Supercar – this word alone may bring honor and glory to many vehicles, but for a small species of motor vehicles, even the addition of the noun “Super” is little more than a last drop of water in the Amazon environment. Super or not? Words are too insignificant to understand what the genre of the ultimate particle accelerator is all about.
McLaren MP4-12 | My appointment with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
At the “Ricardo Tormo” racetrack near Valencia I meet the English sports car, whose birthplace is the McLaren factory in Woking. The legitimate successor to the 1-seater McLaren sports car of the 3s was developed in the sterile environment of Formula 90 technology. On the outside, the British athlete doesn't look particularly spectacular. Alongside the sports fans from Mugello and Sant'Agata, the MP4-12 plays the role of the smooth-ironed and elitist oddball who, with a lot of self-confidence, doesn't want to hide his qualities, but consciously avoids the particularly rowdy external appearance.
So it might be. The McLaren demonstrates - completely wrinkle-free - its special achievements in the aerodynamics subject. No edges for the sake of the edges. The air should smoothly caress the body and not linger long. It is a formal language freed from any excitement - with the clear, distinguished dialect of an elite professional athlete. Willingness to perform - yes. Onomatopoeia - no.
That changes abruptly when you start the 3,8 liter V8 engine. A short, hotter bark informs those around you that the performance is about to begin. The driver should now also have self-confidence. Which was also checked beforehand when boarding the exceptional English athlete. The wide sills, the doors that swing forward and upward at an angle and the sports seats of the “Klemmstock” brand that are mounted just a few millimeters above the asphalt make it impossible for a driver who is not at the same level of training as the youngest offspring of the McLaren sports car manufacturer just easy to get into your seat with the necessary elegance.
Nevertheless, the propellant charge in the driver's neck, which has 2 turbochargers, lapses into an uncritical idle that hardly reveals any performance and the driver has time to breathe deeply. When the doors are closed, your fingers feel the quality of the McLaren. Wherever the fingers reach, the eyes can look - the interior presents itself free of any flaws and emphasized quality.
The driver and co-driver sit in the McLaren MP4-12 in a 75 kg heavy carbon monocoque. 75kg. The driver falls silent at short notice and pauses deliberately. No time for lengthy weight discussions. 608 hp are waiting to be challenged - sensitized by the Aventador, which could be driven on the same day and only a short time before, I press the accelerator gently but firmly.
The Englishman sets off in a completely unspectacular manner. The automatic transmission shifts through the gears almost imperceptibly. At the end of the pit lane exit, I brake with light pressure and gently steer into the curve. All of this works just as comfortably and free of any character flaws as in a particularly handy mid-size sedan. And almost as comfortable too.
Can this be?
A “super sports car” that drives like a VW Golf? All of this changes suddenly, the pilot increases the speed and activates race mode using the rotary control. Number 1 for a more aggressive and less understanding suspension setup and number 2 for the direct line between the performance desire in the driver's brain and the V1.2 pumped up to 8 bar in the back. Manually using a rocker switch, you now ask the engine and transmission to dance with the speeds, and thanks to track mode, the gear changer is transformed into a nasty gear catapult. If you leave the driver's foot on the driving pleasure pedal longer and with more courage, the Englishman zooms from bend to bend. Accompanied by a strangely quick trumpet choir from Jericho. Heavenly tones for petrol fetishists. Now squeeze your ass cheeks together, accelerate, use your full power - give me everything that's there! Shortly before 8.000 revolutions, the driver of the McLaren realized: he was serious and stopped provoking him. 1-0 for the Englishman. The McLaren responds to sharp braking with a brief but emphatic deformation of the driver's face. Eyeballs want to leave the skull. The previously impressively built-up energy masses are compressed and destroyed using air brakes and a carbon brake system.
The rear only prances slightly during this asphalt trial of strength. When turning into the next bend, Mr. Hyde calms down and plays Dr. Jekyll, who is razor-sharp and blessed with the finest traction distribution, making the curve round an entertaining experience. Even before the facial muscles can stop the deformation of the cheeks, the game of speed orgies begins again, accompanied by the Jericho jubilation choir. It has to be magic that gives the McLaren MP4-12 that traction and directional stability.
During the exit lap, I put the knobs back in the automatic mode. Mr Hyde turns into a handful of Dr. Jekyll.
Super sports car of the design of the Lamborghini Fan Do not live this double life, they always whisper and at any time: Give it to me! Give me more gas.
England’s newest thoroughbred athlete is completely different – simply: “Very British”.
