Autocar new sound vid

2992 Views 17 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Rich, Jul 21, 2011

6th element

Discussion Starter · Jul 20, 2011

New thread so EVO doesn't get all the credit for the updates (despite Harry's wishes)

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/mclaren-mp4-12c-sound-video-review/

From Steve Cropley's blog:

(http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/anyt...he-aural-drama-the-mp4-12c-always-needed.aspx)

Last week I was lucky enough to have lunch at McLaren Cars with inspirational MD Antony Sheriff, who wanted to prove to us (Mr Editor Holder and me) how quickly Britain’s newest car maker can make changes if it wants to.

We and a few others reckoned in early testing that the McLaren MP4-12C was a bit too quiet in top performance mode – so they’ve changed it for the production models. A local blast proved that it now sounds magnificent, still beautifully bred and (important) still nothing like a Ferrari.

There’s a risk, some may reckon, in admitting a lack of perfection when you are at the very beginning of creating a new car company, but Jim and I found ourselves thinking the very reverse.

The generator for this move was McLaren’s unquenchable desire to make things as enjoyable as humanly possible for its customers, and there can’t be a better reason for change than that.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

roundincircles

· #2 · Jul 20, 2011

Sounds like a V8 supercar to me, bravo to McLaren. Not afraid to say we can do better, better and better and do it.

Mr Sheriff is busting keen to make his new car company number one in double quick time and take his customers with him..............that's my kind of supplier, my kind of partner who gets my money.

I'll have civilised long distance road trips in Normal Mode and hooligan progress in Track/Trick Mode........best of all Worlds at my command.......brilliant.

Thanks for posting the Vid

andy c

· #3 · Jul 20, 2011 (Edited)

roundincircles said:
Sounds like a V8 supercar to me, bravo to McLaren. Not afraid to say we can do better, better and better and do it.

Mr Sheriff is busting keen to make his new car company number one in double quick time and take his customers with him..............that's my kind of supplier, my kind of partner who gets my money.

I'll have civilised long distance road trips in Normal Mode and hooligan progress in Track/Trick Mode........best of all Worlds at my command.......brilliant.

Thanks for posting the Vid

well to me it sounds as loud as it did in the first place,i must be wrong or they wouldnt have gone to all the trouble,i will let you know how much louder when i get back friday!
It does look like the paddleshift is alot lighter and a better sound than before though,onwards and upwards

GT-TT

· #4 · Jul 20, 2011

as i said they could not have changed really the silencers, cats or headers so the aural characteristics will be the same but the volume and the starting point would change inside the cabin (what he also said about the valve).
However this video from inside the car shows the driver changing gears at about 5.5k rpm. From my test drive i remember (and also have the video) that the sound gets a lot louder between 6.5-8.5k rpm where it becomes a LOT more .. aggressive!
So this video is not really representative of the sound.
I ll try to post my dunsfold video so you can understand what i mean

roundincircles

· #5 · Jul 20, 2011

I recently tried the paddle shift on a static car and it was far too stiff. I could not push, only pull but I have some tendon/dubytron problems.

Hope to test drive within a couple of weeks.

6th element

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 20, 2011

GT-TT said:
as i said they could not have changed really the silencers, cats or headers so the aural characteristics will be the same but the volume and the starting point would change inside the cabin (what he also said about the valve).
However this video from inside the car shows the driver changing gears at about 5.5k rpm. From my test drive i remember (and also have the video) that the sound gets a lot louder between 6.5-8.5k rpm where it becomes a LOT more .. aggressive!
So this video is not really representative of the sound.
I ll try to post my dunsfold video so you can understand what i mean

Not sure why Autocar didn't take the engine to redline, if there intent was to make a vid about the sound.

This vid gives a better indication, I think. Although I'm not certain what setting would be on this car, since it was still a prototype. My hope is that my car sounds like this:

(fast forward to 2min45 mark)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ABIpHXiOdM

6th element

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 20, 2011

As for how it sounds outside of the car, I'm hoping for this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvi21SFsf5c&feature=relmfu

roundincircles

· #8 · Jul 20, 2011

That's a really interesting Vid. The F1 does sound raw. Kevin McGarrity is pushing the MP12 AS YOU WOULD EXPECT AND IT SOUNDS like a proper supercar V8 to me.

It does raise the question that if you want a 458 sounding car then get one and enjoy it for what it is. For me it is how it drives and sounds, no question the 458 ticks the box's. but give me a McLaren.

andy c

· #9 · Jul 20, 2011

roundincircles said:
That's a really interesting Vid. The F1 does sound raw. Kevin McGarrity is pushing the MP12 AS YOU WOULD EXPECT AND IT SOUNDS like a proper supercar V8 to me.

It does raise the question that if you want a 458 sounding car then get one and enjoy it for what it is. For me it is how it drives and sounds, no question the 458 ticks the box's. but give me a McLaren.

listen to my video ,alot louder than the autocar one,but please dont listen to me,the over excited teenager !!!.It obviously will be louder than this,and dont forget if it is in track mode,you can still use this on the road as it works on the powertrain not the handling
youtube andyc1886, embarresing but the car will sound great if its 20% louder than this

6th element

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 20, 2011

andy c said:
listen to my video ,alot louder than the autocar one,but please dont listen to me,the over excited teenager !!!.It obviously will be louder than this,and dont forget if it is in track mode,you can still use this on the road as it works on the powertrain not the handling
youtube andyc1886, embarresing but the car will sound great if its 20% louder than this

Just watched your vid again, andy - you're right, if it is significantly louder than that, it will be bloody loud. Autocar is not doing it justice, I don't think.

p.s. nice driving!

robbie

· #11 · Jul 20, 2011

andy c said:
listen to my video ,alot louder than the autocar one,but please dont listen to me,the over excited teenager !!!.it obviously will be louder than this,and dont forget if it is in track mode,you can still use this on the road as it works on the powertrain not the handling
youtube andyc1886, embarresing but the car will sound great if its 20% louder than this

how did you get the drive ? ( good luck to you ) great !

andy c

· #12 · Jul 20, 2011

robbie said:
how did you get the drive ? ( good luck to you ) great !

april ,a few early customers from allover europe were given a day at dunsfold,mainly because at the time we would probably be getting our cars before the dealerships would be getting a demonstrator,there are a few of us on this forum who went ,but on different days.

robbie

· #13 · Jul 20, 2011

andy c said:
april ,a few early customers from allover europe were given a day at dunsfold,mainly because at the time we would probably be getting our cars before the dealerships would be getting a demonstrator,there are a few of us on this forum who went ,but on different days.

bet it was a great day luckly sod
have you got yours yet ?

andy c

· #14 · Jul 20, 2011

robbie said:
bet it was a great day luckly sod
have you got yours yet ?

i dont think anyone has,i know the first manchester car might be in the last couple of days in july,mine is a couple of weeks after that,i nearly thought about waiting for september reg,but if it comes a week earlier ,sod it ive been waiting 4 years i will take it early

zippycar

· #15 · Jul 20, 2011

Autocar mention that deliveries start later this week?

Presumably London will get the first customer cars, but doesn't sound like it will be anyone on this forum - shame

falb

· #16 · Jul 21, 2011

Autocar needs to do that again with the car going to redline and then do a flyby at WOT from outside the car. please.

The hitch here is that buyers of sportscars want to hear and feel the engine but at the same time if it is too loud you wont drive it every day. Valving the exhaust and in the intake is yet another brilliant way to acheive BOTH. Thus another step towards being the AND car.

Cheers to McLaren for making these changes and improving the car. Sounds good to me.

GT-TT

· #17 · Jul 21, 2011

just for clarification, only the sport exhaust is valved. All cars have the intake cabin bypass though

Rich

· #18 · Jul 21, 2011

Heard from someone who has driven sports and standard exhaust, that in-cabin there's not much difference, outside though it's very noticeable.

Makes sense if the cabin noise is primarily intake.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

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