[Lukeylikey]

Hello!

I am a car nut. I want to introduce myself to everyone and also to ask some help. On a number of other forums there has been quite a lot of talk recently about McLaren.

Which.....leads to your mind getting over active and cutting a long story short, I'm about to take the plunge on a new 12C Spider.

I am concerned to limit depreciation as much as possible and have managed to negotiate at least some buffer against that based on taking a dealer stock vehicle. However, I have two to choose from and thought I would try and solicit views about which is the better option from owners who have lived with these cars.

The first is black, black lightweight wheels with orange calipers. The second is white with added sports exhaust, leather interior, super lightweight black wheels, electric heated seats and vehicle lifter. There are other bits but those are basically the main differences. It is around £20k/$30k extra, which will undoubtedly add to the depreciation. (The depreciation may or may not be relevant because I probably will keep it quite a while, but then I always say that...)

The key spec item is the sports exhaust, which if the black car had it would I probably wouldn't be asking this. I slightly prefer black, I think, but have no problem with white.

Which would you chose?

 

[jkheit]

I have the sports exhaust, it just makes things louder, which I turn off. Leather is nice (I have it), but I'm sure the interior not eh black car is nice too, so I wouldn't care; I think that the black should have leather with the weave fabric middle, which in some ways is better in keeping you in place when on track or spirited driving. Super lightweight vs lightweight apparently has negligible difference in perceivable performance.

So it comes down to heated/memory/electric seats (which is the single heaviest option not the car) and the lift. I find both those options really useful (the memory seats rock). I don't have a lift, but wish I did.

Anyway, none of those options would be worth the delta to me, and I don't think you'll get anywhere near that back on resale. You might score an extra 5k on the resale. So you need to ask yourself, would using those options for 1/2yr be worth the 15/25k?

If you keep the car 5 years, its a no brainer. Get the one with the options/color you like most.

If you only tend to have a car for less than 2 years, I don't know if the extra cost is justified.

Best advice, don't be pressured either way. If yo want a black car with the options on the white car, keep looking. Especially if you tend to hold on to cars for long spans.

 

[roundincircles]

Both have decent specks. I would choose the looker as the specs difference is nice to have. Depreciation will always include extras but they might sell the car in comparison with alternatives......I do think drop heads will be more sought after by Bling buyers but the Coupe by 'drivers'.

Wish my car had the lift.

I do not care for the sports exhaust as it GOYT's on long trips but that is me! Leather on a drop head must be the practical choice?

 

[isv]

You could almost certainly ask to retrofit the sports exhaust if that was really important. The 20k difference probably you would not get back on resale but equally the white car does sound like you would be able to shift it more easily later given spec (leather/lift).

 

[roundincircles]

You could almost certainly ask to retrofit the sports exhaust if that was really important. The 20k difference probably you would not get back on resale but equally the white car does sound like you would be able to shift it more easily later given spec (leather/lift).

That's an excellent point regarding retrofit of the exhaust. It would also allow a judgement of the acceptability of the standard exhaust which is louder on the drop head than the coupe.

 

[Lukeylikey]

Thanks for the replies so far. The exhaust point is interesting. Is the Spider really louder as standard than the Coupe? If so, is it because the exhaust specification is different or is it the fact that the body shell changes the resonance in some way?

 

[nh4]

Thanks for the replies so far. The exhaust point is interesting. Is the Spider really louder as standard than the Coupe? If so, is it because the exhaust specification is different or is it the fact that the body shell changes the resonance in some way?

I'm not sure if it is really louder, I'm sure someone else can answer on that one, but with the spider you can put the rear window down, and that will let a lot more noise in the cabin.

There are also a few sponsors here that do aftermarket exhaust which members have good things to say about.

-nh4.

 

[isv]

Thanks for the replies so far. The exhaust point is interesting. Is the Spider really louder as standard than the Coupe? If so, is it because the exhaust specification is different or is it the fact that the body shell changes the resonance in some way?

As far as I am aware it's a slight change of exhaust spec for the spider to be louder but that is externally only I think. When you're inside the car, to be quite honest if you so wished, you could simply flip the ISG to maximum open and deafen yourself even with the stock exhaust. (mine is set to the minimum possible noise on all power modes at all times....)

 

[roundincircles]

I also keep the isg at the lowest setting despite having 80 db hearing loss . Most coupe drivers who traded to drop head report louder standard exhaust.

 

[mhh]

I just added a McLaren sports exhaust to my Spider as I found the stock sound too tame. I'd want full leather in a Spider. Memory seats are great - for ease of entry and exit. Lift is essential for me. HTH.

 

[Champagne612]

Hello!

I am a car nut. I want to introduce myself to everyone and also to ask some help. On a number of other forums there has been quite a lot of talk recently about McLaren.

The first is black, black lightweight wheels with orange calipers.

Which would you chose?

This one - Sport exhaust included. ... and that's with an iphone!

 

[nh4]

This one - Sport exhaust included. ... and that's with an iphone!

We need more pictures of your car in the sun... Fire Black looks amazing in the light! That said, it looks pretty damn good in the dark as well!

-nh4.

 

[nicklinacre17]

This one - Sport exhaust included. ... and that's with an iphone!

Looks absolutely stunning!

 

[Shawn]

I echo what John and Ric said, and will add that I didn't care about the memory seats when I got my car, but I now consider them essential and am really thankful I have them. If you like or need a driving position close to the wheel it is almost impossible to gracefully enter/exit without moving the seat back every time you get in and out. Memory makes that a simple part of the "launch protocol". Yeah it adds a bunch of weight to the car, but in the real world it is a huge plus. All that said, I think color is the most important choice, because if you're not crazy about the color, or if you do not get the color you really want you will have angst. That's why I waited longer than I had hoped to get VR, and am glad I did. If black or white is your favorite, get that, otherwise wait for another car that is your favorite color.

 

[Lukeylikey]

Thanks for all the replies and comments. I think that a number of things said here have helped me to make up my mind. I went to the dealer to decide and a slightly unusual thing proved pivotal.

The electric/heated seats on the white car are set slightly higher and being long in body, short in leg, the lowest point was not quite low enough. In all other respects the driving position on the 12C is fantastic so I may as well not ruin it.

The other thing about the interior is that this car has the leather/alcantara seats and dash, which not only look and feel great, but are a bit warmer to park one's butt on (at least that's what I told my wife to ease her pain about the lack of heated seats...)

It took me an unusually long amount of time to decide in the showroom about the preferred colour but in the end the black just seemed so right for the car. It looked fabulous.

The sports exhaust can be retrofitted for about $1k more than as a factory option according to my dealer so that turns the black car into a win win. I placed a deposit.

Anyhow, enclosed are a few bad iPhone pics of the car (I hope).

Thanks again.

 

[Lukeylikey]

Just trying to work how best to post pics...

 

[Lukeylikey]

There must be a better way than this!

 

[isv]

Thanks for all the replies and comments. I think that a number of things said here have helped me to make up my mind. I went to the dealer to decide and a slightly unusual thing proved pivotal.

The electric/heated seats on the white car are set slightly higher and being long in body, short in leg, the lowest point was not quite low enough. In all other respects the driving position on the 12C is fantastic so I may as well not ruin it.

The other thing about the interior is that this car has the leather/alcantara seats and dash, which not only look and feel great, but are a bit warmer to park one's butt on (at least that's what I told my wife to ease her pain about the lack of heated seats...)

It took me an unusually long amount of time to decide in the showroom about the preferred colour but in the end the black just seemed so right for the car. It looked fabulous.

The sports exhaust can be retrofitted for about $1k more than as a factory option according to my dealer so that turns the black car into a win win. I placed a deposit.

Anyhow, enclosed are a few bad iPhone pics of the car (I hope).

Thanks again.

Well done, it's the alcantara option as well so that's even better (initially thoguht it was still the space fabric stuff). Carbon black too from what I can see? that's the rybrook birmingham dealer too if I'm not wrong... Think you'll find the car a blast.. enjoy.

 

[roundincircles]

Great decision. The car looks the biz.

One further consideration. The paint is soft or the car travels at speed that make debris hard. So do you wrap it in film or, alternatively, repaint it as and when? If it is filmed then thats a win win.

 

[garyw]

Well done, it's the alcantara option as well so that's even better (initially thoguht it was still the space fabric stuff). Carbon black too from what I can see? that's the rybrook birminghall dealer too if I'm not wrong... Think you'll find the car a blast.. enjoy.

I thought it looked very similar but the OP was using $ costs, so thought maybe not
But the steering wheel is on the correct side...