Driven: McLaren 12C Coupé

Driven: McLaren 12C Coupé

Just before autumn started we got hold of the keys of a McLaren 12C Coupé. After an extensive manual by the salesman of McLaren Brussels, it was time to start the V8 of the 12C and take this beauty for a ride. This car created a lot of commotion over the past few years. We start the V8 and easily drive away, it feels just like we’re driving a Ford Fiesta, we hadn’t suspected the car would drive this easy. It’s a great start and it was only getting better!




The 12C is a car for which we have a lot of respect. On 8 September 2009, the 12C was introduced to the world. McLaren Automotive was back and wanted to conquer the world with the 12C. A year before this, in 2008, McLaren Automotive was revived and Frank Stephenson was the new chief designer. Just like the McLaren F1, the goal was to keep the weight as low as possible to improve the performance. The 12C uses the light weight carbon fiber to achieve this goal. The Carbon MonoCell, as McLaren likes to call it, weighs only 80 kilograms. Producing this MonoCell costs only four hours while producing a monocoque for a Formula 1 race car takes up to 500 hours!

Gereden: McLaren 12C Coupé
Gereden: McLaren 12C CoupéGereden: McLaren 12C Coupé

Not everybody is satisfied with the design of the 12C. Some say that the front is to “sweet” while the back looks very brutal. We think that the 12C has a great design. The front, as well as the back are beautiful and we love the details of this car. One of these details is the fact that you can see the logo of McLaren in its headlights. We soon find out that the 12C is really appreciated by other traffic in the center of Brussels. A man in a Renault Twizy chases us and keeps on giving us thumbs up! We also see several people grabbing their telephones to make a photo of the car. On the highway, the 12C uses ten liters of gasoline per 100 kilometer. For a car with such a performance, this isn’t even that much. When we stop at a gas station, we immediately get all the attention. The 12C is surrounded by a lot of others who want to know everything about this beautiful car.

Gereden: McLaren 12C Coupé
Gereden: McLaren 12C CoupéGereden: McLaren 12C Coupé

The interior of the 12C is simple but very efficient. The navigation is controlled by touch and the big home button. When we drove the car we were still using the old system but by now, this is upgraded for the new Android system which works even better. Further, we see buttons for the gearbox, handling mode and suspension on the center console. The handling mode and suspension can be adjusted by knobs in the modes Comfort, Sport and Track. On the doors, we find buttons for climate control for the driver and passenger. Via a lever behind the steering wheel you can change your display or higher the car for a speed bump or small hill. Ideal solutions for a supercar with such an amazing performance.

Gereden: McLaren 12C Coupé
Gereden: McLaren 12C CoupéGereden: McLaren 12C Coupé

When we set the car in comfort mode, the car is really comfortable. The absorbers are very smooth and you can easily take the car for a long ride. The absorbers are hydraulically connected and they are constantly adjusted to the surface of the road. The comfort of this supercar is just amazing. When you set the mode to Sport or Track, the real party starts. Make sure you don’t play Hed Kandi, you better choose for some hardcore tracks. The entire car is now very stiff. Where other supercars hand in some of the comfort with these settings, the McLaren is still just as comfortable as it was. It’s just amazing how good this system works and all the options it gives you with a supercar. We have never experienced a car like this one. When you’re ready to hit the track with the McLaren, this is now problem at all, even when you don’t completely control the car yet. The car really has so much mechanical grip that it’s hard to reach the point where the stability systems come in action. But when these systems do get activated, they will help you to get the car straight in no time. It’s really unbelievable to drive the 12C.

Gereden: McLaren 12C Coupé
Gereden: McLaren 12C CoupéGereden: McLaren 12C Coupé

Sprinting from zero to 100 kph takes you 3.1 seconds and the sprint from zero to 200 kph takes only 8.9 seconds and you will eventually reach 330 kph. Braking from 200 kph to zero takes less than five seconds. This car isn’t only bloody fast, the brakes are great too. McLaren Automotive managed to build a piece of art after more than ten years of inactivity. We are very praiseful about the 12C and we haven’t discussed the heart of the car yet. During the introduction, the V8 produces 600 hp. In October 2012, McLaren came up with an update which increased the power to 625 hp. The V8 in the car isn’t a silent one. Definitely not when you activate Track modus. The valve in the exhaust opens and the car gives an amazing roaring sound. When you release the gas pedal you will also hear the turbos lose their pressure which improves the sensation of driving this car. The acceleration of the 12C is already amazing, so we can’t imagine what the 900 hp strong McLaren P1 will be like.

Gereden: McLaren 12C CoupéGereden: McLaren 12C Coupé

The price of the 12C isn’t that much when you think of what you get in return. A supercar with a lot of modes. From comfortable driving to racing on the track. It’s all possible and you can easily take this car for a lap on the Nordschleife. That says something about the daily drivability of the McLaren. This car can easily be used every day and even a granny can easily drive this car, if she can get in the car. You can take home a McLaren 12C for 261.000 Euros. For that amount of money, you get an amazing supercar in return which will definitely surprise you. We had high expectations and the McLaren 12C definitely reached these expectations!

Gereden: McLaren 12C Coupé
Gereden: McLaren 12C CoupéGereden: McLaren 12C Coupé

Photography & Video:

Christian Kalse | Photographer & Director

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