Who is there?
As a woman, I always, first of all, pay attention to the appearance of the machine. Perhaps, I’ll start with him. Acquaintance with McLaren began at a car dealership, not so long ago opened right next to the Burj Khalifa tower ("Bourge Khalifa"). The automotive icon - opposite the Dubai icon, is very symbolic. Mr. Frank Stephenson, chief designer of McLaren, introduced us to each other. A US citizen, born in Morocco, lived and worked in Spain, graduated from the College of Art and Design in Pasadena (California, USA) ... After 11 years at BMW, working in Italy with luxury brands Ferrari and Maserati, Frank is a real storehouse of experience, ideas and taste. Can you imagine what a new creation could get out of his artistic pen?
In front of me are two bright English beauties - classic black and fiery orange. Stylish “face” with a slight squint, “ribbed predatory flanks ... who does this remind me of?” “Shark?” I ask Frank. “You can see any predator in it, but most importantly, do not compare it with any other cars. MP4-12C is absolutely unique! Yes, many recall the SLR, which was created in collaboration with Mercedes, but this particular model was designed from scratch and with an unprecedented scale. Almost $ 1.3 billion was invested in its development to make the first-born of a new model line of this brand the best supercar, "he says.
As for the interior, the interior is really unusually stylish, while remaining extremely minimalistic. The narrow seat recalls that the driver, as well as the passenger, must lead a sporty lifestyle - but how could it be otherwise in a high-speed car
There are no buttons on the steering wheel, everything is simple and easy to operate, and is located in the most convenient places for access, the climate control unit is located on the door, and an iPhone-like touch screen on the center console is used to control the audio system and satellite navigation. There are toggle switches under the screen to select transmission and chassis settings that you can use to touch without taking your eyes off the road, but at the same time, for security reasons, you must first activate the toggle switches themselves with a separate button to switch modes. The gearbox has three different modes: Normal, Sport and High Performance. There is also a launcher control, a “winter” mode and a Pre-Cog system, which works on the principle of focusing the camera - when you press the gear shift button lightly, the program “prepares” the box, so to speak. As soon as you press the key to the end, the transmission instantly increases or decreases.
The main thing
The abbreviation MP4 brings us back to Formula 1, where all McLaren cars have been called so since 1981. The number 12, according to the gradation adopted by the company, means the class of the machine, based on its power, aerodynamics, weight and other characteristics.
The letter C is Carbon, a one-piece carbon fiber monocoque, which became the basis of this model, because it was McLaren who first realized this design idea first in Formula 1 in 1981, and then in the production of road cars in 1993 when F1 was created. Thanks to the heavy-duty carbon capsule weighing only 75 kg, the MP4-12C got a notable advantage over the Ferrari 458 with a heavier aluminum space frame. Front and rear aluminum subframes are attached to the monocoque, on which chassis and power unit elements are mounted. The engine was designed from scratch by order of McLaren by the British company Ricardo and placed very low, which improves the location of the center of gravity and, accordingly, has a beneficial effect on handling. The main points in the program of improvements are increased by 25 hp.
engine power, a more "rapid-firing" robotic 7-speed gearbox with two clutches. Of the technical innovations, it is also worth noting the Intake Sound Generator (ISG) system, through which you can select the sound level of the engine in the cabin. That is, for each power transmission operation mode (Normal, Sport and High Performance), the driver himself can decide at what volume he is ready to listen to the sounds of the turbocharged V8 engine.
In the town
Why you need a race car in an urban environment has always been a mystery to me. Radars, speed bumps, traffic lights, after all! You can, of course, “feel” the power of the car on the track and then talk about the cool deceleration effect with the “aerodynamic brake” - a movable rear wing, which increases the stability of the rear axle during braking and allows you to increase the braking force on the rear wheels without risking skidding under hard deceleration . But, in fact, how much you are in love with this car, you understand after 60 km / h. In the automatic transmission mode, McLaren demonstrates tremendous complaisance and friendliness: soft gear changes and excellent smoothness make you forget that you drive a 600-horsepower supercar. In addition, engineers worked with door opening systems and seat movements to increase the convenience of landing / exit. And for the convenience of urban traffic and overcoming bumps in the road, the body can lift 4 cm in front and 2.5 cm at the rear. In this form, the car can move at a speed of up to 60 km / h.
It’s a pity, of course, that I did not dare to press the accelerator “to the floor” on an empty suburban highway, but even at a relatively low speed I managed to feel the character and extraordinaryness of this car. Maybe someday, I still have the courage to “try” it on the racetrack? In any case, it's worth it ....
