When McLaren launched the MP4-12C they declared that it would be all-conquering. This was a bold statement, and I wonder if it was based upon a comparison with the Ferrari F430Ferrari 430 ScuderiaItaly, 2007 > 20093 photos
, rather than the forthcoming 458 ItaliaFerrari 458 SpiderItaly, 2011 > present18 photos
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.

It is impossible not to compare the two rivals, and I am going to make no attempt to avoid the comparison, for this is the decision that will face many well-healed car enthusiasts. And, as I am going to explain, it is not quite as simple as declaring one of them the best in every respect.

When I saw the car at Goodwood in 2009 I was a little disappointed, it failed to look as spectacular as a LamborghiniLamborghiniItaly, 1963 > present32 models
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, or as pretty as the spy shots suggested Ferrari’s 458 Italia to be. The statistics however looked impressive, with plenty of power coming from its turbocharged engine and an up-to-date double clutch gearbox. Not only that, but the suspension and aerodynamics promised to be quite exceptional.

Then the Ferrari 458 was released and I wondered how the McLaren would be able to better it. The Ferrari not only looks great, but it came with a fantastic power-plant and drive-train and a chassis that is usable, safe and plenty of fun. Immediately I began to wonder, how would the McLaren offering fare against the new Ferrari? If McLaren had set their benchmark as the F430 then this was surely a whole new kettle of fish.

McLaren MP4-12C 2011 232 cu in 600 hp @ 7000 rpm 205 mph 3.3s

Ferrari 458 Italia 2009 275 cu in 570 hp @ 9000 rpm 202 mph 3.4s

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It has taken us longer than we would like to get our hands on the ‘12C’ but that has allowed time to reconsider the looks. It is definitely a ‘grower’, and this is a theme that is carried through the rest of the car. Details such as the twin-elevated exhaust and the doors are easily overlooked initially, when the lack of visual drama is most apparent. However, the rarity, understated looks and detail become an increasing pleasure with time. Today I get more of a thrill from seeing the McLaren than the Ferrari on the open road and, based on reaction to the McLaren in Nottingham, so does the public at large.

The 12C experience is a rollercoaster that, like the initial walk around, is initially disappointing. It lacks a crisp exhaust note in town and once the car is driven at higher speeds the noise becomes an annoying boom that lacks the crisp nature of Ferrari’s high revving V8. The volume merely increases without an appreciable improvement in the quality of the sound.

The disappointingly imprecise sounding engine note is unfortunately mirrored by the engine’s characteristics. It lacks the immediacy of response that the junior Ferrari exhibits thereby making it harder to modulate the throttle mid-corner. Annoyingly this affects driver confidence in the confines of a damp country lane.

The last major disappointment comes from the operation of the paddles. This is a car that will be driven in manual mode most of the time, and the paddles are simply not nice enough to use. They require a significant tug to change gear and make an annoying click as they do so. It is not pleasurable at all and McLaren will be advised to make them more tactile, possible larger and definitely less cumbersome on future models.

However, these initial foibles fail to tell the whole story. The McLaren’s talents lie far deeper than the visceral pleasures of the Ferrari.

The ride quality is exceptionally good, and without doubt far better than the Ferrari. It soaks up drain covers in town with aplomb and if anything gets better as speed rises. I would not be surprised if McLaren has poached one or two chassis and suspension engineers from Hethel.

Visibility is also incredibly good, allowing one to place the car at an apex so easily that it almost feels like cheating. You feel closer to the front wheels than in any closed-wheel car this side of a Lotus Elise. This serves to make the McLaren feel like a smaller car than it actually is, shrinking it around the driver as good cars so often do.

An enduring first impression of the 458 is the immediacy of the steering around centre, and I don’t mean that in a good way.  The steering rack is simply too fast on English roads, making the car feel nervous in a straight line, at least until you dial into it. The 12C is perfectly judged though, with a good level of feel, excellent ‘rack speed’ and no unpleasant feedback even over the most aggressive lumps that our English roads can deliver after a long winter.

Just as the looks improve with age so does the drive. The McLaren has the Ferrari beaten in a host of areas, namely ride quality, steering, visibility and rarity but it lacks the drama that a 458 Italia exudes from every pore.

The Ferrari makes you smile immediately while the McLaren worms its way into your affections. The smile factor makes the Ferrari the car to have for many people, but the McLaren, with a bit of fettling, has the basis to upset Maranello.

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