Published: Jul 22, 2011

McLaren Gives the MP4-12C Some Soul

Debate has been ongoing as to which is the superior supercar: McLaren's MP4-12C or Ferrari's 458 Italia.

The battle for the top supercar at the moment has been getting bigger and more heated in the last few weeks to the point where it almost feels like a 90's turf war between rival rap groups. The McLaren MP4-12C and the Ferrari 458 Italia play the figurative role of east coast vs. west coast in this allegory. Everyone has been testing these cars against each other and have taken sides as to which is their favorite and will shout to the world that theirs is the best.

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Jeremy Clarkson took the MP4-12C for a spin a few weeks ago on Top Gear. He claimed, like many others, that the MP4-12C was much more scientifically advanced, faster, had better handling and was overall a significantly superior model. It just 'lacked soul'. His preference was for the 458, and he isn't alone. This has been the growing theme amongst car enthusiasts and the press. Well it looks like McLaren has taken some considerable notice of the claim, immediately taking action with some tweaks to the MP4-12C. A new induction kit has been delivered to address the complaint that its sound was too muted.

The Ferrari 458 knows how to announce itself from a good distance and McLaren wants to give their ride a voice of its own. The British carmaker also added a lighter feel to the wheel-mounted paddles. A heavy mechanical feel was a critique of the up and down shifts, so they gave them a much lighter feel. Additional feel has been added to its handling to give the driver more of a rugged sensitivity on the road. All these new tweaks will be available on every new production car that comes out. No performance features were upgraded, however the suspension change really does have a significant effect.

A McLaren spokesman recently said: "We want drivers to enjoy the car a bit more. The changes don't lead to any performance increase, but they do lead to an emotional increase when you drive the car." As Eric B and Rakim so eloquently put it, you gotta have soul.

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McLaren MP4-12C

McLaren Gives the MP4-12C Some Soul

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