Teamspeed Road Test: McLaren’s Mighty MP4-12C

Power. It’s one of those qualities which is subjective. Some cars feel fast, while others feel, well, less than quick. It’s a matter of firstly how much power the car makes, and then how it’s delivered.

After hopping behind the wheel of the McLaren MP4-12C recently, I can tell you that it covers both bases. And covers them well. The only words that came to mind were “wickedly fast”, after experiencing how well the McLaren demolishes the miles.

To mark the arrival of their McLaren MP4-12C, écurie25, the longest established and largest supercar club in the world, hosted a VIP day for selected guests to test the car and get a taste of the écurie25 club-life. The day was held in collaboration with Monticello Motor Club – which has its own private racetrack located just 90 miles from Manhattan. Teamspeed was invited to test the MP4-12C and a few other vehicles, and it’s fair to say it left an enduring impression on my brain.

The drive to Monticello was designed to give a real-world perspective of how the MP4-12C tackles daily life. We all knew it would be phenomenal on track, but how would it fare on country backroads? Very, very well, as it turns out. My setting of choice for upstate New York was Active Sport mode.

Engaging it unleashes the beast and how it manages to put all its horses on the road without destroying the rear tires is testament to McLaren’s outright determination to make the grippiest car possible.

More evident than its grip, however is how linear the power delivery is. Yes, it has two turbos hanging off the immaculately engineered V8, but if you’re wondering about turbo lag, don’t. There is none. It just keeps accelerating, with the driver feeling like a passenger who’s strapped themselves to a missile.

It’s not all scary straightline stuff, however. Tip into your first corner and the light, but super-accurate steering comes into its own, giving the driver immense confidence to up the corner speed. A little later on the brake, a little earlier on the throttle – you start to feel like your last name is Hamilton or Button.

But its outright speed is just one side of it. In auto mode, it becomes comfortable, even special. It transforms into a daily driver, belying its depth of ability. Trundle down to the shops? You bet. Scare the willies out of your mother-in-law? Yep, it’ll do that, too.

Its ride is nothing short of remarkable. You can understand why McLaren has such experience when you hit your first set of bumps and expect to be launched through the roof, ejector-seat style. But it’s simply not the case. The MP4-12C uses its suspension brilliantly, and the company’s F1 background shows through.

There was one niggle, however, and I’m sure you’d get used to it. The procedure to open the doors sliding by your hand under the paint should be addressed in the next model year build. If wearing jewelry, it can be a little disconcerting, though the doors do allow driver and passenger to enter and exit the car as easily as possible, while allowing a smaller door opening than would otherwise be necessary. They save weight, too which was one of the main objectives. Everything has been designed to be as light weight as possible.

Despite its complexity under the skin, the MP4-12C is a thing of beautiful simplicity. It’s easy to operate, easy to drive and easy to get those blue and red flashing lights trying to catch up.

While there’s brute force available, I was very much impressed by the car all around. I have been following the MP4-12C build since day one, but now after having spent some long overdue time behind the wheel, you can now consider me a fan. Properly.

That it can drive so easily, yet give a knockout punch to the Ferrari 458 means it’s job well done to McLaren.

Unlike other supercar clubs, the idea behind écurie25 is that members don’t only enjoy access to supercars on the road but also have access to them on track and there is also a strong emphasis on participating in driving tours and other social events with like-minded enthusiasts.

We can’t wait for future projects from this British car manufacturer and future driving events from this British Supercar Club.

Our thanks go out to écurie25 and Monticello Motor Club for their support.