458 Italia vs MP4-12C

  • Thread starter Thread starter nurburglapped
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You guys ever hear about this old story/news?

Whenever a Ferrari comparison is tested against another rival, I always have this issue at the back of my head:

http://jalopnik.com/5760248/how-ferrari-spins

Summary: Ferrari cheats. They would offer their "moretunedthanstock" production car and let the journalists do the test. Shame because with the richness of Ferrari's history. 👎
 
Yet to see the reviews on the MP4-12C, after watching the 458 one by Clarkson. IMHO, the 458 is a wolf in an abnormal sheep's skin. Why abnormal? Look at the rear, it's just hideous. I like it's performance though.

I've been driving both of them for quite a time. From my test drives on the Azure Coast, the MP4-12C usually goes all over the place sometimes while the 458 points its nose exactly at where you point its steering wheel.

Which brings me to this conclusion: the 458 is more of Michael Schumacher; elite, always sticking to the road, and goes wherever you want it to go. On the other hand, the MP4-12C is Lewis Hamilton; still formula-like but shares the desire of hooning with us.

But the looks of the 458 just drives me off, so my preference goes to the MP4-12C, even though I was a Ferrari loyalist before. Looks good, feels good, just good all around.

/smartassed comment
 
The 458 is absolutely my favorite road car to drive in gt5 and my ultimate dream car in real life. Just like the reviews say: the Ferrari just feels so good! The mp4 can be stupid fast but you have to adjust to it and drive it how it wants to be driven and I don't like it. 458 all the way for me. And god is it beautiful :drool:
 
uMadson?
Yet to see the reviews on the MP4-12C, after watching the 458 one by Clarkson. IMHO, the 458 is a wolf in an abnormal sheep's skin. Why abnormal? Look at the rear, it's just hideous. I like it's performance though.

I've been driving both of them for quite a time. From my test drives on the Azure Coast, the MP4-12C usually goes all over the place sometimes while the 458 points its nose exactly at where you point its steering wheel.

Which brings me to this conclusion: the 458 is more of Michael Schumacher; elite, always sticking to the road, and goes wherever you want it to go. On the other hand, the MP4-12C is Lewis Hamilton; still formula-like but shares the desire of hooning with us.

But the looks of the 458 just drives me off, so my preference goes to the MP4-12C, even though I was a Ferrari loyalist before. Looks good, feels good, just good all around.

/smartassed comment

That makes alot of sense....all except the F458 taillights bit.
 
Mmhh, both reviews stated how the Mclaren MP4-12C is a car that lacks all the flair and fun of the Ferrari 458 Italia, and how the McLaren placed priority in racing practicality (with a tad of everyday use I suppose, at least, according to Clarkson), over driving experience, and I can see how the Ferrari wins the crowd more easily.

Ironically, it is precisely because of those qualities why I adore and identify with the McLaren. Practicality over Flair, that's who I am. Plus, I actually prefer McLarens over Ferraris anyday, hehehehe (Being a Hamilton and Button, and the legendary F1 of 1994, fan, don't help, hehehe). Ferrari can take it's flare and pannage to 2nd place, muahahaha. I'll stick with my champ McLaren
 
What will be interesting is when the MP4-12C GTE turns up at Le Mans next year, see how it matches up against the Ferrari
 
That makes alot of sense....all except the F458 taillights bit.

Well it's clear that I have a different taste with you guys, that's why I find the rear odd. I like it's front though, just look at that aggressive, menacing face.
 
I think the problem is we look at specs and performance rather than the real picture.......is it easy to drive for everyone?
I myself just tested the MP4-12C stock last night (yes I haven't gotten one yet) and happened to be simply in love with it's exotic sounds and sheer brute performance (they actually have it detuned).

In comparison to a 458 Italia, I would say this is definitely a different car and a less balanced one. One might point out that it might take a delicate foot and hand to control the MP4 but I believe that's partly due where it gets most of it's power from........two turbos.

When I do buy one (I"m very cheap and picky about credit spending) I'll be sure to add it to my favorites list once I get a few Nurburgring laps in it. To me it's like the F40, so many things that you can say wrong about it but what keeps you driving it is it has a sense of character/personality.
 
I so badly want the MP4-12C to be better, but it just isn't.

This.
In my honest opinion, and I'm a McLaren fan(atic), the MP4-12C is ugly (horrible front end), sounds horrific, handles like crap and it's just a supercar.
"Just a supercar, how?" you may ask, well - it's not a hypercar (F1, Enzo, Aventador, Zonda, Murcielago, SLR etc.) it's a supercar (along with Gallardo, 458, SLS, Ford GT, Corvette, R8 etc.) and that thing turns me off the most.
I expected McLaren to make something revolutionary, on F1's level - but that will never happen.

To sum it up:

458:
- Looks
- Handling
- Feels a lot better
- Faster on the track

MP4-12C:
- Interior
- Straightforward speed
- It's a McLaren


However, in real life you won't care about laptimes (which are about 0.5 off each other) - you will care about the handling and the car's feel, the categories in which 458 wins.

McLaren MP4-12C just can't be better, no matter how badly I want it to.
 
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"Just a supercar, how?" you may ask, well - it's not a hypercar (F1, Enzo, Aventador, Zonda, Murcielago, SLR etc.) it's a supercar (along with Gallardo, 458, SLS, Ford GT, Corvette, R8 etc.) and that thing turns me off the most.
I expected McLaren to make something revolutionary, on F1's level - but that will never happen.

Manufacturers make most money with their entry cars (like the 458 or the SLS).

Back then, the F1 almost ruined the Mclaren group.

Im a big tifoso, but I support Mclaren as well because of the teams epic history (almost every great driver drove for Mclaren, Senna, Prost, Rosberg, Lauda, Hunt, Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Häkkinen).
I still in hunt for a chrome paintjob (didn`t get one so far) to give my MP4-12C the colour sheme from the F1 team :)
 
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