Are McLaren Really Getting It Right?

"Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge)" (thejonnyedge) 04/04/2014 at 09:00 • Filed to: McLAREN 650S, McLAREN, CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS, FERRARI, FERRARI 458, JONNY EDGE, DRIVING SPIRIT

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This morning I settled down with a nice cold glass of orange juice to watch the new Chris Harris On Cars video. Fourteen and a half minutes later I found myself feeling a little bit more reflective than I anticipated. I was expecting to feel closer to McLaren and to the new 650S, and yet now I found myself questioning both brand and car. Dominating my thoughts was the question; are McLaren really getting it right?

We all know McLaren are engineering masters, this has never been in doubt. Chris points out early on that the McLaren's 12-C was their first proper attempt at a volume road car, and what a "first" car it is. Bristling with technology and that famous McLaren engineering wizardry, the car takes the fight to the Ferrari 458 right down to the wire. Most people in the know are in agreement that it loses out to the Italian top dog, but that doesn't stop me wanting the McLaren more. So theoretically, the 650S should just be building on the lust that the 12-C originally inspired in me.

I'm British, so perhaps I'm just that tiny bit more biased towards the McLaren, but personal feelings aside, isn't there something intrinsically cooler about owning a Mclaren ? When I sat down to watch the 650S video I was really rather excited. Chris Harris and /DRIVE do such an excellent job in making you want the cars that they show off just that little bit more. These guys are the best salesmen in the world, and so I was starting to pick my lottery numbers even before the introduction had finished, and then I stopped.

What happened between that point and the end of the video then? Well as you may have noticed Chris wasn't as overwhelmingly positive about the car as you might have been expecting. Despite noticing it was an improvement on the 12-C, he wasn't as buzzing about the car as I was expecting. Something definitely wasn't right. Perhaps it was because he was quite ill, or perhaps it was because the weather was poor. Crucially, he pointed out on a couple of occasions that the 650S was still not on the same level as a Ferrari 458 in a couple of areas. For a few minutes I was overcome with a touch of disappointment, but then I began to think.

McLaren still doesn't seem to be able to knock Ferrari off of the supercar top spot. Then again, why does it have to be about them all of the time? Supercars are about you, the individual. Reviewers of the McLaren seem to always prefer the Ferrari, yet they often neglect to point out that it's probably a bit easier to own the McLaren. It's possible for this reason the 650S will make more sense. You'll drive it more, and if you drive it more don't you obtain more pleasure? Isn't pleasure what these cars are all about?

Only the individual can decide if McLaren are really getting it right with their latest supercar. They might not be beating Ferrari but does it matter? Isn't it good to have an alternative? I'll probably never get to go near one, but if by some stroke of luck I do, I'll still be choosing the McLaren over the Ferrari. The 650s is perhaps the thinking man or woman's choice of supercar, but for me that doesn't make it any less appealing.

In the end, I finished choosing my lottery numbers. I realised it isn't all about other people. It isn't all about Ferrari, as much as they'd like it to be. It's about what I like and what I feel passionate about, and when it's all said and done that's the way it should be with all of us.

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About me: I write for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and you can follow me on twitter @Jonny___X. You can also drop me an e-mail at jonny@drivingspirit.com . Thanks for reading!

Flat Six > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/03/2014 at 09:31

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I love watching Chris Harris because he does a great job of conveying the excitement of driving. With his exaggerated driving style and youthful demeanor he seems more like a kid in a candyshop than a corporate shill. Like you said, that didn't come through so much on this video probably because he was sick, in the rain, and coming down from a P1 high.

I'm not sure I like front of the 650 - it seems like maybe McLaren tried a little to hard to "brand" it with their logo (in the headlights). If I had the money, I'd prefer the McLaren image over Ferrari - in general there are less negative 1%er connotations with it. However it seems like 458's have held their value better than 12C's, so it would be a hard choice!

Kailand09 > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/03/2014 at 09:42

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I myself would take the McLaren over the Ferrari any day. They are more unique to me, and they don't start on fire nearly as much.

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > Flat Six 04/03/2014 at 12:31

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I couldn't have said it better myself.

I do think the design of the front of the 650S, and the fact it now has that "P1 face" has perhaps given some people a negative first impression of the car. I quite like it myself, it looks a bit more distinctive and characterful.

If you have a 458 does it say something more about you? Does that matter? I'm not sure it does because buying a car like this should be about you and you only. That's why (having not driven either) I'd still go for the McLaren, no matter what the experts say. It appeals to me in a more unspoken way. It's the quietly confident one.

I'm really really really hoping this article gets shared as I'm curious to see what more members of the community think of this supercar face-off.

M3BimmerBilly > Kailand09 04/03/2014 at 13:59

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McLaren styling is terrible. These cars look like they are the spawn of the smash jelly bean shapes of the 1990's.

Kailand09 > M3BimmerBilly 04/03/2014 at 14:21

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Ok.

Kailand09 > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/03/2014 at 14:22

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Wtf is wrong with this picture? Is it just more or does it seem squished from some weird resolution foo?

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > Kailand09 04/03/2014 at 15:40

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Yes the more I squinted at it, the more I agreed with you. I changed it for a nice blue one. I think that's much better.

Kailand09 > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/03/2014 at 15:58

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Way better. I have no clue what the deal was there, but something was off haha!

Just wanted to make sure everybody could see that beauty, I love the car. Everyone seems to hate on it.

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > Kailand09 04/03/2014 at 16:00

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You were right! The more I looked at it the more I thought..."Yeah he's right you know...".

Nothing a quick fix can't solve, I do enjoy constructive feedback, and yes if I can show it off the best I can then I'm helping McLaren out too! So thank you for that!

Kailand09 > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/03/2014 at 16:28

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I honestly didn't expect a change so kudos!

BarryDanger > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/04/2014 at 10:24

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I don't think he was overly enthused for the following reasons:

1. He was under the weather

2. The weather was crap

3. Open Diff

4. Underwhelming looks and performance compared to the P1.

I think that if he drove one of these on a nice day side-by-side with the 458, the 650S would mop the floor with it. I'm planning a supercar rental trip up the coast with a few friends and I'm itching to tryu the 12c spider while they are all looking at the Ferrari or jag.

McLarry > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/04/2014 at 12:52

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The McLaren would earn my money over a 458 as well, but like you I'm a bit tired of making the comparison... McLaren isn't Ferrari. McLaren isn't trying to be Ferrari. When the Huracan came out it wasn't "Ooooh a new mid-engined car from Lamborghini - but is it better than a Ferrari?? " no it was just "Yay, Lambo!" and "hmmm...looks kinda derivative.", but Lamborghini is afforded their own identity, but McLaren's identity seems to hinge on Ferrari's. I suppose this comes a bit because they have similar racing heritage and are on-track rivals, so why not be off-track rivals? I'm fine with that...It's a good rivalry - not like those sports rivalries where one team just endlessly beats the other one and the rivalry is really just a formality - there's strong competition going on. I know what side my bread is buttered on, but it does get old having to explain why McLaren is good in the context of Ferrari...

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > McLarry 04/04/2014 at 13:26

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Absolutely spot on. I hope that my article got the message across as well as you just did.

McLarry > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/04/2014 at 13:43

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Thanks very much! I think you got the message across quite nicely, just thought I'd join the chorus :P

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > McLarry 04/04/2014 at 14:15

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Feel free! I actually thought you put it across better than me!

Color-Commentary > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/07/2014 at 02:03

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Haven't driven one yet, but I've seen several 12C's up close and from the driver's seat. They're just beautifully put together, in the jewel-like way that is the Swiss watch ad ideal of a Swiss watch. 458's aren't built to this standard. It's the kind of precision in the assembly that you notice when you're washing the car on a Sunday morning, not something that comes through very well in pictures. If you're at all an admirer of a good TIG weld, the Mclaren will satisfy where the 458 annoys.

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > Color-Commentary 04/07/2014 at 04:44

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I've only seen one up close a couple of times. The best was a beautiful deep red colour and it looked absolutely stunning. If I ever get my numbers come up I'm going to place my McLaren order over a Ferrari.

I like the idea of being able to live with it too.

DownTheLiffeyOnADonut > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/11/2014 at 07:06

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Then again, why does it have to be about them all of the time?

That's the narrative; the two most successful F1 teams of all time, squaring up to each other. Ferrari have always sneered at the rest of the F1 grid as garagistas , and they were special as the only true manufacturer in F1 (and no, no-one cares about Renault and others who've been and gone, maybe Mercedes will change that, if they stay the course). So McLaren almost have to present themselves as a kind of cerebral counterpoint to Ferrari, the garagista made good, because even if they don't, journalists will just do it anyway.

NB. I'd probably prefer the McLaren if I had the money, but I wouldn't delude myself that it was in any way cooler than a Ferrari. If you have to explain what it is you're driving (especially to a woman), then it isn't cool. But are 2-seat supercars "cool" anyway in 2014? A BMW i8 is probably cooler than any of them.

GreenN_Gold > Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) 04/11/2014 at 10:59

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Shouldn't it be "Is" and not "Are," or am I just nuts?

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > DownTheLiffeyOnADonut 04/11/2014 at 11:47

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Yeah the i8 is beyond cool, it's fantastic.

I see your point about the narrative behind the whole story, but on a personal level, and when giving advice to potential customers, I'm not sure it's of any value.

Maybe I'm wrong though...

Jonny Edge (@thejonnyedge) > GreenN_Gold 04/11/2014 at 11:48

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Yeah this is where my amateurish background really doesn't help. I'm not entirely sure. I went with what sounded better... this won't be getting published anytime soon so I didn't care too much!