Future Classics: McLaren MP4-12C Review

The first product of the modern-day McLaren Automotive, it’s incredible to think it’s now over a decade since the MP4-12C launched the brand. And, at the first time of asking, created a viable, British-built alternative to Ferrari at its absolute best.

While the iconic F1 remains a benchmark supercar it hails from a previous age in McLaren’s history, while the tie-up with Mercedes-Benz produced the flawed but fascinating SLR. The MP4-12C was pure McLaren, though, and combined incredible performance with unheard of usability for a car of this nature. Sure, Ferrari’s equivalent 458 Italia retained a slight edge in sheer entertainment. But the MP4-12C set the template for a decade’s worth of increasingly potent McLarens, up to and including cars like the P1, 675LT and Senna. The all-carbon tub was a game-changer at this price point and drew a direct line to McLaren’s pioneering use of the material in motorsport. Other tech like the ‘too clever for F1’ Brake Steer and ProActive Chassis Control interlinked dampers were further examples of the brand’s instinct to innovate. Having dropped the ‘MP4’ in 2012 to become, simply, the 12C, the car has matured into a true future classic as appreciation belatedly grows for its game-changing abilities, and the accessibility of both its asking price and performance.

For all its technical complexity the 12C is an endearingly simple car to appreciate and it feels, to all intents and purposes, like a 600PS Lotus. Which isn’t that surprising, given many of the engineers behind it were former Hethel employees. They understood that things like good visibility, pliant suspension, consistent steering feel and perfect pedal placement all count for more in the real world than contrived ‘race car for the road’ intensity, all of which is apparent in the 12C. For instance, against the over-assisted hyperactivity of contemporary Ferraris the steering has the weight and positivity of a non-assisted wheel, while the brake pedal has the firmness and modulation of an unservoed race car system, in just two examples of new-school tech calibrated for old-school feel.

The twin-turbocharged V8 may have been criticised for lack of soul in comparison with the naturally aspirated screamer in the 458 Italia but the mild lag actually made the boost feel more exciting, and there was far greater flexibility paired with real enthusiasm to rev to the 8,500rpm redline. And with power retrospectively boosted from an already potent 600PS (441kW) to 625PS (460kW) – cars that didn’t get it originally should have received it in an update – it’s still a very, very fast car over a decade on. Elsewhere, spiky on-limit behaviour in early cars was tamed in later updates, while the clever suspension decouples roll control from straight-line cushiness for both incredible straight-line comfort and pin-sharp composure through the turns. 

Criticised by some for its conservatism at the time, the 12C’s Frank Stephenson-drawn lines have aged well. There’s a timeless quality to the simplicity of the look, and a purity that was lost in the later 650S’s unhappy mish-mash of competing design philosophies. The cab-forward stance, dihedral doors and slatted rear valance with its high-set exhausts and integrated lights are cohesive, while the simple interior is a masterpiece of driver-focused minimalism. In looks as well as performance this is a pure supercar, but one with a friendly face that attracts a far more generous response from other road users than some of the shoutier Italian alternatives. While servicing it properly won’t be cheap, the 12C rewards with fundamentally decent reliability now the early wobbles have all but been ironed out, while McLaren’s policy of improving both power and technology (a free upgrade at the end of its life included increased functionality for the variable wing and airbrake from its 650S successor) has kept it fresh.

McLaren’s determination to go its own way with everything didn’t entirely work out when it came to the controversial Iris infotainment system, though this can be upgraded to a second-generation installation many owners will already have invested in. There’s no escaping that in-car tech has come on leaps and bounds in the last decade, though, and this is one area the car does indeed show its age. The hidden, touch-sensitive door releases on early cars weren’t well received either, the fact McLaren dropped these for physical buttons in short order revealing even its purist instincts had to sometimes concede to usability. Questions over the perceived aloofness of the car’s character were addressed early in its life with improved, driver-configurable Intake Sound Generator to pipe more engine noise into the cabin when needed. But the sheer brilliance of the Ferrari 458 Italia will always haunt the 12C and, for all its amazing qualities, the McLaren will never quite match its Italian rival for sheer, pulse-racing excitement.

The stiffness of the carbon tub gifted McLaren an ace when it came to creating an open-top version, the Spider suffering none of the wobbliness found in some rivals. The fact it loses nothing meaningful in performance or style with the hardtop raised makes this a popular choice, too. On the face of it the decision is between that and the more purist appeal of the coupe but, as ever with a car of this nature, the devil is in the detail over which one to go for. Mileage will play a big factor in perceived value, though the 12C is more comfortable than most peers with racking up big distances, so don’t necessarily fear a big number on the odometer. Options should probably play a bigger part in your buying decision, ceramic brakes, lightweight seats and forged wheels in keeping with the McLaren ethos, while later models with the physical door releases are also worth seeking out. Make sure the one you’re looking at has had both the power and 650S airbrake upgrades as well – most should have but it’s not impossible a few may have slipped through the net.

Because you want a British-built supercar that still delivers in performance terms and is, perhaps, as pure an expression of McLaren’s values as anything it has built in the decade since. The timeless looks are no less exotic than they were when the car launched, the carbon fibre construction and clever suspension have the necessary technical intrigue to keep you interested and the performance still feels mighty. The main appeal is the fact it’s a supercar you can enjoy every day, and one that can turn even the bumpiest, twistiest British B-road into a playground to enjoy at any speed. A qualified success at its launch, the 12C’s role as the template for modern McLaren is increasingly recognised as something rather significant, and a good example is the embodiment of the future classic you can enjoy right now.  

Best Buy

Later 12C coupe with all the lightweight options