In the Driver’s Seat: The McLaren 12C Coupé Experience

What better way to experience the inner-workings of one of the most technologically advanced super sports cars than to be in the driver’s seat? We did just that recently, under the invitation of McLaren Singapore to go behind the wheel of the 12C Coupé and the newly launched 12C Spider, at their driving experience event. Held at the Changi Exhibition Centre, the one-day driving event gave invitees a rare opportunity to experience the dynamic capabilities of the mid-engine supercars on a closed road. The specially designed circuit, comprising of a series of high-speed corners, slaloms, chicanes, and a straight stretch of acceleration and hard braking, was laid out to test both performance and handling.

The conditions on the day were not particularly ideal with the early morning rain leaving the tarmac a little slicker than preferred. This was not help by the fact that we were driving some very fast and expensive automobiles. The rain however really couldn’t have dampened any of our enthusiasm and all our excitement was matched by an equally passionate driving instructor who was on hand to guide us through the twisty circuit.

In the driver’s seat, we were greeted with a panoramic view of the road ahead, aided in part by the vast expanse of windscreen and a driving position much closer to the center of the car. The McLaren’s steering wheel has no buttons or switches to distract you — instead you find two knobs on the center console, one to adjust the suspension and traction control settings while the other manages the engine and transmission characteristics. On each there are three modes — “Normal”, “Sport” and “Track”. With the damp conditions on the test track, we were advised to stick to “Normal” on both settings. A touch of the engine start button brought the V8 to live with an audible rumble that was not quite as intimidating as we had thought. The super car’s more docile character continued as we moved along slowly on our familiarization lap; the steering was nicely weighted and the throttle was fairly easy to modulate.

Just as we got used to the ease of the car at slow speeds, we came to the end of the first lap and it was time to give it a bit more gas.