Getting in/out over the massive door sill?

RoadTripper said:

Okay, I poked around and didn't see anyone ask this question yet. Is it me or is the door sill on the MP4-12C as massive as on the Lotus Elise? Anyone who has driven an Elise (or read any car magazine) knows that it is hard to get in and out over that sill. The Tesla Roadster has the same problem although less so since the slimmed the width/height a bit.

The question is, is it going to be as hard getting in/out of the McLaren with that door sill?

Don't get me wrong, the Elise is one of my all-time favorite cars, which I owned a chrome orange one for three years, but it requires effort to drop in and hoist out. So I am not belly aching if the McLaren will be that way but all the photos appear that the sills are noticeably higher than the seat bolsters.

Anyone been in and out of one yet to confirm/deny my suspicion?

Click to expand...

the door takes away part of the sill,so its alot easier to get than an elise,but you must make sure the door is fully open or you bag your head on the side glass as i did the first time(not to be repeated in public)

I have been in the new Mac a couple of times. Getting in and out is fairly easy.....especially in comparision to a F40 or XJR-15.

The photo that I am looking at, among others, it on page 6 of the Options Guide PDF TheDutchGuy shared. http://www.mclarenlife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137 It looks like the sill sticks up almost two inches above the seat bolster.

Glad to hear getting in and out isn't too much trouble. I figured the C12 couldn't compete with the daily-driveability of the 458 or Gallardo if ingress/egress was too hard. Still, it looks like the sill height and width require you to toss your leg up and over. The 458 and Gallardo have seats that are well above the door sill.

I guess it is just a different approach. Maybe required as part of the MonoCell carbon fiber design integrity.

How our automotive expectations change over the years since the F40. What an awesome car, one of my favorites indeed. Could they get away today with covering the dash in mouse fur?

Speaking of hitting the door when getting out, the Ford GT is the worst - with its curved roof section that will get you every time until you learn to look out for it. They remove a section of the roof by attaching it to the door, with the intent of making exit easier. But in reality, you end up hitting the door because normally there isn't a roof panel sticking out horizontally.

I guess when you closely copy a retro design, that stuff happens...