New McLaren, It's the Real Deal

[Stanae86]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/11/mclaren-mp4-12c-celebrates-second-quickest-power-lap-time-on/

EDIT:  Here's the 5th Gear one you guys are referring to:

Fifth Gear - McLaren MP4-12c vs Ferrari 458 Italia

[Schwalbe]

According to the last Top Gear Episode the car was developped by McLaren on the same racetrack they did their Power lap on TG so...  

[Thamar]

They also say the car has no emotion, no special supercar feeling, it doesn't look all that stunning (but I kind'a like that it doesn't look bonkers) etc etc etc.

It's a car designed by race-engineers and the designer had to fill in the blanks keeping strict guidelines, not the way around like it normally goes...

They should put it on the ring, see what it does there...

[goodduck]

both TG and 5th gear have had a similar reaction. not as much 'fun' as the 458 italia. i love the 458 but this new mclaren is to be respected. thats one hell of a time just below the veyron.

[ARMAN]

Macca ->
458 italia -> 

[bmagni]

Not to sound like a fanboy but the TG test rings some bells to me.

The test was delayed from episode two to episode three.
Clarkson said the car was fettled with before the power lap.
They put a special mention to the suspension system. Highlighting it's qualities after it's being said it's one of the car's mayor flaws.
They showed how to turn the TC off after 5th gear said they couldn't do it.
They did two tests. One in a rainy day and another in a sunny day.
After being beaten in 7/7 reviews they finally get a point in their favor, in the most popular auto show. Though Clarkson preferred the Italia.
Their celebration cake was pathetic. It clearly shows how they wanted to make the car look good specifically in the TG test. None other manufacturer has done something as dumb as that.
After the episode Chris Harris twitted some thoughts one being "some lap times are very fishy"

[DMF]

#1 variable for the best track times are the current weather/track conditions.. not surprised they pushed this back to the 3rd taping (when track conditions were at it's best?)

Again, this show is entertainment, not science. There is major production that goes into every little bit of Top Gear.

[spanky]

It definitely feels like something fishy happened with that lap

[yg60m]

I was both surprised by the "poor" times on first tests and by the "too good" time on Top Gear. I thought it was going to beat the 458 from the first previews we had of it and was disappointed to see how it performed (though we know how Ferrari prepare its cars for the press tests now thanks to Chris Harris), I mean, how can it accelerate so hard and be so far on a track ? I know acceleration is not everything but it doesn't seems to handle so bad (that even sounds like the opposite from the reads) ...
Anyway, the Top Gear track time seems too good to be true but I think that, unless they are tested on the same day by the same driver (and even many drivers is better, like they do on bikes magazines, with an average time), the time has no real sense.


However, I love this car, it maybe lacks emotion but, for a beginner, it ticks a lot of boxes

[stmoritzer]

update
 
 
 
Leno driving "his" new McLaren on TG track
 

LENO GETS MCLAREN DRIVING LESSON