Mclaren

McLaren learned lessons from the MP4-12C and applied those to create the 570S.

Design features rounder proportions than MP4-12C, with an improved cabin architecture. Uses the same carbon-fibre chassis, which is one of the most advanced road car structures ever produced.

McLaren’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 ensures true supercar performance, with excellent steering feedback and high-speed stability. The 570S rewards skilled drivers with an unrivalled experience, while also being easy enough to operate in traffic, with exceptional ride quality across all road surfaces.

Electronic gremlins and inconsistent build quality are issues to be aware of. Resolving these issues and keeping a McLaren properly tuned requires a significant financial commitment.

Road legal track car. That’s what the 600LT is.

McLaren’s development of the 600LT starts with the 570S. But engineers added 23% new parts, helping make the 600LT a whole 96kg lighter than the 570S.

With its trick aerodynamics, dramatic performance and track-focussed calibration, this is nearly too much car for the road. Especially in complex South African traffic environments.

But if you commit to frequent Kyalami or Killarney track days, 600LT has the measure of nearly any Ferrari you can imagine.

The top-exit exhaust creates an otherworldly soundtrack as it resonates over the 600LT’s rear deck. High-speed stability and cornering grip are almost inexhaustible. But it demands a very skilled and experienced driver.

If supercar ownership means a demanding and engaging driving experience, and you can deal with the 600LT’s very firm ride quality, it’s an extraordinary supercar.

The third ‘new-generation’ McLaren has dramatic styling and performance.

To some, the MP4-12C and 570S were ‘junior supercars’. With 720S, McLaren went all-in. It features a larger 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8, with 530kW, which categorically humbled the best Ferrari and Porsche rivals.

McLaren’s advanced damping, a carbon-fibre chassis, and expertly calibrated steering make the 720S more responsive than most rivals. But it needs a very experienced and skilful driver to extract all the performance potential, without triggering insurance consequences.

If performance and an extreme driving experience matter more to you than posing or status value, the 720S is unrivalled.

Issues? McLaren's build quality.

The rebirth of McLaren and still one of the best real-world supercars.

MP4-12C brought Oxbridge-level technical analytics and F1 innovation to the supercar world in the early 2010s. Its hydraulically cross-linked suspension system remains revolutionary, even today. Delivering limousine-like ride quality with incredible bodyroll control.

The twin-turbocharged V8 engine is highly responsive, and the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission makes it very easy to drive in traffic. Strangely, for such a powerful rear-wheel drive supercar, the MP4-12C doesn’t have a limited-slip rear differential.

On a pure performance comparison, MP4-12C is a more capable car than a Ferrari 458. It also rides mid-corner bumps much better than most other supercars in real-world conditions. That’s a real consideration if you want to own a supercar in South Africa, where road surface quality, even in cities, can be so variable.

Design has aged remarkably well. The cabin is spacious enough for very tall drivers and passengers, but build-quality issues marred many of the early MP4-12Cs.

McLaren doesn’t have the scale and resources of Porsche or Ferrari’s aftersales and servicing, so keeping an MP4-12C running requires a lot of financial commitment.