The Big Mouth meets the Big Mac! In an amazing world exclusive, Auto Express was on hand to witness US TV chat show host and car collector, Jay Leno, hit the road in the machine every supercar fan is desperate to climb aboard: the McLaren MP4-12C.The first of a new line-up of road models from the famous racing outfit, it follows in the wheeltracks of the legendary F1. And it will go up against the Ferrari 458 Italia when it reaches showrooms in 2011. We joined Leno at the Dunsfold test track in Surrey, where engineers were putting MP4-12C prototypes through their paces. Leno got the offer of a ride on two accounts. For starters, he’s interested in one of the new models. Secondly, a trip here is a rare thing for him. He was last in the UK 10 years ago, and that was also for a visit to McLaren’s HQ in Woking, Surrey – when he bought an F1 road car. “I thought it was quite an honour to be given this chance. It was a real thrill,” said Jay at the windy airfield perimeter track. “If you are a soccer fan, it’s like being asked to play with Manchester United. “So when you are with your car friends and they say ‘I wonder what this new McLaren is like’, you are able to tell them you were in it – and at that point, the conversation just stops!” The MP4-12C is a real technological tour de force. It has a 600bhp 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, while its carbon fibre chassis weighs only 80kg. Other highlights range from a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox to double wishbone suspension with adjustable dampers. Driver aids include brake steer, which applies the inside rear brake as the car corners, to aid turning.
After getting a tour of the factory with McLaren Automotive boss Antony Sheriff, Leno was taken to a secret viewing room to see the car, which still bears an early version of the nose. “I like the proportions,” he said. “Too many road cars now are big and wide. It’s better looking than the Ferrari, and I think it has a unique pedigree. Everybody knows Ferrari; only real enthusiasts know McLaren.”The icing on the cake for Leno was the chance of a chauffeur ride with factory test driver, Chris Goodwin. “He told me the camouflaged prototype car was in the middle of its development programme, and that they were honing its ride and handling,” explained Jay. “Apparently, Dunsfold is good as it has loads of different corners. It’s bumpy, fast and slow, with lots of changes of direction.” Leno then strapped himself into the cockpit – and with a thumbs-up, he disappeared in a blur as Goodwin planted the throttle and lit up the tyres.For an hour, first in the dry and then, after a thunderstorm, in the wet, Leno and Goodwin lapped Dunsfold at full speed. Leno doesn’t normally make a good passenger, but in the McLaren it’s the best seat in the house. Plus, this is the closest anyone outside the firm will get to the new car for months to come. Jay grinned uncontrollably as he was brought to a halt and climbed out. “From the passenger seat, it feels amazing!” he reported. “It’s obviously not a finished car, but acceleration is extremely strong and the engine revs to 9,000rpm. “The gearbox shifts very quickly, too – certainly faster than a human could shift. It’s all a sensory overload, but not in any sort of scary way. “This is the first car that has forced me to accept that paddleshift is the future. I much prefer a mechanical gearchange – like a mechanical watch. But Chris Goodwin’s changes were sublimely smooth and fast.”The car Leno rode in is stripped bare and crammed with test equipment. But he still assured us that it’s a great place in which to spend time, with the two-seater offering lots of space, despite having one less seat than his McLaren F1.“Visibility is good,” he added. “It’s a modern, practical car – not a dream machine that you couldn’t live with. It appears to have good ground clearance, so you should be able to use it in most places. From inside, the sound was snarly but pleasant. Any time you have twin turbos you get a bit of a muted sound.”The greatest compliment Leno paid to the 12C was by comparing it to a model from one of Britain’s greatest auto brands: Lotus. “It felt like the kind of car [Lotus founder] Colin Chapman would have made if he was still alive,” he said. “Only when you’re on the move do you sense how light it is. Yes, it has a carbon fibre tub and the lightest technology out there, but that lightness really translates to the road. “It felt nimble, precise and accurate – all the things a Lotus is famous for, but in a package that is uniquely McLaren. I love the fact they have fought to get the car under 1,400kg. It’s a revelation in this day and age.”
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