The McStats have been released, the McEmbargo on McDriving-Opinions lifted (not that The Sunday Times or Mail on Sunday gave a rat’s hat about that) and the McFirst-Impressions published on the McInterweb. The McLaren MP4-12C, the McMostImportantSupercarThisCenturySoFar, is here. And? Well? AAAAANDD? COME ON??!! IS IT BETTER THAN THE FERRARI 458 ITALIA OR McBLOODY WHAT?

Well… dunno. There’s a misty fug of reservation hanging over the vast majority of first impression articles, and it’s quite frustrating.

Perhaps it’s because the lucky journos who attended the 12C’s launch event at Portimao didn’t have much time with the car. Perhaps it’s because they’re unwilling to deliver a conclusive opinion before performing some head-to-head tom-hoonery with the big red Fez. Quite right too. Perhaps, and we’ll whisper this quietly, perhaps the car’s befuddling scale of talent has actually caused even the most hyperbolic journos to be… how do I put this… lost for words.

From the cold stats, it’s quite clear that the 12C is an engineering masterpiece. A new, ruthlessly capable, mutli-talented breed of supercar. And a re-invention of the supercar deserves a re-invention of the language used to describe them. A new vocabulary. A new way of telling a story. Fresh syntax. Conventions chucked away. The very best car-explainers will no doubt rise to the challenge and make the 12C leap off a page with the ferocity the car itself leaps off a start-line.

Truth be told, I’m almost as excited about the prospect of reading superbly crafted MP4-12C  reviews as I am about the car itself. So come on car journos, don’t let us down… do like McLaren have done and burn the rulebook. And don’t you dare resort to putting the word ‘clinical’ in every paragraph.

MP4-12C Geek Table

Price: £168,500
Power: 592bhp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 443lb ft @ 3.000 – 7,000rpm
0-62mph: 3.3 secs (3.1 secs with optional ‘Corsa’ tyres)
Max Speed: 205mph
Kerb Weight: 1434kg
Emissions: 279g/km of CO2
MPG: 24.2mpg combined

The 30th September 2010 will forever be known as the day Lotus went mental. At the Paris motorshow, they released FIVE brand new cars that will all be on sale within the next five years. Here are the bare essentials on all of them.

Elite

Body: 2+2 seat, folding hard top, front engined

Price: £115,000

Drivetrain: 5.o V8, electric motors and KERS

Power: 620hp

0-62 mph: 3.7 secs

Weight: 1650kg

On sale: Spring 2014

Esprit

Body: 2 seat, mid engine

Price: £110,000

Drivetrain: 5.0 V8, optional KERS

Power: 620hp

0-62 mph: 3.4 secs

Weight: 1450kg

On sale: Spring 2013

Elan

Body: 2 seat, optional +2, mid engine

Price: £75,000

Drivetrain: 4.0 V6, optional KERS

Power: 450hp

0-62 mph: 3.5 secs

Weight: 1295kg

On sale: Autumn 2013

Elise

Body: 2 seat, mid engine

Price: £35,000

Drivetrain: 2.0 4-cyl, optional start/stop

Power: 320hp

0-62 mph: 4.3 secs

Weight: 1095kg

On sale: Spring 2015

Eterne

Body: 4 seat, front engine

Price: £120,000

Drivetrain: 5.0 V8, electric motors, KERS, optional four wheel drive

Power: 620hp

0-62 mph: 4.0 secs

Weight: 1,800kg

On sale: Spring 2015

While it’s easy to say that the selection of 1-tonne plus cars above would make ‘Chapman turn in his grave’, we won’t. Because they might all be bloody amazing to drive… which is all that really matters. Absolutely can’t wait for the first new-era Lotus cars to hit the road. Things is gonna get interesting. Even if they do all look the same.

Ever wondered what the exact opposite of a Lotus looks like? Well, meet the new Elite…

For a starter, it’s heavy. 1680kg.  And also massively complicated thanks to a hybrid powertrain. The piston beating part is a front mounted, tuned version of the Lexus ISF’s V8… and we’re not really sure what the hybrid part is yet. Nobody is. But Lotus mention KERS so expect it to be ‘F1 inspired’ and put a a focus on brake energy regeneration.

It’s also expensive. The price is likely to be a smidge over £100k – hurling the Elite straight at the Porsche 911 Turbo and Aston Martin DB9. With a 2+2 seating layout, 0-62mph time of three and a half seconds plus a sub 215g/km CO2 figure, it seems to have the space and pace of the Aston and Porsche, but with less emissions.

So while the concept of a 1.7 tonne hybrid Lotus is a tricky one to get your head around, it at least sounds relevant, fast and competitive. It’s due for release in 2014, and will hopefully provide loads of profit that Lotus can plough back into pure, simple, lightweight sports cars like the new Seven…

A few months ago, the Paris Motorshow sounded like it was going to be feeble. An Audi A7 (pictured), a BMW X3, a front wheel drive Freelander and a fictional KIA that sounded like a fizzy drink. Dull, tedious, anodyne. Then news broke that Chevrolet were planning to exhibit a five door Cruze. Bloody hell. Watching a nun play solitaire in the dark sounded more exciting.

But then… KERPOW!! Some exciting things were announced. Paris 2010 is going to be a belter. So here are five good reasons to face the French capital’s traffic between the 2nd and 17th of October. Five door Cruze not included.

A Mystery Lamborghini

The Murcielago is dead. Long live whatever Lambo give us at Paris. It’s likely to be called the Jota, will no doubt come with a hulking great V12 engine that’s more powerful than the Merci’s but 20% MORE ECONOMICAL…and, according to internet fiction-mongers, it might even have scissor doors. Leading up to the show, Lamborghini are going to release six teaser pictures of the car, of which this is the first…

Lotus Going Mental

UK Lotus PR bossman, who we’ll call Flo-Rida, has got himself into such a tizz about the countless new Lotus products that he’s forgotten to actually tell anyone what they are… so we’ll mainly have to guess. The only thing we know for sure is that Flo-Rida is taking a 1970s Esprit to the show, so we can safely expect Lotus to reveal the long awaited 21st Century Esprit – complete wth mid mounted, turbocharged V8 engine.

We also know that the Evora has been given a supercharger, hiking power to around 400bhp (that’s no real secret. Might have seen one driving around Millbrook…). They’ll also show off an Evora with an auto-box, made especially for Americans that suffer from muscle wastage in their fat left leg.

On top of that, there’s likely to be a 21^st Century re-imagination of the iconic Lotus Seven sports car, as well as two brand new cars with hybrid powertrains – one a GT, the other closer to the Lotus philosophy of performance through lightweight, but possibly front wheel drive. Details are thin on the ground (and possibly non-existent), but with two new Evoras, an Esprit, a new Seven and two hybrids, expect Lotus to be the centre of attention.

Some French Cars

Being as the show’s in Paris, Citroen, Peugeot and Renault want to get lots of attention. Citroen and Renault might actually get some. New cars with a double chevron badge will include the handsome DS4 (pictured), the ‘well proportioned’ new C4 as well as their nutty electric concept cars the RevoltE and Survolte.

Renault will be distracting people away from the tedium of a facelifted Laguna with their swoopy work of fiction, the DeZir. As a funky platform for new designer Laurens van den Acker to show off his craft, the DeZir suggests that the next generation of Renaults will ditch daintiness in favour of more muscular lines and…blah. Just use your eyes. Your imagination is as good as anyone else’s.

Finally, Peugeot will have the new 508 saloon, which replaces the 407 and 607. Good for them

Ugly Mercedes CLS

When designing the brand new CLS, Mercedes must have frequently asked ‘how on earth do we replace the world’s first four door coupe?’. No matter what they did, the new car would no longer be a world first and therefore lack impact and seem unimaginative.

After countless board meetings where design executives aggressively debated how to follow up such a handsome, groundbreaking car they settled on a tag for the brand new CLS. One they felt would get as much coverage as the original. One with talkability. Impact. They produced The World’s Ugliest Four Door Coupe. You can’t miss seeing this in the flesh.

Jaguar Coupe and Estate

Now that the bread and butter of the XF and the XJ are out and about, Jag can get a jiggle on with expanding their range. At Paris, they’re likely to show off a new XF based coupe and roadster, possibly called the C-Type or XC, as well as an XF estate. It’s unlikely that any new engines will be released, but a small XF based coupe with an angry face and XF-R engine is a lip smacking prospect. Also, let’s not forget that estates are cooler than saloons – so an XF Wagon will be ice cold. Especially with that new 3.0 turbodiesel engine.

So, there you have it. Go to the Paris motorshow… loads of fast, stylish cars and hardly a whiff of a hybrid. Makes a change.

Having had a sweet tea, a bracing walk and a glimpse at a picture of an Aston Martin Cygnet to help us get perspective, we can now force our minds to dwell on the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari. Just. This scintillatingly named creation is basically a Fiat 500 Abarth that, because of some Ferrari decals and a power hike from 135bhp to 180bhp, costs £29,600. Which is twice the price of a normal one. One car for the price of two. OMflippingG.

‘But ha’, you keenly quip, ‘that’s surely the most sensible way to get a Ferrari badged car for £30k’. Well possibly not, we retort. What if we could prove that a £30k Ferrari is a more practical car to own than a £30k Fiat? Using the brilliant F355 and our newly invented ‘Three P’ car buying criteria, we can do just that.

Practicality

The Ferrari F355 has a 220 litre boot, which is 35 litres bigger than the Abarth’s – this means it can hold more shopping, so you’re less likely to starve to death. With a time of 4.6 seconds, the Ferrari will accelerate to 60mph 2.4 seconds quicker than the Abarth, which makes it safer when pulling into small gaps at a junction. It’s also got much wider tyres, helping it grip harder and letting you drive faster… meaning you get to work quicker to earn more money.

The Ferrari’s 310mm front brake discs will stop the car more abruptly than the Abarth’s 284mm units, allowing you to leave braking until the very last millisecond – again saving time. And, should you be chased by a gunman, the Ferrari will leave your life in less peril than the Abarth, as its 184mph top speed is much faster than the Abarth’s 140mph escape velocity. The Ferrari is, on many levels, a more practical car.

Pleasure

Some aspects of car ownership aren’t objective. The beauty of the styling, the smell of the interior, the noise of the engine… there are attributes that transcend the mechanical and appeal on an emotional level. This is where the Ferrari really excels.

Its 375bhp, 3.5 litre V8 engine is not only 195bhp more powerful than the Abarth’s turbocharged 1.4 litre 4 pot wheezer, but much kinkier. Being mounted directly behind your head, and with less damping between it and the chassis, the Ferrari’s engine rasps and resonates not only through the air, but also through your body.

The Pininfarina styling of the Ferrari is cleaner and sharper than the Fiat penned 500… and, even in the words of a tedious cretin, the interior ‘is a much nicer place to be’. The Ferrari is, on many levels, a more pleasurable car.

Pennies

Now for the real surprise. We already know that the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari costs a ‘are you sure that’s not in Zimbabwean dollars’ sum of £29,600. For a supermini, that’s financial rape – a well looked after Ferrari F355, for example, can actually be had for less.

And before you bleat on about how the Ferrari will cost more to run, consider how quickly a Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari will depreciate. Normal versions of the pudgy Fiat are worth about 46% of their value after three years. We’ll be kind and say the special edition will hold 50%… that still means you’ll take a £15k hit over three years.

Even having to spend £10k replacing the F355’s weak points of catalytic converter, manifolds and cam-belt, you’ll be £5k better off after three years than in the Abarth… which you can spend on petrol and insurance. With no depreciation to speak of, the Ferrari is, on many levels, a more affordable car.

A bigger boot, better performance and a smaller fiscal punch – if you want a £30k Ferrari, buy an F355. Don’t buy a Fiat.

In the UK, today is the longest day of the year – so, purely because today is the only day long enough to enjoy them all, we’ve compiled a list of the most protracted, long winded car names ever. Take a deep breath and prey the sun’s still up when you’re done…

5. Toyota Estima Lucida G Luxury Joyful Canopy

An example from the country that gave the world such gems as the Mazda Bongo Friendee, the Mitsubishi ‘MUM 500 Shall We Join Us?’ and the Suzuki Every Joy Pop Turbo. In the UK and America, this Toyota MPV is called the Previa – but in its domestic market of Japan that’s obviously not descriptive enough. Although, seeing as the Estima Lucida G Luxury Joyful Canopy isn’t particularly luxurious or joyful, we’re not sure quite what the name is describing. At least the Canopy bit is vaguely accurate – it refers to the big glass roof.

4. Land Rover Range Rover Sport Limited Autobiography Supercharged

Ah, yes – the Range Rover. It’s made by Land Rover. And this is the lower, tighter Sport model. In top spec Autobiography trim. With a supercharger. Despite the vast array of badges weighing it down, the LR RR SLAS can crack 62mph in 5.9 seconds thanks to the V8 motor’s 503bhp and 461lb ft of torque. It’ll cost you though – the £70,540 starting price works out at £1,259 per letter.

3. Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 Super Veloce China Limited Edition

The self explanatory name was obviously chosen by a primary school teacher who’s really good at teaching children to spell phonetically. Just like the teacher will say Lam Bor Gee Nee, Lambo themselves simply spelt out the name by listing its constituent elements. So it’s a Murcielago, it’s got 670PS, it’s got 4 wheel drive, it’s the 100kg lighter super fast model, and it’s a Limited Edition model for China. Only 10 were made, all in the same colour scheme, and all sold to Chinese customers.

2. Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II Touring Limousine by Mulliner Park-Ward

The standard Silver Spur II, released in 1989, was 5.4 metres long – but for some customers even that didn’t allow them to be far enough away from the peasant-class driver. So specialist Rolls Royce coachbuilder Mulliner Park-Ward stepped in and lengthened the car by 60cm, allowing the cigar chomping passenger to sit a further 2 feet away from the chap in the hat up front. It’s so long that there’s enough room for a 10” CRT TV to be mounted in its own walnut cabinet in the middle of the passenger compartment. And the name’s long too. Obviously.

1. Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Replica

In 1978, Chevrolet released a special edition Corvette called the Silver Anniversary to celebrate the model’s 25^th birthday. Pretty smart. The ‘Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary’ is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s an important occasion so easily forgiven. However, that wasn’t the end of it. Because at the 1978 Indy 500, the pace car was a Corvette Silver Anniversary… and what respectable car company wouldn’t make a special edition to acknowledge that? Well, none – not even GM.

So, they slapped on some more silver paint, garnished it with a red pin stripe, bolted on a couple of spoilers and called it the Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Race Car Replica. Which, as far as we know, is the longest car name ever – with a staggering 63 characters. Perhaps if GM hadn’t spent so much money on name badges 30 years ago, they’d be in less trouble now.

Thanks to various people who we stole pictures off without asking. If you want them back, just ask.

In a survey we’ve just made up, it’s been revealed that 97% of all Jaguar XK8 reviews contain the word ‘golf’. Other fictional statistics of note include a 70% appearance rate of the phrase ‘more grand tourer than out-and-out sport car’, and a surprisingly low 50% score for ‘great place to be’. This conclusively shows that the XK8 forces writers into more tedious clichés than any other car in the world. Which is probably why you’ve never really wanted one – the lazy journos put you right off it. Golf is boring, so the car is boring.

They’re wrong. Well… actually, they’re half right to be fair: golf is boring. But the car isn’t, and that’s what matters now. Yes, the shape and capacity of the XK8’s rear was determined by Jag’s desire for it to accommodate two sets of golf clubs, but that doesn’t have to set the tone for the whole car. It’s far more interesting than a Nick Faldo pleasing arse. It’s Happy Gilmore.

On sale between 1996 and 2006, the XK8 is chronologically, dynamically and stylistically, the exact middle ground between fusty old Jags with quilted leather door cards and brand new ones with brushed aluminium dashboards and theatrical gearsticks. Except right at this minute, it’s cheaper than both new and old: a new price of at least £60k at the end of the last Century has now dropped to…wait for it… £5k. Which means you should want one. We do. Seriously and genuinely. It’s not like it’ll depreciate any further. Persuaded? Good. Now for the buying advice.

First, fuel economy. Every single XK8 came with a V8 so they struggle to go much above 20mpg. Before you even consider buying one, think how angry you’ll be when you realise the £90 of juice you’ve brimmed it with has gone after little more than 300 miles. You’ll be very angry. You might even want to punch the fuel station man in the face… and that could land you a nasty bout of community service. If, however, you don’t cover many miles and can stomach the thirst, you’ll be fine. Read on.

At launch in 1996, the XK8 came with a 290bhp, 4.0 V8 that lurched the car to 60 in 6.5 seconds and on to 156mph. Three years later, the XKR came about with a supercharger and an extra 80bhp, then the 4.0 V8 became a 4.2 in 2002 and the whole range got a facelift in 2003. As supercharged XKRs start at £8k, 4.2 cars start at £10k and facelifts slightly higher still, we’ll peg our ambitions at a standard 4.0. 290bhp is plenty anyway.

The biggest problem with these early (pre-2000) cars is the potential for bore wear, thanks to their Nikasil cylinder lining. A receipt for a new engine would be a bonus, but as long as it now runs smoothly without any lumps either at idle or under power it should be fine – so make sure it’s creamy and lovely. The wear is caused by fuel with a high sulphur content, which modern fuel doesn’t have, so if it’s OK now it should be OK full stop.

Cam chains and their tensioners are the second biggest ball-aches in the engine. Pre-2000 cars had plastic tensioners that were prone to cracking, causing a whole world of misery. The clue to cracked tensioners is a rattle when starting, especially from cold, so keep your ears sharp and be wary of any cars where the seller says ‘ah yes mate, just warmed it up for you – she’s ready for a drive’. Look him in the eye, and tell him he’s a devious little bastard. Then go home.

One step further from the rattle is a rough engine, indicating that a tensioner is so worn that the cam chain has already slipped a tooth – one more slip and the engine will go pop and your heart will break. If the tensioner’s been replaced, sensible folk would replace the chains as well, so look for receipts. Cam chains themselves should really be changed before 100k miles too – a £1000 job with new tensioners.

The gearbox is ‘sealed for life’ but can start to slowly use oil without you knowing it, as there’s no easy way of checking. On a test-drive check for smooth, timely changes and make sure there aren’t any problems kicking down or changing up. Suspension bushes can wear leading to slack ride and handling, costing £500 for a front set, and wheel bearings can grumble and whine costing another £400 to put right. Easily spotted, not terminal and an easy negotiating point.

If you find one with no sign of bore wear, a receipt for a new timing chain and tensioner, a smooth gearbox, taut bushes and quiet wheel bearings for less than £7k you shouldn’t go far wrong. Put some private plates on it, give it a polish and 80% of people will think you’ve spent at least twice what you have done on your shiny new motor. And that statistic is real.

A few months ago, mad-cap Yank tuning shop Hennessey mentioned something about dropping a 1,000bhp, twin-turbo V8 into the back of an Elise and calling it the Venom GT. Sounded daft. Then they released some shadowy pics, then a shonky road test video, then they were featured in Top Gear mag and then… they’d comfortably proved they weren’t daft at all. They were insane. Just in case we needed more reasons to question their mental health, they’ve just released a new video of the car on a dyno. Sounds amazing.

The General Election’s closed, Cowell’s done the judging, Brooker’s called them all cunts, and the result is a draw. Great.

So, more pertinently… what are the best cars to have ever been used for ferrying our Prime Ministers about?

5. Humber Pullman Limousine

As used in the late 1940s by Clement Atlee, the British built Humber Pullman had the presence and patriotism required by a post-War PM. Getting 100bhp from a massive 4.0 litre straight six sounds like a criminal waste of capacity now, but at the time its 100mph top speed was staggering… easily more than the 70mph speed limit that didn’t exist yet. Some versions also came with 7 seats, which were no doubt handy for cramming together quick meetings about how to fix the various bomb holes dotted around London.

4. Jaguar XJ X350

It’s rare to see a TV news story at No.10 without one of these in the background. Usually with a 4.2 V8 up front, the XJ is a Government favourite… but probably just because its British built more than anything else. With an aluminium chassis and air suspension, the XJ is actually a very modern PM wagon but always gave the impression of stoic traditionalism. Nonetheless, with 300bhp from the V8 it could outrun a terrorist’s Jeep while sounding decently fruity.

3. Austin 10hp

Bafflingly, the little Austin was Winston Churchill’s vehicle of choice during World War II – and somehow, he never got bombed in it. Despite only having the power of 10 medium sized horses, the Austin deserves credit for being not just tough enough for the PM, but also the Army. Top speed from the 1.1 litre engine was just 60mph, but with fuel economy of 30mpg it is, in some ways at least, better than a Ford Focus RS. Churchill’s actual car sold for £66k at auction back in 1997.

2. Rover P5B

The car that drove Magaret Thatcher to Number 10 in 1979. Say what you like about that, but the choice of car is a telling one – despite being out of production forsix years, the P5B was still considered the most fitting form of transport for the new PM. Previously used by at least two Guvnas before her, Maggie’s Rover was something of an institution – breath in with your eyes closed and you can probably smell it. With a 3.5 litre V8 giving 160bhp and a 0-60mph time of 11 secs, it was quick and brutal.

1. Jaguar XJ

The high-tech, 21st Century, plushly upholstered new XJ almost seems too good for ferrying about penny pinching PMs – but there’s no doubt that it’ll have to do just that. With a £200k version complete with all the bomb-proofing a Prime Minister needs ready for work, the new XJ will soon be as recongnisable on Downing St. as that chap with a gun who stands next to Number 10. While the 510bhp supercharged V8 will be tempting, expect the new PM to actually use the 275bhp V6 turbodiesel. Because 40mpg impresses voters more than a Supercharger. A proper good modern car.

Daubentonia Madagascariensis

In this video, the deftly fingered men of Bentley talk through the build process of their new Mulsanne’s twin turbo V8 engine. If you’re a fan of meccano, animated combustion and charming regional accents, you’re going to bloody love it.

Behind the impeccably clean glass of the McLaren Technology Centre, Ron Dennis and his band of obsessive men today unveiled a new supercar, a whole new supercar company and a very compelling reason not to buy a Ferrari 458 Italia or Mercedes SLS AMG. Not bad for a day’s work. The first of three models they will eventually put into production, the sparklingly orange MP4-12C was the centre of attention, being shown off in the flesh for the first time. The stats are stunning.

Geek Table:

Price – £175k target
Power – 592bhp @ 7,000rpm
Maximum Engine Speed – 8,500rpm
Torque – 443lb ft @ 3,000rpm. 80% peak from 2,000rpm to 6,500rpm
Weight – 1300kg dry. Estimate less than 1400kg kerb
CO2 – less than 300g/km
Top Speed – more than 200mph
0-62mph – around 3.4 secs
0-124mph – less than 10 secs
1/4 mile – around 11 secs
100mph – 0mph – 30 metres. Honestly. You’ll be sick out your eye holes.

Other highlights are the 7 speed ‘Seamless Shift’ double clutch transmission, one-piece carbon fibre ‘Monocell’ chassis, a 7” portrait touch screen that controls the 1.6Ghz on board computer with sat nav, wi-fi, Bluetooth and Meridien stereo, and a beautifully ergonomic interior.

As amazing as all the headline facts are, the really impressive nuggets of information on the MP4-12C come from deeper beneath the surface. The little insights that demonstrate how and why the McLaren really is lighter, faster, greener and more powerful than normal humans would think possible to achieve.

Lightweight Wiring and Lithium-ion Battery

Instead of using plain old round copper, the McLaren uses hexagonal shaped wiring that’s part aluminium, saving almost 4kg. Being hexagonal, the wires can also nestle more closely together, saving space in the interior. The battery’s no standard lead-acid brick either – it’s a lithium-ion unit, saving another 10kg.

Crash Test Repetition

Usually, manufacturers build prototypes for the sole purpose of being crashed. Once the smash has taken place, telemetry been read and results recorded the prototype is done with. But the McLaren MP4-12C has proved to be a bit different. A prototype was subjected to a standard 56kph smash, but no damage was inflicted on the carbon fibre chassis – just the deformable aluminium structure at the front. So they put it into another test. Still no damage to the chassis; not even a cracked windscreen. The same chassis was eventually subjected to three identical crash tests… it’s clearly pretty strong.

Four Hour Chassis Build

The chassis isn’t just rigid and light – it’s also incredibly quick to put together, taking just four hours. For comparison, the McLaren F1’s carbon tub took 3,000 hours. The one-piece, 80kg mould is also 25% stronger and 25% lighter than an equivalent aluminium chassis. Cripes.

Embossed Magnesium Dashboard Badge

While it’s clearly a very nice tale to brag about at a press conference, the dashboard badge story is a good one. Obviously, McLaren wanted their logo on the dashboard – but didn’t want to go to the effort and weight of putting on a badge. So instead of sticking on a little McLaren decal, they decided to emboss their emblem into the one-piece magnesium structure that makes up the dash. Which saved them a handy 2.4g… and you can’t even see it.

Perfect Driving Position & Skinny Steering Wheel

From the offset, the car has been built around the driver. It might not have an F1-style centre seat, but the pedals, steering wheel and driving chair have all been plumbed in to be perfectly aligned. Even sitting in a prototype that can’t move feels spot on – right down to the thin rimmed, perfectly sized steering wheel that tingles your hands without even a wheel being turned.

Two Handy Test Drivers

Both Lewis and Jenson have driven the car around Goodwood, and while you wouldn’t expect them to say it felt like a bag of bolts, both of them sounded genuinely enthusiastic. Lewis was very pleased, for example, that the gearchange paddles were very similar to his F1 car – they pivot at the wheel, so you can change by either pulling left and right to change down or up, or by pushing or pulling either to do the same thing.

Yeah yeah, so all this sounds a bit sycophantic – but the glee comes from facts. Hearing Chairman Ron Dennis and MD Anthony Sheriff explain the details, talk about the ruthless perfectionism, bespoke design of absolutely everything and the plain and simple statistics, it’s hard not to get carried away. And having sat in it, looked at it, seen it being made and spoken to some of the people that craft it, the MP4-12C is much more than just statistical boasting. It’s a car in which you can feel passion and perfection running through the core. A machine to respect and get all sweatily lusty for. Haven’t wanted a car this badly since turning 17.

As you already know, McLaren today unveiled their new McLaren MP4-12C supercar. As part of the super-fantastic PR reveal bonanza, they showed this video of Lewis and Jenson having a lovely time driving around Goodwood.  Watch it, then read our coverage of the car launch here.

At 10:30am on Thursday 18th March (which is, to most of you, today), the motoring alchemists of McLaren are going to unveil their MP4-12C supercar. Just like every other car-loving website in the world, we’ve been kind enough to link  live stream of the event – so you can watch it as it happens.

We tried to embed it, but couldn’t work out how. So click HERE to watch it, or follow the event on our Twitter

Digesting the news… then spewing it out in 60 words

Hennessey released a teaser picture of their 1000bhp, 262mph, V8 powered, Elise based Venom GT ahead of its official unveiling at the end of the month. Aston failed to persuade the world that the Cygnet is a good idea, by announcing it’ll be available in any colour its misguided customers desire. And BMW confirmed that they’re developing a FWD chassis.

It might still look like it went to the opticians without taking a friend for style advice, but that shouldn’t distract from the facts – the new Bentley Mulsanne is a Bentley. It’s still crafted, in parts, by real humans. It’ll smell amazing. Thanks to a twin-turbo 505bhp V8, it’ll shift. It’s got a a 2,220W Naim Audio stereo. Inside it’s got 24 leather hides and 9 wood veneers.

And, according to this video, it’ll also have bloody shiny paint. If you like programmes along the lines of ‘How It’s Made’ as well as posh cars, you’ll enjoy this. Basically, if you’re someone’s dad, this is your kind of thing.

Digesting the news… then spewing it out in 60 words

The sale of Volvo to Chinese company Geely nudged towards completion, with Geely securing the £1.4bn loan it needs to pay Ford. Porsche boss Michael Macht told Autocar that they’re fully committed to producing the 718bhp, twin electric motored and V8 engined 918 Spyder, which is good. And Nissan said that producing the Juke at Sunderland will save 1,000 jobs.

McLaren’s well groomed men are bringing their new £170k MP4-12C supercar into its final stages of development, with track testing taking place at Spain’s version of Millbrook – Applus IDIADA. Whereas previous MP4-12C development cars have been produced to test individual components, these new ‘XP Beta’ machines are far closer to being production ready, with a revised engine, new gear ratios, more efficient cooling, new suspension geometry and upgraded electrical architecture.

According to McLaren, the testing and development process involves a core team of around 25 technicians poring over the car 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a testing programme they claim is as at least as intense as a Formula One car’s. Not only that, but Programme Director Mark Vinnels is already confident of the car’s ability: ‘The benchmark competitor vehicles we have tested become nervous and twitchy at higher speed, but the 12C feels more stable than anything I have driven. Because the bump rejection is so good, the ride is smooth and the steering is solid.’

In this video, Mark Vinnels and Chief Test Driver Chris Goodwin explain the development process while driving the car on road and track. As hyperbolic teasers go, it’s up with the best…

Here’s hoping the matt black vinyl wrap of the development cars makes it onto an options list…

Digesting the news… then spewing it out in 60 words

Mercedes revealed their F800 Style Concept, which hints at the face of the next CLS and previews new plug-in hybrid technology. Kia showed off a sketch of their new Magentis which will go on sale early next year. And Audi confirmed production of the RS5, which features a tweaked version of the RS4’s V8 with 444bhp, and a DSG gearbox.

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