Fifth Gear pits McLaren MP4-12C against Ferrari 458 Italia

They were on the Top Gear test track

I'm glad you put this post up... watch the debate In my opinion, anyone considering these cars would have to drive it for themselves because judging by their evaluation the mp4 would suit a less demanding driver who just wants to drive fast. Did I just start a road/track debate?

Sorry McLaren Better luck next time! Most of us car enthusiast trust tiff and jason's reviews, good engine though.

i remember when Ron Dennis called the Veyron "a piece of junk" not long ago. after this review he should better watch his mouth next time.

I would just buy a Porsche Turbo S PDK. It eats both these cars on the street and track.

haha its the smartest solution price wise and having it in the long-run. I can't say much about the McLaren but a Ferrari is a Sunday only, sunny day driving type car where I live. I buy cars that I can use everyday all year round and Porsche is just perfect.

I'd still take the Mclaren. At least it doesn't spontaneously combust.

Instead it will go up in a fireball when you lose control and hit an oncoming car ;)

If this segment is not presented by Jeremy, I am not interested.

The test track is at Dunsfold - Top Gear, Fifth Gear and others simply hire it

the mp4 looks hot in black, but unless the 458 is black is butt ugly

458 looks better. Everything about the Mclaren is better.

A couple of twits, good entertainment.. but I definitely would not buy a car based on these guys reviews!

Well more evidence 5th gear did not how to drive the 12C: It takes until day three, at our handling circuit at MIRA (and the switching off of the stability systems), for the MP4-12C to finally put clear daylight between it and the 458 in a key area. And, please excuse the nerdy minutiae of handling here, but I think it's important. The 12C, as you may know, doesn't have a limited-slip differential, ostensibly because they're heavier than open diffs. Instead, it gets an extension to the Bosch ESP system called Brake Steer. This brakes an inside rear wheel to resist understeer, allowing you to get back on the power earlier during a corner. But unlike most ESP systems, you don't have to be beyond the realms of grip to get it working. Know this and, on a circuit, the MP4-12C is capable of some astonishing cornering speeds. If, that is, you've been told how to get the best from it. Drive the 12C as you might drive any other supercar and you'll enjoy a very fast, very unflustered and very enjoyable lap, but the grip will be dominated by the front end. Trail-braking is difficult; then there's some turbo lag, which pushes the front end on some more. The temptation is to lift, upset the balance and get back on the gas. Do that in the 458 and it's brilliant, albeit aggressive between understeer and oversteer. In the 12C, that technique doesn't really work. Instead, counter-intuitively (unless you're one of the racing drivers who developed this car's track performance), it helps to give the 12C an even bigger bung on the steering, to let the Brake Steer know you'd really quite like its help now. And then give it some throttle. A lot of throttle. This pushes through the turbo lag and no understeer reappears. Then, and only then, will the 12C fling itself out of a bend at the sort of pace ? maintaining the lateral grip only it is capable of ? you wouldn't have imagined possible. When it slides doing it, the steering is telepathically communicative and the chassis utterly forgiving. I've never experienced a corner exit quite like it. That's what I'd been waiting for. Something, somewhere, to set the McLaren miles ahead dynamically. It has clearly been honed by racing drivers ? albeit, perhaps, for racing drivers ? and nothing else can touch it http://www.racer.com/comparison-test-mclaren-mp4-12c-vs-ferrari-458/article/206087/2/

apparently mclaren screwed up where porsche, nissan and mitsubishi didnt...they havent sorted torque vectoring. it suppose to prevent drivers from making mistakes...not throw them out to the grass like what happened to tiff, tut tut 170,000 pounds on such ammaturism. the 12c has more technology, lighter, more power, more torque, active aerodynamics and better stopping distance than the ferrari yet BTCC racer, plato was .10 faster around the track on the ferrari. autocar magazine gave the mclaren 4 1/2 star rating out of five lol. british bias is now coming to the end and it seems the americans with their corvettes can make better handling cars than the british who have over hyped their lotus handling for too long..it is incredible how long they have managed to sell their bull.

Aesthetics, they may be racers or ex racers but clearly do not know how to drive this particular car as posted in the previous post. Ferrari's have always been over hyped and when a new model comes out they go on and on how bad the previous model was where they previously made it out to be the best thing ever, and personally I would rather own a 911 Turbo over any Ferrari! I think the 458 is very ugly compared to the 430.

I own both of these vehicles and I like my Mclaren better.

By the way Aesthetics, you obviously aren't aware that Ferrari has never given a customer version of their car to anyone to test, instead they always have ringers that aren't close to what a customer would get from their dealer. As in this 458, there were no less than 12 modifications made to the engine, ECU, suspension and weight to name a few where the McLaren was a car a customer would take delivery of when they picked it up. Typical Ferrari who can't handle the truth as in the 1960's when Enzo Ferrari had the last race of the year cancelled it,when he knew he would lose the championship and get his ass kicked by Shelby and his 4 Daytona' coupe's at the Monza track in Italy (somethings never change)!! In fact the head of marketing from McLaren will replace your 12C if you get beaten on the track by a 458.

I think Shark is dead on. McLaren is the superior product at the end of the day and a true race car for the street besides being light years ahead engineering wise but that doesn't mean those than simply want to cruise around town should discount the ferrari which strickes me more of a cruiser. I also think the 458 somehow looks odd and not nearly as good as the previous generation I think it is a design that will age quickly unlike the McLaren which will probably still be relevent in a decade