To start off, I didn't get to drive the McLaren Spider topless. I was going to remove my shirt but then it would have had ladies swooning... from the horrific sight, but I digress.
The weather was horrible and it was raining heavy. Still, that didn't stop the bunch of media gathered at Changi Exhibition for McLaren's 'In the driver's seat' from grinning from ear to ear and chatting excitedly like girls who won tickets to a meet and greet with David Beckham.
On hand was a pair of black McLaren MP4-12C - a coupe and a spider - for us to put through the paces on a gymkhana course. Just two laps each but we were assured it was worth waking up early on a Saturday morning for!Exterior
The 12C, in its coupe form, draws styling influence from the legendary McLaren F1 supercar but the problem is that the F1 does look kind of dated today. When your Tod shod Hermes totting customer pays a million dollars for a car, looking "rather good" is not quite enough.
Not that the 12C is ugly. Just that it doesn't look as defiant at the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder or as beautiful as the Ferrari 458 Spider. That said, form is dictated by function, and all the ducts and scoops on the 12C Spider are there for a specific reason.
The weather was horrible and it was raining heavy. Still, that didn't stop the bunch of media gathered at Changi Exhibition for McLaren's 'In the driver's seat' from grinning from ear to ear and chatting excitedly like girls who won tickets to a meet and greet with David Beckham.
On hand was a pair of black McLaren MP4-12C - a coupe and a spider - for us to put through the paces on a gymkhana course. Just two laps each but we were assured it was worth waking up early on a Saturday morning for!Exterior
The 12C, in its coupe form, draws styling influence from the legendary McLaren F1 supercar but the problem is that the F1 does look kind of dated today. When your Tod shod Hermes totting customer pays a million dollars for a car, looking "rather good" is not quite enough.
Not that the 12C is ugly. Just that it doesn't look as defiant at the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder or as beautiful as the Ferrari 458 Spider. That said, form is dictated by function, and all the ducts and scoops on the 12C Spider are there for a specific reason.
The best part of the 12C Spider is that its silhouette looks almost identical to the coupe with the roof up - something most convertibles struggle with.
So the McLaren looks as good with the top up as with it down. As for the colour of choice, we say definitely go with the Volcano Orange… although the silver is nice too. But whatever the choice, the thing that will impress offshore bank relationship managers and KTV girls alike are the dihedral doors.
As for your boy racer friends, they have to be content that all the geeky good stuff is under the skin - like the lightweight yet incredibly strong carbon tub and radiators at the flank placed in line so that the 12C Spider can be narrower and hence lighter.
More impressively, the Spider weighs just 40kg more than the Coupe so performance will be similar. It all comes down to whether you have an extra $100 grand to spend…
So the McLaren looks as good with the top up as with it down. As for the colour of choice, we say definitely go with the Volcano Orange… although the silver is nice too. But whatever the choice, the thing that will impress offshore bank relationship managers and KTV girls alike are the dihedral doors.
As for your boy racer friends, they have to be content that all the geeky good stuff is under the skin - like the lightweight yet incredibly strong carbon tub and radiators at the flank placed in line so that the 12C Spider can be narrower and hence lighter.
More impressively, the Spider weighs just 40kg more than the Coupe so performance will be similar. It all comes down to whether you have an extra $100 grand to spend…
Interior
After you swing the doors up and settle into the cabin, the first thing you'll realise is how simple and ergonomic it is. There are no extra buttons on the steering wheel. The instrument binnacle is neither lit in multi-coloured hues nor is it complex enough to stray your focus.
Even the seats do not appear to be very aggressively bolstered but yet manage to hold you snugly without being stifling.
Basically, there are two knobs on the centre console that determine the 'character' of the car depending on the mood you are in. One knob 'H' affects the stiffness of the suspension (PCC - Proactive Chassis Control) and stability control while the other on the right 'P' controls the powertrain.
After you swing the doors up and settle into the cabin, the first thing you'll realise is how simple and ergonomic it is. There are no extra buttons on the steering wheel. The instrument binnacle is neither lit in multi-coloured hues nor is it complex enough to stray your focus.
Even the seats do not appear to be very aggressively bolstered but yet manage to hold you snugly without being stifling.
Basically, there are two knobs on the centre console that determine the 'character' of the car depending on the mood you are in. One knob 'H' affects the stiffness of the suspension (PCC - Proactive Chassis Control) and stability control while the other on the right 'P' controls the powertrain.
Normal, Sport and Track are available. Rest of the interior is made from top grade materials that one can choose from - different fabric, leather, alcantara, colours, carbon fibre, etc.
At McLaren, like most other exotic car manufacturer, the limiting factor to customisation is the size of your bank account. Yes, an ashtray is a cost option but so is a fire extinguisher.
At McLaren, like most other exotic car manufacturer, the limiting factor to customisation is the size of your bank account. Yes, an ashtray is a cost option but so is a fire extinguisher.
The Drive
Even before driving the MP4-12C Spider, most people would have already read or heard and inwardly harbour certain (high) expectations of it - basically how it can walk on water and leap tall buildings in a single bound. Usually, when that happens, one inevitably walks away with a tinge of disappointed after driving the car. Not so with the Spider.
There is a touch more power (23bhp) from the turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 but not having driven the 'original' car, we can't tell how much difference it'll make. All we can tell you is that the 12C Spider is just so effortlessly fast. With the top up and in the rain, the acceleration is just mind boggling.
You wouldn't realise how fast you're going until you glance down at the speedometer. There is absolutely no hint of lag and the power just pulls from 3,000rpm all the way to the 8,500rpm redline.
Bearing in mind it was a wet surface during out stint with the car, the 12C demonstrated unworldly levels of grip and body control. Through the slalom, you'll think that you've overcooked the entry speed and expect understeer but the car simply just turns in with absolute accuracy. Credit goes to the magic behind the brake steer.
Basically its acts like a torque vectoring rear differential but the upside is that it also works when one is not on the throttle. We could go on about how good the car is but having driven a 458 under similar conditions, we can safely say that not only is the 12C 'easier' to drive, it flatters the driver.
Conclusion
So what's not to like about the car? Well, apparently even the engineers have picked up on the feedback that the aural excitement from the engine is not quite up to scratch so one can now dial in the amount of 'engine noise' that permeates the cabin. But then again with the 12C Spider, you can simply drop the roof to enjoy the soundtrack.
Still, it doesn't sound quite as good as its rivals. Other than that, there is probably no other car that mere mortals can pilot faster around a racetrack and then drive to the gala dinner in style. Yes, it may not look stunning but you and I both know it's what lies beneath that matter…
Conclusion
So what's not to like about the car? Well, apparently even the engineers have picked up on the feedback that the aural excitement from the engine is not quite up to scratch so one can now dial in the amount of 'engine noise' that permeates the cabin. But then again with the 12C Spider, you can simply drop the roof to enjoy the soundtrack.
Still, it doesn't sound quite as good as its rivals. Other than that, there is probably no other car that mere mortals can pilot faster around a racetrack and then drive to the gala dinner in style. Yes, it may not look stunning but you and I both know it's what lies beneath that matter…
