I almost forgot about this series. It's pleasure, however, to know that it's still alive. Now, keep it going again. I'm sure there's lots of interesting things about that fabulous car ;)
I've been watching this Diaries up till now, few questions; 1) anything break down needs to repair? 2) any funny noises from the interior cabin yet? 3) Is there anyway u can conduct a test of the ride suspension with a bucket of water in 991/12C.... and see how much water running out on the same driving style/route. I can't imagine 12C is more useable than TTS, mainly on the ride quality, and body roll..... with PDCC on TTS its very good
Just a thought - But for all sports/driver focused cars the infotainment/settings system stick mounted on the steering console makes a lot of sense. Not the same for a more family orientated car where your passenger might use the system as well, but for this kind of car it just seams like the best solution IMO.
Wow i think you just made me fall in love with this car. My favorite car before was the aventador, But now i think i love this as much....... Great video.. Very entertaining...
I answered this in the comments in a previous part of the series, but I thought I'd address it again for those that were asking here. The doors require less lateral space than conventional doors, meaning that tight spots really aren't a problem. The only time I had an issue was when I parked near a tree and didn't have the vertical clearance when the door went up. On another note, this car is amazing on the track. I drove it back to back with my 2003 Porsche GT3 World Challenge Cup car (a bit quicker than a 2012 997.2 base Cup) and was within 2 seconds a lap on my home track. The Cup car was on slicks and the McLaren was on stickier but still street legal tires. Also, I will drive the Cup car 9/10 all day but never pushed the 12C beyond 8/10 (no insurance coverage on track). The precision in the car is amazing - I feel like I can hit my reference points within inches consistently every time I'm on track.
I remember the day I had to give my company car (which was a scooby) back...I was inconsolable for about 6 months, but can you imagine how he's gonna feel giving the Macca back?!
Thank you, Mr. Trott for your attention to the question of the driving position. I think, if the car is looks great, it sounds great, it's very fast, people love it, but... the driver must sit in some twisted, uncomfortable position - then it is bad car. And from this point of view many interesting cars, such as old Ferrari's, old 911's or 914, BMW M1, e30 M3, Zonda or Veyron are crap. And almost all French cars are crap too. Most of the car owners did not recognise this. It will be very nice if EVO magazine criticize modern cars more for bad driving position or poor visibility. New BMW 4 for example - the steering wheel is in wrong place and you cant see well out of it.
IMO the other "long term test" videos were just boring and useless. This one though, nice one, thumbs up!! Please keep this series that way , information, onboard videos, practicality that's what we want to see. :)
Are you sure that the last 30 degrees of rear wing tilt isn't driven by air so that it is proportional to the amount of stopping power needed? Trying to drive the last 30 degrees without hydraulics for purely weight savings seems like shaky logic
the wing thing is actually true. by placing the hinge behind the midpoint of the wing, air pressure makes the wing snap up rather than flat. if you look at the Veyron wing under braking you can see that it fights air the whole way up. also, the rear wing on the MP4-12C isn't meant to produce drag as much as it is to increase downforce and provide more grip for the rear wheels. the drag is inevitable and helps but the main purpose is for downforce and grip, it's not shaky logic at all it's just clever engineering.
@jon rambo - no more Harry Metcalfe videos. He is no longer involved with EVO. He has recently assumed a position with Jaguar Land Rover in their ETO (Engineered to Order) division.
Did you ever use the 'pre-cog' mode on the gearbox, where you half pull the paddle back before full engaging it and requesting the change? It seems to have been almost completely forgotten since the launch, where it was supposed to provide a better shift and greater driver involvement with the transmission...
People also seem to forget that you can shift up and down with one paddle. For example push the left paddle outwards and you shift up. Vice versa for the right paddle.
Was that last bit shot near Windsor? Only I swear I have been driving past this McLaren at least once a week for the past month.. Pretty certain its the only bloody one on the roads round here! lol
Cool video :) but I'm sure McLaren said the exhausts are up that high because it saves weight (I think it was simply because less pipe is required to get to that location than to get to the bottom of the car). EDIT: Never mind, he covered it later in the video :)
how does it feel when you park the vehicle next to another vehicle?, do you feel confident opening the door or must worry that it might hit the other car?
not limit the power but it does lock the trunk and engine bay. it also locks out the Active button used to switch the car onto sport or track mode. some people say that it also locks out gears 3 and up. if it were my call, i'd just let them use reverse and 1st with an RPM limit.
mnunez10 Haha I do agree, however McLaren state that this is a supercar you can use ever day. Sometimes idiots park close to you. I just wondered if you could still squeeze into the car even if the doors couldn't fully open :-)
cars with doors that go up usually have small explosive charges that blow the door off if the car overturns. since this mclaren has such a low center of gravity, it would be pretty rare for that to happen. it will spin before it flips. something would need to send it flying like hitting a curb.
I don't think so. I have a 2012 Seat Leon Cupra R and that doesn't have it... and searching google for "Seat Leon Brake Steer" finds absolutely nothing that mentions it.
DedicationBlog True, it uses breaking mostly as an ESP system and uses electronic XDS that inflates or deflates tires independently as needed in the corners. But honestly, when I turn sharply at high speeds it just goes :)
Love the vid, still not sure about the car. OK, I believe it's super high tech, and perfectly built, but it to me it misses emotion. And that name... It sounds like an application or a dishwasher, not a supercar
having worked with a world renowned engineer, I have grown to appreciate proper design with true engineering principles. the mclaren isn't really for the flamboyant, it instead makes its owners happy by being what it is which is an amazing engineering marvel. as for the name, M3Conv explains it best and if you kept up with Formula 1 you would know it has a bit of heritage behind its style.
Great vid. Would love to see him do vids like this on other supercars so we can see all the little details. Keep it up Evo!
Love these vids, I can just grab my cup of coffee, sit in front of the laptop and dream :)
***** Same here ... :)
Excellent video. Not boring at all. Don't kid yourself, I loved it. More please.
These videos could go on for hours and I'd still be mesmerized!
Absolutely perfect, I love hearing those details. They help me get a good feel of the car, because it's the bit most leave out.
I almost forgot about this series. It's pleasure, however, to know that it's still alive. Now, keep it going again. I'm sure there's lots of interesting things about that fabulous car ;)
More updates Nick! Been too long since the last one. Loving this!
Great video. I love hearing about the finer details that you'll never read about in a magazine.
Excellent work Nick, very well explained and edited.
Nick thanks for the series. It is wonderfully enjoyable.
Fantastic video guys. I love learning details only owners should know about cars i'll never drive.
great video , best in this series yet
I've been watching this Diaries up till now, few questions; 1) anything break down needs to repair? 2) any funny noises from the interior cabin yet? 3) Is there anyway u can conduct a test of the ride suspension with a bucket of water in 991/12C.... and see how much water running out on the same driving style/route. I can't imagine 12C is more useable than TTS, mainly on the ride quality, and body roll..... with PDCC on TTS its very good
Love Detailed videos like this. Thank You
One of my new favorite car channels.
Fantastic series EVO. Just be sure that when you hand the keys to the 12C back that you ask for the keys to the P1 : )
So, eight years on, who else is re watching these and buying one 👍
love videos like this, brilliant
Another top report from this chap, well done. Love it.
Just a thought - But for all sports/driver focused cars the infotainment/settings system stick mounted on the steering console makes a lot of sense. Not the same for a more family orientated car where your passenger might use the system as well, but for this kind of car it just seams like the best solution IMO.
Thanks for sharing with us, this 7 part take a long time to come :P
Really enjoyed that guv. Your best yet. Shame you had to give it back so soon.
These geeking stuff is strangely so good to look :). Realy good presentation guys, I like.
Wow i think you just made me fall in love with this car. My favorite car before was the aventador, But now i think i love this as much....... Great video.. Very entertaining...
Great video!
Awesome in-depth info.
I love those videos, thank you!
He looks like he is about to cry!
What ever happened to Conan O'Brien's English cousin? He just vanished
Love to have an in-depth technical video like this for all the vehicle they review.
Awesome stuff.
Christ I've been waiting for this.
I answered this in the comments in a previous part of the series, but I thought I'd address it again for those that were asking here. The doors require less lateral space than conventional doors, meaning that tight spots really aren't a problem. The only time I had an issue was when I parked near a tree and didn't have the vertical clearance when the door went up.
On another note, this car is amazing on the track. I drove it back to back with my 2003 Porsche GT3 World Challenge Cup car (a bit quicker than a 2012 997.2 base Cup) and was within 2 seconds a lap on my home track. The Cup car was on slicks and the McLaren was on stickier but still street legal tires. Also, I will drive the Cup car 9/10 all day but never pushed the 12C beyond 8/10 (no insurance coverage on track). The precision in the car is amazing - I feel like I can hit my reference points within inches consistently every time I'm on track.
Damn this car is amazing
You need to do these vids for all your test cars!!!!
I remember the day I had to give my company car (which was a scooby) back...I was inconsolable for about 6 months, but can you imagine how he's gonna feel giving the Macca back?!
Love this car
Awesome video. Thanks.
The exhaust is above due to race cars, if they take a hint from behind is not much damage.
don't know why... but i love this video
very informative. thanks!
fantastic video!
Love these type of videos :)
Thank you, Mr. Trott for your attention to the question of the driving position.
I think, if the car is looks great, it sounds great, it's very fast, people love it, but... the driver must sit in some twisted, uncomfortable position - then it is bad car. And from this point of view many interesting cars, such as old Ferrari's, old 911's or 914, BMW M1, e30 M3, Zonda or Veyron are crap. And almost all French cars are crap too. Most of the car owners did not recognise this.
It will be very nice if EVO magazine criticize modern cars more for bad driving position or poor visibility. New BMW 4 for example - the steering wheel is in wrong place and you cant see well out of it.
Great video Nick, but give it a clean !
Love this car. I wonder though how much he was flooring it to be getting 11.8 mpg in 150 miles
Nice overview of this awesome car... Breaksteer is not that new... just one way of doing Torque Vectoring (e.g., PTV).
i love this car!!
What's it like to open the doors in a tight parking spot, and what's it like if you did your weekly shopping with it.
I really really want one!
Nice video :) Is that Tissot Seastar?
IMO the other "long term test" videos were just boring and useless.
This one though, nice one, thumbs up!! Please keep this series that way , information, onboard videos, practicality that's what we want to see. :)
I want this.
nice info about the car.
thank you!
Great vid!
Are you sure that the last 30 degrees of rear wing tilt isn't driven by air so that it is proportional to the amount of stopping power needed? Trying to drive the last 30 degrees without hydraulics for purely weight savings seems like shaky logic
the wing thing is actually true. by placing the hinge behind the midpoint of the wing, air pressure makes the wing snap up rather than flat. if you look at the Veyron wing under braking you can see that it fights air the whole way up. also, the rear wing on the MP4-12C isn't meant to produce drag as much as it is to increase downforce and provide more grip for the rear wheels. the drag is inevitable and helps but the main purpose is for downforce and grip, it's not shaky logic at all it's just clever engineering.
very nice full review! Well done! And nice car as well;)
Question : Can you get out of the car easily in a normal car park with that kind of door?
@jon rambo - no more Harry Metcalfe videos. He is no longer involved with EVO. He has recently assumed a position with Jaguar Land Rover in their ETO (Engineered to Order) division.
Evo u the best !!
nice video. Is the stereo system any good? How well does the navigation work?
hi Nick, i have notice that the Wind Break colour is NOW black, but it was Orange back in Part 1. have u change car?
Can you change the speedo to read KPH rather than MPH please?
I love the back end, but I'm not so keen on the front end.
The 650S should solve all of that though :D I think McLaren's onto a winner.
informative video well done
Did you ever use the 'pre-cog' mode on the gearbox, where you half pull the paddle back before full engaging it and requesting the change? It seems to have been almost completely forgotten since the launch, where it was supposed to provide a better shift and greater driver involvement with the transmission...
People also seem to forget that you can shift up and down with one paddle. For example push the left paddle outwards and you shift up. Vice versa for the right paddle.
LSG Drizzt They already mentioned that on one of their previous videos of this car ;)
Ricardo bought the rights to the VRH35 racing engine from Nissan. Good ole Japanese engine design + sexy British body design= best car on the planet!
Was that last bit shot near Windsor? Only I swear I have been driving past this McLaren at least once a week for the past month.. Pretty certain its the only bloody one on the roads round here! lol
What is Valet mode? Is that in some sort of drastic power restriction where it doesn't allow the car to go over a certain speed?
Cool video :) but I'm sure McLaren said the exhausts are up that high because it saves weight (I think it was simply because less pipe is required to get to that location than to get to the bottom of the car). EDIT: Never mind, he covered it later in the video :)
Love these vids!
Like top gear without all the shitty jokes, great vid evo. More please
how does it feel to enter and exit the vehicle, do you think the side panels or the carbon monocell is very wide on the sides? does it disturb you?
how does it feel when you park the vehicle next to another vehicle?, do you feel confident opening the door or must worry that it might hit the other car?
hamad al ali I would like to know the same. Did you ever get a response?
What does the valet mode do? Limit the speed to 30 mph maybe so the valets can't ruin your car? :)
Tire pressures 1.7-2.2 bar??? Wow, those are really really low. I've got 2.6 on winter tires and 2.8 on summer tires on a SLK.
Think my local has Brakesteer on tap
Good video just wish you could have washed it first!
What's the 'timed crank' setting in the vehicle settings?
Great info!
Worth giving it a wash
Wonder how much is maintenance us dollars
Nerdgasm!
good vid
Valet Mode? Does that limit it to 150BHP or something?
not limit the power but it does lock the trunk and engine bay. it also locks out the Active button used to switch the car onto sport or track mode. some people say that it also locks out gears 3 and up. if it were my call, i'd just let them use reverse and 1st with an RPM limit.
How are the doors in tighter parking spaces?
A beautiful car like this shouldn't be around other cars. It should be left alone in parking lot. C:
mnunez10 Haha I do agree, however McLaren state that this is a supercar you can use ever day. Sometimes idiots park close to you. I just wondered if you could still squeeze into the car even if the doors couldn't fully open :-)
yeah buddy.. if I just bought a mcclaren .. i'm not squeezing into any tight space with any car nearby
datDANK I was thinking more about if I was already parked and then came back to my car and someone had parked next to me.
Nick Linacre Well either you can´t get out or you can´t get in - So i´d say stay as long as you can in the car, I know I would ;D
The underside of the doors are getting chewed up McLaren.
What does 'valet mode' do?
Such a shame that the bottom of the doors get so damaged and are on show when open.
did i miss part 6?
I want one so much I feel sick!
bottom of the door is a little dirty there!
10:08 - "Powertain"
Use a tripe to film. the image is all shaky
Technical tour de force? Yeah, but gimme the 959 please
if the car overturns how do you get out?
cars with doors that go up usually have small explosive charges that blow the door off if the car overturns. since this mclaren has such a low center of gravity, it would be pretty rare for that to happen. it will spin before it flips. something would need to send it flying like hitting a curb.
Hmmm brake steer... I have that in my 2011 Seat Leon.
I don't think so. I have a 2012 Seat Leon Cupra R and that doesn't have it... and searching google for "Seat Leon Brake Steer" finds absolutely nothing that mentions it.
DedicationBlog
True, it uses breaking mostly as an ESP system and uses electronic XDS that inflates or deflates tires independently as needed in the corners. But honestly, when I turn sharply at high speeds it just goes :)
11 mpg
Oi Nick you could at least have washed the car ! ;D
Love the vid, still not sure about the car. OK, I believe it's super high tech, and perfectly built, but it to me it misses emotion. And that name... It sounds like an application or a dishwasher, not a supercar
Its just the McLaren numbering system.
2012 McLaren F1 car was the MP4-27, 2014 F1 car was the MP4-28 etc.
having worked with a world renowned engineer, I have grown to appreciate proper design with true engineering principles. the mclaren isn't really for the flamboyant, it instead makes its owners happy by being what it is which is an amazing engineering marvel. as for the name, M3Conv explains it best and if you kept up with Formula 1 you would know it has a bit of heritage behind its style.
conan o 'briens brother?!