren and boy, how we want this to work. An alternative to the arrogant Italian and coldly efficient German supercars is what the world is crying out for. Well, if not the world then a good number of us bored or disillusioned with the status quo.

Ron Dennis is banking on his reputation in Formula 1 transferring into the design and production of one of the most ambitious road car programs ever. The MP4-12C is a direct hit on the Ferrari 458 Italia and the first of four models to emerge from a brand new factory alongside the F1 centre in Woking, 30 miles west of London.

The simple story is that this McLaren has more F1 technology poured into it than any rival. Even Ferrari. The carbon chassis tub is built by Austrian racecar specialists. The steering, suspension and engine are, while deviating from F1 specs, developed using the same expertise.