GTP Cool Wall: 2011-2014 McLaren MP4-12C

2011-2014 McLaren MP4-12C

  • Total voters
    119
  • Poll closed .
GranTurismo916

GranTurismo916

15,465
United States
Orange County, NY
GTP_GT916
Nii916
2011-2014 McLaren MP4-12C nominated by @AudiMan2011
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Engines: 3.8L Twin Turbo V8 (M838T)
Power: 592-616 hp
Torque: 443 lb-ft.
Weight: Coupe: 1301 kg; Spider: 1341 kg
Transmission: 7-speed semi-automatic
Drivetrain: Mid engine, rear wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door coupe, 2-door roadster
Additional Info: "The first road car to come from Mclaren since the mighty F1 and aimed squarely at the 458 Italia. 2012 saw technical and mechanical updates raising power to 616hp and a name change to simply 12C. It uses F1 inspired technology and utilises a carbon-fibre MonoCell which would later be adapted for use in the P1 hypercar."​
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It's a nice car. Looks good, fairly subtle. Saw one of the prototypes testing five years ago or so. That was interesting.
 
The Junior Mclaren, huh? Well, you won't get a much more scientific junior supercar than this. It is a car shaped by science more than emotions, and that name (I call it the 12C because that makes more sense) doesn't help say otherwise. But still, this is a stellar supercar, it cannot be argued. For a Mclaren that only had done one car, to come up with such an impressive Ferrari 458 rival... You have to commend them on such a well-done task. It's not really shouty (if you avoid the yellow), and it can be used on a daily basis. It is a proper, sorted out car. Just not a 100% emotional experience, that's the 458 job. And that's why I am not giving it a Sub-Zero, just a really high cool. Avoid saying the name "MP4-12C" though, lest you want to look like a git...
 
Absolutely fantastic car, I'd love to have a go in one.

Seriously uncool.
 
Is it an awesome car? Yes.
Is it an impressive car? Yes.
Will it beat a Ferrari 458, it's nemesis, in most conditions? Yes.

But is it cool?

...Not quite.

First off, the styling is cartoonish. The massive double-intake vents behind the doors are disgusting. There isn't any body-colored panels between the grille and the road, which has always bothered me on modern McLarens. The bodywork seems to overlap the grille in the middle of it in order to leave room for a license plate, which messes up it's appearance. Yes, you do need a spot to put a plate, but don't design the grille in a way that it looks encroached by the plate. The side mirrors extend on thin stalks from the A-pillars as they do on Dodge Ram HD's. The McLaren F1 is usually referred to as the greatest driver's car, but 15 years later McLaren's next machine was this, which seems like your average supercar today. It's also the slowest road car McLaren has ever built.

Uncool.
 
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Uncool. Generic supercar number 4837245848534. It'll never be half the F1.
 
All engineering precision. Virtually no flare. Uncool.

JMoney689
First off, the styling is cartoonish.
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In the sense that it's a one-dimensional depiction of a modern supercar? Or do you somehow find it over-the-top?

JMoney689
It's also the slowest road car McLaren has ever built.
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Fun Fact: That's one thing the 12C and F1 had in common during their respective production runs. :P
 
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Everybody, everybody, raved about this when it came out. Now it's rather disliked and considered some sort of irreversible black mark on McLaren. I don't agree with that but I can't think of many cars where opinion has flipped so soon; it's only just over three years old.

I've seen these in person. It looks great. It sounds fabulous. It is neither better nor worse than contemporary cars. It does nothing wrong. But it gets the typical supercar treatment and it is uncool.
 
Liquid
Everybody, everybody, raved about this when it came out. Now it's rather disliked and considered some sort of irreversible black mark on McLaren. I don't agree with that but I can't think of many cars where opinion has flipped so soon; it's only just over three years old.
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*insert widely parroted Top Gear opinion on originally-liked American car here*
 
Cool. I kind of like the 650S better, but the original 12C isn't that bad. Maybe not the best, but not bad. I've seen quite a few of these in the wild. I've seen the same white Spider twice: Once in the mall parking lot, and again on the highway when I was walking to a train station one day.
 
Tornado
*insert widely parroted Top Gear opinion on originally-liked American car here*
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As if Top Gear weren't bad enough when it comes to quotes and online discussions, they did a 180 in their own review of the McLaren. "We've been hyping up this car for two years. It's brilliant. This car is brilliant. lol no it's boring and we prefer the Ferrari even though we hate Ferrari because they have the same problem we say McLaren have. Nerds lol."
 
No doubt that it's a great car but the design makes it more like a kitchen appliance than a sports car.

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Liquid
As if Top Gear weren't bad enough when it comes to quotes and online discussions, they did a 180 in their own review of the McLaren. "We've been hyping up this car for two years. It's brilliant. This car is brilliant. lol no it's boring and we prefer the Ferrari even though we hate Ferrari because they have the same problem we say McLaren have. Nerds lol."
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Is Top Gear that show that people watch and then try to pass off the host's opinions about cars on GTPlanet as their own?
 
JMoney689
There isn't any body-colored panels between the grille and the road, which has always bothered me on modern McLarens.
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The front lip below the grille can be black or painted, depending on the options you pick.

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While mulling upon this car, I could only see it as cool or uncool... but not seriously so in either direction.

Seems like everyone thought the same. This is one of the most interesting (tentative) Cool Wall poll results I've seen.

Could be cool because of what it represents: Pushing the supercar back towards being what it should be: a road car, first and foremost, with usable handling, power and comfort. Not necessarily subzero, though, lacks the personality for that.

Of course, it's still uncool because:

Dennisch
Just another rich boy toy.
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Uncool. Not seriously so because it isn't a Ferraborghini.
 
Tbh its a Supercar and a Q car in one.

Looks very boring but that hides how magnificant it's tech is underneath.

Ill say cool.

Also whats the point in saying expensive cars are uncool because expensive.
 
Wiegert
In the sense that it's a one-dimensional depiction of a modern supercar? Or do you somehow find it over-the-top?
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Cartoonish in the way the features are exaggerated- the double-intakes behind the doors. That's just silly- there's isn't a need to make it look like it has intakes on top of each other, they just did it to be different. Another feature that doesn't work is the attempt at reviving the cheese-grater look in the rear. To me that doesn't look right on a car from the 2010's. The P1 and 650S are even worse, however, with their headlights in the shape of the McLaren logo- what the heck were they thinking?

This car was the beginning of McLaren's style of design for their cars, as the P1 and 650 are similarly styled to the 12C, with exaggerated features. Other brands follow patterns as well- Porsches are very round with no sign of sharp angles, Lamborghinis have angled features defined by the single curve forming their silhouette, Ferraris are styled with flowing, graceful lines. All three of those brands have followed the same design pattern for decades, but McLaren is new to the show. To me, modern McLarens lack a clear direction that other brands have- this is hardly the same company that built the F1, which I consider the second best-looking supercar ever made. The F1 was designed by Gordon Murray and had a German V12. 21st century McLarens are something else.

Yeah, I got carried away there.
 
It's... honestly a little TOO bland IMO. If you're gonna throw your money into a car that you're rarely ever gonna use to its full potential, you might as well make it look interesting. This just looks like a generic store-brand supercar.
 

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