What happens when you let out a dedicated group of engineers to design a clean-sheet, all-new supercar? You get something that may not be terribly exciting on the eyes, but is the automotive equivalent of the Sistine Chapel. You get the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C.
That’s according to Carlos Lago, associate road test editor at our Motor Trend sister publication. In its latest episode of “Ignition,” Lago takes the $295,250 McLaren to task to find out if it has the goods as a world-class supercar. On the outside, the MP4-12C looks a little mundane, too tame for a car of its weight class.
But when he takes the McLaren MP4-12C through Motor Trend‘s full spectrum of testing, his opinion changes dramatically. Its “tub”, or where passengers, sit weighs just 165 pounds. It has a specially designed 3.8-liter turbocharged V-8 engine that makes 592 horsepower, designed especially for its light weight. The car has aerodynamic aids that actively adjust to slow the car at will. And it’s all put together in a package that rides more closely to a normal car than its natural competitors while still delivering extreme all-out performance.
Motor Trend reviews the car through ten minutes of “Ignition,” mulling over every detail. It gives you an appreciation of just how advanced the MP4-12C is, a car that was created by a bunch of race car engineers who decided to take a leap and return to the street car business.
Source: Motor Trend via YouTube
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