It Was A Trailblazer, So Why Was McLaren's 12C So Badly Received? 

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I think that the problem was that it was directly compared to the Ferrari 458, which was probably the best baby Ferrari in the past three decades. The Mclaren on paper beats down the 458, but in the real world the Ferrari had a lot more elegance, much more characterful engine and just a more playful feel. I think the Mclaren for a first shot was excellent but build quality issues also plagued the early models which contributed to the lack of enthusiasm for it. Today they're an incredible bargain. Think I would still rather have the 458 though if budget allowed. If not you can get a later Mclaren 570S for not much more money and they're like the 12C with greater polish.

Where to start...... (great review BTW) As you know I bought mine in 2016, it was 5 years old at the time and one of the very first cars, chassis No.80 so built in the technology Centre not the production centre with the lovely swipe doors. In total I owned my 12C for 2.5 years and 14,000 miles. It wasn't without its issues but what I will say was I owned it during that transitional time when the issues started rearing their head for the first time. This period is now over and I would say that nearly all cars are fully sorted. None of my issues were mechanical, the car ran like a dream, they were mostly corrosion and I had an odd creak that was eventually traced just to a wheel hub. In my 2.5 years and 14k miles the depreciation was £10k. I also spent £6k on warranties but that was it. Normal running costs aside (petrol / tax / insurance/ servicing) it cost me £16k over 14k miles. £1.14p per mile. I am fairly sure that is a relative bargain for a supercar. I sold mine in 2018 and the chap who bought it still owns it, he has had zero issues. The services averaged around £1k each. To put the £1.14p into perspective my F355 (that you drove) was £2.13p per mile. and my 981 Boxster Spyder £1.56. Having spent quite a lot of time driving 458's I can say they are lovely cars but feel slower than the 12C. They are surprisingly comfortable too with the bumpy ride setting. To my eyes the 12C is a much better looking car now. The 458 is also not without issues BUT (and here is the main difference) Ferrari owners do not air their dirty laundry in public, you simply don't hear about their woes and despairs. Because McLaren was a British brand it attracted many first time British supercar owners who came from Porsches and Audi's and were not used to the foibles of supercar ownership. You also have to bear in mind that McLaren owners actually DRIVE their cars. There are 12C's with 30/40/50k miles on the clock. Try doing that with a 458 and then seeing if you can sell it, at ANY price. The 12C has also held up in terms of quality, the leather, stitching and general quality of materials has stood the test of time better than Ferrari, with their melting / sticky interiors, and also Lamborghini. The inside of an early Huracan usually shows much more wear than a 12C even though 12C's tend to have done 3 times more miles. I don't know anyone who has had a gearbox failure either. That must be one of the most over-hyped issues and pales into insignificance (financial and numerical) against 981 GT4 strut and gearbox failures but no one still bangs on about those. You mentioned MPG, the long term mpg of mine was around 26mpg. On a run to the Alps (we did 3 times) it would average over 30mpg and also on 95 RON. When doing 3k+ miles on a tour this makes a BIG difference to the cost compared to a Ferrari (My F355 was 15mpg on 98RON & it leaked). The 12C is also supremely comfortable and refined. Even at 160mph on the Autobahn it is composed and quiet. It also holds a lot of luggage. We did consider a 570GT and when we arrived to swop for a weekend we could not fit the luggage from our 12C into the 570GT. The 12C is also the smallest McLaren in exterior size, smaller than even the 570 and feels more like a Lotus than a bigger Ferrari. The engine sound is not as tuneful as a 458 but is that worth a £60k premium? Actually the 12C now sounds very good compared to new turboed cars and has come good. Frank Stephenson got the styling right, it looks spot on, its still fast, the issues are now all resolved, its comfortable, its a supreme touring car and its made by a British F1 constructor in Surrey from mostly UK sourced and engineered parts. I have met a lot of the development and engineering team they are still hyper enthusiastic about the car, even after all this time. They are amazing cars and incredible bargains, if you are able to then I would not hesitate to recommend one to any petrolhead. I only sold mine to buy a 675LT which I have now owned for 3.5 years and 10k miles. During which time it has not had one single issue. I would not have bought the 675LT if I had any concerns over long term McLaren ownership, reliability or running costs.

I picked up a beautiful volcano orange one last week and I LOVE it! In the sun, it is pure WOW! Massive spec, dripping with carbon, ceramic brakes, updated Iris, soft close doors, piles of history by the 3 previous owners. A total joy just to be used on the occasional summer days and for some video / photography shoots. Great review.

Looks like prices are wrong way round?

I’ve always loved the looks of the 12c, the p1 style front ends never captured my lust. Great video Jack

My friend in Florida bought a MP4-12C brand new in 2013! It was nice to look at but transmission failures and electrical problems were keeping his car at the McLaren dealer. Covered under warranty but he sold the car before the warranty expired at a 40% loss😟

As Jeremy Clarkson said "The Ferrari is a pair of stockings. The McLaren is a pair of tights. Scientifically and mathematically and practically, the McLaren is better. And yet somehow, it isn't"

The origins of the engine are actually Nissan. It started life in the joint Nissan-TWR project called R390. A car I've had the pleasure in sitting in and having a good rummage around at Nissan's heritage centre in Zama, Japan.

0:31 slight error but great vid and love the old 12c 👍

I have had my 12c for over 7 years. Yes, when I first got it it was unreliable (the heating displays failed on mine, amongst other things) but for the past 5 years it has been rock solid. Find one that has been looked after and driven regularly and you will not go far wrong.

I had the pleasure and privilege to be involved with the 12C from concept, through prototype in to production, having been responsible for the Electrical Distribution System. We didn't want to be compared to the Ferrara, even though that was inevitable. Personally I loved the diesel like torque from that twin turbo V8 that was very dosile when required that made motorway cruising effortless, something I can't say for the shouty headache Ferrari.

Such intresting content! From old Classics to modern, great job with this channel!

Mclarern got a bit of a reputation rightly or wrongly for poor aftersales service.

A mate of mine had a 12c Spider in Volcano Red and it put him off McLaren for good. Had various paint problems. Never fixed properly by the dealer. Not to mention the reliability was shocking. It was in the dealers more than he had it. In the end they bought it back from him..

I've always thought that the 12C was one of the most unique and well thought through designs of its era, it was completely alien and sophisticated, with a design that stood out from Lamborghini and Ferrari who had basically the same car ideology set in stone for decades.

I’ve always thought this was one of the best looking cars McLaren have made. Thanks for making this video, very educational; I never knew about the unique suspension system.

Knew 2 guys who had the 12C, they both hated them due to expensive reliability issues. One guy had his engine replaced under warranty, but when the replacement went south as well, the dealership bought the car back from him. It had spent months in the shop! No thanks!

Thank you for continuing to shine a light at this all but forgotten masterpiece of a car. I drove mine 6,500 miles last year and loved every single one of them. It is almost criminal how low these have fallen in value, because they still compete with many new super, and sports car that cost way more than a nicely used MP4-12C. If I had the garage and budget, I would buy 10 of these and store them, while the market corrects for the 12C, and they sky-rocket in value. The 12C is too special of a car, designed by some of the greatest minds like Ron Dennis, Frank Stephenson, and many great engineers from Lotus and McLaren F1 to be a cult classic in the near future.

The problem with the 12C was it was designed to be driven, sticking it in a garage to look at was and is the worst thing you can do to them as the internal seals dry out and cause the issues.

Really enjoyed this review. I’m a Ferrari man, but this has captured my imagination, a car for individualists, low profile entrepreneurs- it’s damn cool

I have 570 Spider. I describe the engine sound as being “Ducati like”…. It has that clack clack thrum akin to a chainsaw …so more digital as opposed to the analog of a Ferrari V8. It is however incredibly “easy” to drive stupidly fast. 90 feels like 60. 4 years on I still love the car.

"He never normally takes it out in the rain"... cut to shot of car covered in mud🥰😅♥️

I would absolutely love to have a 12c if they came with a proper manual transmission. I just can’t get behind flappy paddles.

A really good friend of mine has one of these, he has sports cats and some sort of trick ecu and well he calls the engine it's warp drive my god it's not far off time travel at times 🤣. It's absolutely insane how fast it is and I love the way it looks too! Cracking stuff as always Jack 👍

Really beautiful car ❤ I appreciate your opinion on the car because watching you drive it while your explaining how it feels enhances the video experience. Great review Jack. Electronics of that era were just beginning to enter the automotive industry for mass production so there were many issues. Looking forward to the next review. You need to start selling some Merchandise 😁

The 12C is a natural beauty. It has an elegant and flowing front that blends into a modern technological rear. Better IMO than the 650S, which has the front of a P1 welded onto the rear of the 12C. It looks like a cut and shut.

Nice video Jack. I actually find these earlier Mclarens better looking than the later ones, more in line with the F1 (road car) smooth lines, than the ugly (imo) not so aesthetically pleasing later Mclarens.

I go on drives most weekends, and I'm always able to find a new, amazing road. Something about seeing you and Harry beat these same corners to death has me feeling a little sad, are there no other good corners out your way? I live in Oregon in US, and the roads here never seem to get any attention from journalists, but are absolutely outrageously good! Thanks for another great vid!

I remember the contemporary reviews of this vs the 458. On Fifth Gear both Needell and Plato loved the 458 and hated the 12C. And Clarkson's drive of the 458 on Top Gear is one of their best ever moments imo - gives me goosepimples even when I watch it again now all these years later. I will never be in a position to own either but if I were it would be 458 without a seconds hesitation.

I tried to follow one of these in my race preped car up a mountain road. I was working hard. Sure it has twice the HP I had, but it was on road tyres and the driver had never raced and was a truly average driver. I want one of these, I am just short $50 - $60k. Another great video Jack. I had forgotten to come back and look at this video and just remembered this morning. Glad I came back. Thanks.

Thanks, a great concisely well put video on info regarding the 12 c

Thanks Jack, it just didn't quite have the wow factor at launch, but as you say, has aged well. You probably got bored anyway not having to look for smoke out the back, & wondering how many cylinders it was running?! 🙏🙏

Great video. Some very interesting comments from you and others on this topic.

I can only dream about having a car like this, the maintenance upkeep would probably be not such a nice dream though! Great review Jack...

A British made car with electrical issues, never! A true piece of automotive art Jack, the noise the exhaust makes, who cares, for me the quieter the better so long as it still gets up and goes.

Great review Jack; thank you again. Not sure if it's too late, but I think you have the values the wrong way around in your early graphic (about 40 seconds in) showing the 458 at £75k and the 12C at £135k. I understood what you said and that was clear by the way!

Nicely done Jack 😎 I think a better title would have been "It Was A Trailblazer, So Why Is McLaren's 12C So Misunderstood?" At it's launch the motoring press were in fact universally blown away by the 12C's sheer ability and staggered by it's performance. They also noted McLaren positioning it as deliberately different to the Supercar norm! It was only on subsequent group tests the press forgot this and observed it as less engaging and emotional than the Ferrari 458 🙄 Then as you say rather lost their bottle and reverted to the Supercar norm making their products shoutier, slidier, pointier etc 😢 As the genesis of McLaren Automotive the 12C will be always be special as the first series production McLaren and with production numbers less than 1/3rd of the 458 it's relative scarcity will ensure its collectible status and values will rise to where they really should be 😎

The owners gonna love you mate. Never goes out in the rain, you drive it through a mud bath. Lol

Brilliant review of an amazing car that looks and sounds incredible and cutting edge for it's time ❤️

Great video 📹, thanks

Great informative video. 👍

For me, the 12C's understated looks are appealing. I love the older smoother Ferraris. And it is difficult for me to tell the difference between some newer Ferraris. And most of us are not better than average drivers. Clean good looks. Compliant suspension. And amazing speed at a savings. What's not to like. You cover it all Jack. Old. New. Nice!

Very good review and I think in the years ahead, the 12C will be looked on much more favourably, compared to when it was launched. Also on a slight sidenote Jack...Do you and Harry have a schedule worked out for when each of you can test cars on that road....😉😄

You’ve got your numbers in the table (price) transposed Jack. Great video.

The Mclaren's biggest problem was the lack of a limited slip e diff - they used an open diff which every car reviewer used to show off why the car wasn't fun to drift and trash in corners. The suspension was superb though, I hear the Speedtail is even better. Mclaren's service was what ruined it. Ferrari offers AMCs on old cars which is basically a giant extended warranty and it's a total bargain - the LaFerrari service pack is only 45 k a year and they'll keep it new and in tip top shape - for the price of the car that's a bargain. In comparison, there was one guy who bought a fully serviced P1 after shelling out 300 k for fixing everything and all of it broke down in one year. That was a good horror story.

Really good review, makes you feel like you're in the car, so many people fail to put this across.

These first ones looked the best - nice job Frank. The latter cars headlights are simply over designed 😢and have in reality dated the car . Great review as always - cheers from Brisbane

Well done on this one Jack, great review as usual. Fabulous car, love the looks and that it is to all intents and purposes looked upon as a British car. As you mention, the reliability was an issue, still is, parts are very expensive and seem to be needed more than some other cars. Great sound and seemingly a great road holder, prices seem to be OK but parts and electrics as with so many other cars now, especially with electrics being so complex and therefor high cost repairs.

Nice review, it's a very understated looking car but in a good way, especially in that colour.

HI! You looked scared! Thinking about the repair bill? Good looking car! Thank you Jack for great video~~

Another great review, as always.

Hello Jack I know that sweeping S bend that you took at speed and it has special memories for me. Some years back I owned a Honda C50 cub motorcycle. I drilled some holes in the exhaust and it sounded and went like a dragster. I had the bike flat out in that S bend, the bike was so banked over that the bottom of the guard that keeps the wind of the legs was scratching the road. Thanks for posting and all the best Andy

Spot on, especially the comment about the design and it's "fussy" successor the 650S. Great video!

458 vs 12c. It's like comparing Monica Bellucci to Judy Dench. Both very talented, but.......

I thought the main criticism was it's reliability

I didn't look the look of this car on video but when i saw one in the flesh i realised how gorgeous it was and the view down the road from the cockpit is perfect

Hi Jack, thanks again for this lovely video and a lovely car. Your perspective has brought me around to the 12C quite a bit more. I agree with your observation that the 12C did age well. I don't think any of its successors will. I also still am part of the group that feels the 12C is a tad too 'clinical' or 'efficient' and not enough of a 'drama queen' like its competitor. This video did make me appreciate it more than I did in the past. The styling is actually really timeless; dare I say: beautiful?

Totally agree but catastrophic unreliability and had none of the class of the Ferrari. Looks amazing

As usual, a super informative and entertaining video. My context is my company designed and manufactured the original IRIS infotainment system, quite correctly described as “dated” by Jack but it was 12 years ago…..McLaren were incredibly supportive and provided us with test MP4-12C’s whenever we wanted one. In fact they shipped a development car from Woking, UK to our Seattle, US software development facility for our 100% use. Anyway, I do recall that at the time I just couldn’t understand why anyone would pay £210k for a MP4-12C (In 2013) as it’s performance was legally unusable. My view has now changed and have enjoyed various Ferraris but not a McLaren. Maybe I should review that after Jack’s video? But then again my 308GTB is probably the best ratio of character:price:performance I have. Anyway, a bit of a ramble but when my favourite 308 commentator discusses MP4-12 I had to add my bit.

Great review of an impressive car, agreed an Italian ear at the exhaust end would help the McLarens and Lotuses as that is what they do best

I think the short answer is that it was a bit ugly. Broke down more often than Britney Spears. and was up against one of Ferraris prettiest cars in the 458.

I always liked the front design of these early McLarens. Later models have these strange headlights with boomerang, triangle or bow shape. I prefer the sharper and maybe more conventional lines of the MP4-12C.

Here in France, used 12 C's for sale are between 127000 and 160000 euros actually, but used 458's starts from 210000 up to 360000 euros ! Even 839000 euros for a 458 speciale spider with low mileage !

Hi Jack, thanks for the video, now watching, I think you're missing some digits on the lb weights and also the weights appear wrong way around. Hope this helps.

Excellent presentation.

I don't think you can ping the 12C on its styling...it looks good. The 458 looks better but it's rare the competitor looks better when up against a Ferrari. Throttle response on the 458 NA engine is much better than the 12C engine( so I'm told) All in all it's a fine car but the reliability and parts/servicing costs are scary and everyone hates McLaren's used car dealer network. Thanks for posting Master Jack!

Thanks for your review. I am planning to rent a 12C this coming January in San Diego. I am interested in different people's opinions and reviews. I am hoping the auto insurance company says yes 😆.

You talked about the interesting engine soul. When i heard that was thinking what will people in the future say about this topic, when they talk about electric engines. Because they all feel similar.

Great video as usual - but I'm really keen to know how your imported Ford Crown Victoria is getting on.

It is better on paper but everyone needs to remember you don't drive a spec sheet.

I was lucky enough to drive one of these and a Ferrari 458 Speciale back to back one day. The MP4 12C felt like a fast car, it was good to drive, quick, but not remarkably so. The Ferrari felt like I was wired into it telepathically. The quick steering seemed to respond to my thought, rather than the action of steering and it was so balanced that within a few minutes I felt comfortable to have the tail out and be able to catch it. I suspect familiarity would have helped with the McLaren, but, at that point, the Ferrari felt on a different level - I've never driven a better car than that Ferrari.

The design aged so well. As will nearly all of Frank‘s cars, F430 still looks awesome, Maserati MC12 (alone from the looks) is the uber hypercar these days.

Oh yeah Jack it looked like a Rolls Royce drive as you hit that bump and you and the camera jumped with the shock ! 😊

12:10 Jack, that section of road is getting worse! Who is the local authority in charge of it?

Are you on 'Harry's Road' there....?? Nice review

When tested by Fifth Gear, Plato spun it, he can’t remember when he last spun a car and the car sent Tiff careering off of the circuit. They didn’t like it.

I LOVE the raw startup sound!!!

You mixed up your prices in the first graphic… regardless I’m now sizing one of these up instead of an F355/F360. Thanks to Jason for letting it get a bit muddy.

At auction they are making even less than £75k - collecting cars sold a couple recently, a 12c Spider for £69,500 and a hardtop for £59k (all plus fees) but what a bargain...

It is a good looking car, I have heard that build quality and after sales were not that good.

Great video (love the 12c) … I think the prices are back to front though?

I love it, looks like a more modern mini F1. You never mentioned the aero brake, got to love that 😂

I personally prefer the more balanced lines of the MacLaren. Greetings from the Netherlands

As a 12c owner, I can assure you this thing is definitely expensive to keep, it's a perfect car when it's working, if it's working.

At the 0:37” mark…I think you got the prices mixed up? £75k for the Ferrari, £135k for the Mac?

A truly beautiful looking car IMHO. Thanks Jack 👏

A gorgeous yellow and black 12c paid us a visit on a guest day at our gun club. We all took turns to sit in it and enjoy the feel of a real supercar. Sad to say it left on the back of a recovery vehicle after failing to engage any gear. We never got to see it again - the owner told us later that he'd replaced it with an Audi R10.

Another great vid. I guess some people prefer to "Tame the beast" whereas the McLaren gets the job done better with less driver interaction. In the former, you feel like the hero. In the McLaren "it" feels like the hero. Seems to me it comes down to what tickles your fancy. I'd take the McLaren for that super comfy ride alone. (Which many criticised for being too comfortable for a sports car.) They built the perfect ride/handling compromise and people moaned about it!

Nice review Jack. I remember in the 90s, when the Nissan Skyline/Gtr's were getting pelters from some, for being too good, too electronically enhanced, not enough character. In essence what they were saying was, you didn't have to wrestle it round a bend, so it was less of a drivers car. I didn't know about the criticism levelled at the 12c, but it sounds the same kind of thing. If there's no fanfare when you chuck it into that S bend doing 60mph, then what? You have to do it at 70? 75? That's into dangerous speed territory on that road. I suppose it is an issue when you spend all that money and, the ONLY way you're ever getting a squeaky bum is if you break the speed limit by huge margins, or take it on the track!

wow. had no idea this car was so outstanding. cheers Jack!

Love the way the spoiler moved under braking

Brilliant video

The simple answer: reviwers didn't like it didn't drift like the 458 italia. The long term answer: terrible after sales

I think a lot of this is criticism is in parts and repair costs.

Always loved the 12c, I saw one in Brighton last week in the same colour and it looked fabulous. Excites me much more than a 458 and it's successors, simply because they're so common. I'd love the 12c Spider that Jeremy drove on Top Gear in the Spain episode, that was a perfect spec for me.

Another good video. These are cars I have never been close to, but there is a spark of interest nonetheless. Criticism is levelled, not levied.

I love my 12C and kept it despite it now sharing garage space with 765LT and 458 Speciale. UK car media misunderstood it at launch, which dented its reputation. Sharp handling, crazy power, good comfort (but not nearly as comfortable as claimed here).

It appears that many of the gearbox problems was due to new cars sitting unused at dealers for extended periods before being sold and the seals drying out. Also you can now source new LED screens for the door controls from an independent supplier in the US at a very reasonable price (and easy installation) which fixes the problem. I’ve had my 12C for about 18 months now with no major issues. It did come with a 12 month factory warranty, and it has soft close doors and the updated IRIS 2 which, while it isn’t great, does connect to my phone for calls and music every time. At the price I paid for it, I doubt there is anything else that would be as fast, as usable, and as much fun to drive.

(Twin Turbo V8) 12C - 540c -570s - 570GT - GT - 650s - 675lt - 600lt - 720s - 765lt (NA V8) 458 Italia - 458 Speciale.