McLaren MP4-12C with Antony Sheriff - autocar.co.uk

[MW2PeteB11]

Well done Mclaren, well done

[ANTHSHRIFF]

my name is anthony sheriff :D

[jpracingph]

What does Mr. Sheriff say now that the road tests have shown the 458 better around a track than the 12C?

"As good as.." it isn't.

"Better..." It isn't.

What say you, Mr. Sheriff??

[TheMax478]

i prefer Ferrari Enzo !

[sakda357]

They need new design badge.

[imtheduke]

The 458 Italia is much better loking than this MP4-C3PO. Mclaren are technically excellent but they have no soul or passion.

[tnguyen318]

Thursday Morning out in the middle of nowhere. It's sunny. They put you all alone out there. Your Job is to make sure you make correct judgment of all your checkings. 5 Mile Testing every vehicle. You pick up one car, take it back to the other end. Pick up another, take it back to the other end. I want to read your "breaking down" of every vehicle. First Car Subaru Outback.

[babylon2233]

substantially better...LMAO

[jarmyn1990]

what happens to this guys accent when he says lamborghini, what an absolite twat who dosent know jack shite, id even prefer 'Ron talk' to this guy and thats saying somethin!

[wolverineof1980]

all that i can make out is that remove the badges and the 458 italia and the new mclaren look exactly the same from design point of view. wonder if any copying was involved

[SegadorSevero]

lol... when he talks at 0:50... he assumes everyone has a spare million or two to actually buy a McLaren to use on a daily basis... wow. awesome car!!

[1987LOZ1987]

I love the way people comment and know nothing about McLaren. Seriously the McLaren F1 road car has held the world record for the fastest Naturally Aspirated car for 17 years and is still the holder of it today.

Today a McLaren F1 LM is worth £5million+

If this MP4-12C has 1% of the McLaren F1 in it then Ferrari and Lamborghini better get their heads down.

Almost every motor journalist hails the McLaren F1 as the worlds greatest road car and thats not just coincidence...

[Toddmars]

@1987LOZ1987 i could not have said it more better myself!

[joyfulvulture]

what a pathetic marketing rant. i learned absolutely nothing about the car listening to this dumbass, other than its gonna be the greatest thing man ever invented since toilet paper. yeah right.

[ElysiumMons]

It is a McLaren, but now without the exciting parts from Mercedes-Benz.

And I do not think that McLaren can compete at the top in this range of sports supercars, because there are too many already established alternatives.

They are going to struggle to sell as many of these as they have to.

[DRIVEFASTER2010]

I've came accross some pretty ridiculous comments on here but yours is up there with the best (or worst rather).

You really think McLaren don't know what they're doing or actualy need hum-drum Mercedes?! (ever heard of the F1 road car?).

I think you're confusing this McLaren with the company that makes the baby chairs! Or even some kind of glorified Lotus?

McLarens last road car changes hands now for up to £4million.

Still think they're gonna struggle?...

[e4g1e1]

Yucky greenscreen

[jithin15]

i heard its like 1800hp!

[yourbestfriend6492]

Well it sounds like a winning formula. But a real comparison between this and the Ferrari 458 is the only way to decide which one deserves its place. I have no idea which one would win honestly. Throw in the Mercedes SLS too and you'd have an interesting comparo.

[CrazyDave650]

this and the 458 are beutiful cars... the SLS is ugly as fuck.

[masaimara]

It doesnt look good

[autodraw01]

A pragmatic super car? it feels accessible in the same way honda's nsx was.Anyway, you just know its going to trounce everything out there.

[joyfulvulture]

@autodraw01

you chauvinistic brits make me laugh. that car hasnt even come out yet dumbass. its a bit early to claim victory, to say the least.

[autodraw01]

Chauvinistic?

You're the only person who's mentioned nationality so far.

Well done on the use of a long word though you thick yank twat.

Ps Antony Sheriff is American.

[autodraw01]

i'm sold.

I was always impressed by the way the F1 managed to generate incredible statistics yet be totally 'unflashy' and subtle compared to other more crass supercar's,no ray guns or gimicks-just a pure application of state of the art technology and manufacturing. This ethos certainly seems to have been carried through to this car. The beauty comes from great proportions, stunning finish , functionality and quality rather than 'of the moment' trendy styling that so quickly ages.

[brucecheewai]

why would anyone mention a nissan in the company of a mclaren??

ferrari is beaten already.

[rudeydudey05]

Its a stunner...

[eeeen321]

daaaaaaamn, its not a super car, its a "super sports car"...

[eeeen321]

this car will reset so many benchmarks, you can count on that....

[userinsitu]

nice car, a thinking man's supercar, if there is such a thing. very well porpotioned, love the front and side, the high rear reminds me of a lotus. wonder where they sourced that v8?

[bbsr17]

from what i've been reading it's built in house

by McLaren. i love this car already , it's not a show pony . it was built with the same philosophy as the F1. every thing was built for a purpose, not looks.

[ciottoli13]

it looks like a kit car, if i saw one on the street i would not think that the car belongs to a big marque. kinda like the ssc ultimate aero just bland

[sw1000xg]

Nope the Noble M600 has better figure (not name dropping) but the M600 has F1 beating performance will this? can't wait to see...

[Usernamelimitistoolo]

M600 is £50k more expensive than this

[etherjoe505]

beautiful car. Simple and aggressive.

[rocknrollman1234]

I love how he had an italian accent only when saying "ferrari" and "Lamborghini"

[buddyeagle]

Citroen GT will rocks!

[jonas240z]

Ugly...those side intake vents gotta go, looks as if it was drawn by a kid. You would think that with all the aerodynamic software and wind tunnel testing they would come up with something more appealing and efficient. Also the exhaust looks just as bad as a Veyron's...i don't know what KID they hired to make the styling but it's UGLY!

[ski808]

He said:

"...it will be a car that will have a broader market appeal..."

Oh no...

[TrevorMarkwart]

Well --- it's better looking than the new Ferrari. It has 30 to 40 more hp than the new Ferrari. And it weighs 500 pounds less! FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS! That means you'd have to take the McLaren, detune the engine, and then have Andre the Giant sit in the passenger seat to weigh you down while you drive, to get the performance the new Ferrari Italia is going to have. For a real driver, who is an enthusiast and not a poseur, the McLaren wins before the first real world race.

[McLarenMercedes]

more torque too in the McLaren

[ciottoli13]

look at the gtr, has less horses and weighs more than the porsches that its up against and outperforms all the time.

[TrevorMarkwart]

Are you referring to the Nissan GT-R, ciottoli13 ? The only Porsches it has less horsepower than are the Turbo and the GT2 (no, not the GT3, which is a different car, and is not turbocharged and has less horsepower than the Nissan GT-R). The only place where a stock Nissan GT-R actually "outperforms" either the Turbo or the GT2 is in a video game. There are no tests anywhere done by legitimate independent magazine/TV testers, nor are there any real races where this has ever occurred. Period.

[SPMNDK89]

I won't be convinced this McLaren is the best car in its class until I see it destroy a Ferrari 458 Italia. Then I would be convinced. I would cry first but I would be convinced.

[slapcatz]

Nice looking car, let's see the balls on her now?

[mattf3nDeR]

he is wearing a blue striped shirt with a red polka-doted tie...tsk tsk tsk.

[MindBullets2142]

is this like the original mclarren? i mean, drivers car, no electronic anything?

[ICEMANnLUPE2010]

no it will have alot of technology and it will be very quick it a mclaren

[CantBlockProxies]

Generic. Hardly one original idea throughout all of the styling. Even if the performance is amazing, it's not pretty.

[Ideology252]

I completely agree with 1:16. There is no point in making a car based on the abilities of another - If you're going to make a car, make it better than everything else...And it's nice to see that companies like Noble, and Mclaren are trying - Aston Martin should consider this too...

[LessThanCool]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Most cars dream they're a Ferrari, tearing up side streets and tracks alike, being looked on with awe and lust, only to peel away with that iconic Italian engine scream.

However...

Ferrari's dream they're a McLaren F1. And now they have a new car to dream about.

[SPMNDK89]

I get your point but I respectfully disagree. Ferrari and McLaren are competitors that are at high level. There is no clear-cut absolute victor. Sure one company may produce a better car than the other at a given time but these companies keep improving on what the public has already confirmed are spectacular machines. I think McLaren is taking a new approach while Ferrari is just trying to improve what they're already so good at. Competitors don't dream to be the other, they want to be better.

[OoRAKooNMOEoO]

@LessThanCool exactly dude well said

[tipo2106]

GOD it's beutiful! i really like the look of it ! i will look forward to see how fast it goes on the nürburgring.

[stunna1shades]

looks lika lambo gallardo and a ferrari f430 had a baby

[Lampelys]

mclaren "gallardo", maybe just better :)

[youlance29]

Can this beat the $100K ZR1???

[malekai777]

i don't think it will beat it in pure straight line speed. but im sure it will beat it in everything else....when it comes to looks, this is the clear winner!!

[hammy1771]

pro look at the McLaren f1 !

[Jappe1444]

ah, its been a long time for mclaren

[ashleythor8sxd]

you can never really tell how beautiful a ca looks until you either see it in the flesh or see it driving about. I used to think the ford gt was a stinker until I saw it on the top gear track and realised it was one of the most beautiful cars I'd ever seen, my favourite now so I'll wait until I see this car in a better light.

So far it looks like a cross between a lotus europa and ferrari f430. I'm not really impressed but I'll wait and see

[JordanB2710]

Before the lights and front air intake got redesigned I mistook it for an F430 replacement. On the news they said it was designed for function not for styling sake so I guess this explains why it lloks so generic.

I believe there is an F1 successor still to come so by rights they have to hold the real wow factor back for their supercar.

[Rdmonkey94]

the front reminds me of a corvette for some reason

[pbpwn]

looks like a Ferrari but the back is cool

[JordanB2710]

Tats what I thought when I saw it a few months ago. It wasn't till I read the article and even then I thought it was an impression and not the actual car. I noticed the lights and the front air intake have been re-designed.

It feels a bit weird saying it but the wing mirrors look so elegant. They are almost impossibly thin looking. It may not be wow unusual but I can't see how anyone can say its not beautifull.

[FValestra]

very nice car but the design its quite disappointing .

i really think with the capability of mclaren they could have done a much stronger job at the design

[M5IAN]

I agree with you. This thing looks retarded

[alfamonk]

Makes the big players (Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche) look lazy with their technology. This thing rocks.

[ashleythor8sxd]

makes ferrari /porschelook lazy with their technology!! those to cars are loaded with tech that other super car manufaturers would die for!

And lamb makes cars that has the design that other supercars makers would also die for and they have the worlds best 4x4 system

[vantage789]

I have no doubt this will be a spectacular car to drive but I'm a little disappointed with the styling. It's styling doesn't have the wow factor of the 458 Italia or the timelessness of the original F1, I think this car (in terms of design) will be forgettable.

[powersliding]

center console reminds me of the carrera gt

[micey1105]

This thing looks sooo good...!

[keuschh]

is this mclaeren "compact on the outside roomier on the inside" that is something skoda would say not mclaeren

[LFSvidMan]

add that to "a big boot, low CO2" and other environmental midlife crysis crap they're talking about, and Im thinking that they've got no idea how to promote a supercar

[veitchy88]

I hear you, though, considdering the state of the world today, shit like Co2 is about the most important tag you can hear...

[LFSvidMan]

Considering the numbers the supercars are built in, and their CO2 emissions, and how rarely they are used, I'd say supercars create less impact on environment than for example a family saloon driven daily

[Howitzer909]

But they still have to meet EU/American legislation on Co2 outputs....

[veitchy88]

Couldn't agree with you more. I use the same argument quite frequently when the big bad Co2 debate comes up. I guess my point was made more out of irony more than anything else. Hit the nail on the head there mate.

[phlaxnard]

i dont care how much it costs im in love with this car... well until something else comes out that i like better.

[thepima69]

mclaren is king

[Theprophet1990]

this is how a super cars should look take some notes Mercedes i liked the SLR but the SLS AMG is not my style.

[LFSvidMan]

Nobody has yet seen an OFFICIAL design sketch or the real 3d designer's model... HOW do you know that it's not your style?

[dogisrain]

The headlights look like their off a Noble.

[coolerdude44]

i'm all in favor of double clutch gearboxes replacing tradition torque conveter automatics, but they have no place in a supercar. sorry, but it's true.

at least offer the manual as an option, for sheesh sake

[moaski]

YES...NO FLIPPY FLOPPY PADDLES!!!

[corotor12345]

Cmon guys! Show some signs of adaptation! If flippy floppy paddles were bad then F1 cars wouldnt be using them. the fact that they take feel from the car does not overweigh the sheer and massive performance gain! Guys, the Golf GTi shifts in less than 0.05 seconds, and thats not a very high tech DSG just imagine, please. Innovation, innovation, innovation: technology for the sake of technological advancement. This or that, you cant have a 100% manned vehicle. What about ABS, TCS and SC?...

[moaski]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the McLaren F1 seemed to be a pretty big hit.

It didn't have DSG, ABS, TCS, SC or even power steering (PS)! Talk about "feel."

What it had was 650hp, the aerodynamics of a missile and the weight of a Mazda Miata!

THAT"S WHAT A MCLAREN SHOULD BE!

[LFSvidMan]

I will, F1 wasn't such a hit, due mainly to the pricetag and due to the scary and really hairy handling (due to huge lift forces generated by the aerodynamics, and a short wheelbase mid engined, extremely light car that it was)

[moaski]

The F1 was a hit and it's an exclusive icon. It's 15-years old and looks like it could be a 2010 concept car.

Mclaren didn't have much problems selling all 106 they made, (MSRP of $970,000) and they are now selling for well over twice that with values only appreciating over time.

The F1, despite it's name, was designed to be the ultimate road car, not F1 1 racer, and remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car.

This MP4-12C would not be possible without the F1's success.

[McLarenMercedes]

actually the McLaren F1 has a LONGER wheelbase than any other supercar back in 1994, the rear tyres are practically in the end of the body

[LFSvidMan]

have you tried to park with a floppy paddles? It's allright when they're an extra to the automatic, it's a fucking nightmare when it's connected to the manual and you don't have a clutch pedal

[youlance29]

How much HP? what is the cost?

[corotor12345]

600bhp didn't you watch the vid? and from 200 to 290 thousand grand (US$)

[assassinator64]

Sexy car. I'd love to hear it growl. Oh and they are coming up with hybrid supercars. I think I saw it on the autocar website or consumer reports but I'm not too sure about it... Anyways this car looks so good.

[corotor12345]

lambo is working on a hybrid, the Estoque is the model expected to first see this feature... but we're not sure yet, it's just a rumor based off of what lambo said at a press conference

[ibizatopgun115]

this car will eat the 458 , gallardo and all the others for breakfast...... why?  it is not truck ! ! !

[adj789]

I'll take 3

[YNWAIJOSEPHICFC]

omg am buying one

[Manzancene]

By the way he pronounces ferrari and lambo, I could only say that he is italian, for sure!... Is this car RWD??

[legr8est1234]

It's not ugly, but it's not something that you love. Personally, it doesn't amaze me much. It looks somewhat like a Lotus Evora from the front and a Lamborghini Gallardo from the side. But that's not the point. The point is that it doesn't really evoke any sort of passion or feeling. It's just a nice-looking car with probably great performance. There's more of those in the world.

[jtdrye]

It looks like they started from the AUDI R8 body and worked up from there..

[corotor12345]

it looks as if they merged the good old F1 GTR with the R8, yup you're right lol

[tgseason12]

Hehehe. I love how he pronounces Ferrari and Lamborghini :D

[wildbloodydragon]

Yeah, but he should've pronounced Aston Martin with a British accent too.

asstinn mah-tinn

:P

[silver5149]

LOL

[corotor12345]

he does it the right way lol. i speak spanish and english absolutely fluently, i can tell accents and (because italian sounds a lot like spanish) i'll tell you that you can rest assured he pronounced Ferrari and Lamborghini the way they're meant to be.

[tgseason12]

Haha, no shit m8. It's just that he isn't Italian and that is funny as hell.

[TheStallion234]

He is American! HA take that Europe!

[veyronman]

yes... the managing director is what makes the cars perform well...

[TheStallion234]

Is Anthony Sheriff an American?

[mahamza86]

Let's just hope that it is all true. figures crossed

[toeboe106]

you can definitley see how this car draws its looks from the f1.however it doesn't grab your attention the way a lambo or aston does

[thebossisheretostay]

this is an amazing car even though it doesnt look like much...they had to make it the best so it would get sales, they have no customer base and people are lloyal, everyday driving means people who couldnt afford 2 cars now can buy one and just like the F1 which still doesnt look old, this design will stay contemporary for along time.

[edmaluf]

And no manual transmission at all. Sorry, but Mclaren decided to take the easy road and just offer a dsg 7 speed. It sucks. A true enthusiast demands a manual transmission and Mclaren just want to sell cars withou caring with the true car lover. Nice toy, but... fail.

[legr8est1234]

As an enthusiast of driving, I agree that a manual transmission would have offered a better experience. But it seems to me like McLaren is targeting the kind of person who wants to use their supercar to get to work. In those cases, a manual transmission is less practical than a dual-clutch, especially in city traffic.

My advice to those people for whom a manual transmission would be impractical in this car is to get some "regular" car with an automatic or DSG and save the manual for driving.

[corotor12345]

indeed you're a very traditional driver. great, we need more like you, but, i have to go with the double clutch on this one... it delivers uncomparable performance. it's unrivaled when things get down to a drag race... i'm sorry man but i rather have the performance. it's just my taste though, i enjoy precision, although the feel is very important too.

[legr8est1234]

To be honest, I do enjoy a DSG, and it probably is the transmission of the future (wouldn't it be great if it replaced the automatic we see in most consumer cars?). However, some people like the control that a pure manual offers, as well as actually having a clutch to step on. A driver who masters a true manual feels more like a driver. A dual-clutch semi-automatic (as it's sometimes called) takes away from some of that feeling. However, it's not bad. Maybe McLaren should give buyers a choice.

[245thegreat]

nothing will beat the original f1

[Shinigami920]

nothing will beat an old mclaren except a new mclaren, dont you think that they their main point while creating this car is to BEAT its ancestor?

[lordofultima]

It won't beat the F1, they're not competing in that class with this car.

[typhoon5000]

No. That is not the point of this car. It is designed to compete with the Ferrari 458, Lambo Gallardo and other supercars in the $200k-250k range.

[geforce5700fx]

That's not the new F1 -__-

[245thegreat]

exactly.. so you stupid motherfuckers go suck daddys dick..... losers

[legr8est1234]

Exactly...what? It's like saying a cell phone is not as good as a personal computer. Yuu're talking about two products designed for different things. That doesn't make you right, it makes you ignorant. So think again about who the real loser is here.

Also, not everybody's daddy allows/asks their children to suck their dicks. I guess you're one of the lucky(?) ones.

[corotor12345]

what does that have to do...? you can't compare these two. i think you're the loser, allegating about something you know nothing much about. the car to compete with the record breaking F1 was the Caparo T1, by the same design team as the F1 GTR. and the T1 beats the hell out of it's predecesor, with 2.5 from north to 62 and extreme performance

[JordanB2710]

You and me seem to be the only people that know that this isn't the new F1. I thought I'd never find another person in the know lol. I leard thats called the P11 apparently.

I think people are thinking that cause the supercar tag is getting used so loosely these days.

[TheMegaCONARTIST]

Ferrari/Audi.

[nowheelspin]

looks like a snake laughing, looks dated .

[pakkinen]

car for rappers...compared with the old one, this is a toy

[JordanB2710]

The Sultan of Brunei has loads of F1 but then he seems to have loads of cars. This isn't the F1 replacement cause McClaren is going to do a range of cars this time.

[ashleythor8sxd]

aggreed

[rubiks15]

Wow, if every thing he said is accurate this will be a hit like the bentley continental gt!

[taboot77]

They must make a car more beautiful than SLR. this one is ugly

[nemesis3001]

I agree. The rear makes it look a little like a restyled ferrari testarossa :)

[peavyt15]

you are the first person i have heard say it is ugly. to each his own but most people love the look.

[geforce5700fx]

i'm amazed when read thoses comments, every one is like "WoW" when BMW launch a X6M bullshit 4x4 but now that Mclaren start to remake sport car, everyone is like "hmm it's old fashion, hmm it's ugly" .... WTF ARE THEY BLIND ?

[JordanB2710]

I know this isn't a rival to the the Veyron but your right theres nothing offensive about the design. Its well proportioned. It looks better thn those horrible chrome Veyrons thats murder a kind of beautifull car.

[geforce5700fx]

I can't stand the veyron ^^

[welshorigin]

i know, right? mclaren are the true top speed record holders. can't wait for this thing to hit the streets.....and the guinness record book.

[manafao]

Seen by side it makes me remind of an Ascary

[SDK727]

I would still rather have a 458

[anthonycashe15]

it will sell

[noxy109]

Yes it will

[orvillemiran]

test drive dude

[ferrwyt44]

ooooooo

[barepilot]

i like Mclaren but this car does not have i think the flare of a supercar and it looks kinda like the honda HSC concept..