Formula One world champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton recently got their hands on a pair of prototype McLaren MP4-12Cs and were given an empty Goodwood track to test the car. With a 3.8 litre V8 �M838T� engine producing 600bhp and an impressive 600Nm of torque, coupled to a, F1-like Seamless Shift Gearbox with seven gears, the lads were sure to have some fun.
Given their current employment status it�s no surprise that Button and Hamilton reckon the 12C is a tidy bit of kit. Jenson exclaims, �I was amazed by the car�s great stability at high speeds. It�s very quick in a straight line, too. In fact, the biggest problem with driving this car on a circuit is that sometimes you forget it�s a road car!�Meanwhile, Lewis says, �The 12C is a real driver�s car; it delivered on all my expectations. The visibility is great from the driver�s seat. You really appreciate that in tight corners. I loved the McLaren F1 when I drove it and, like that car, the huge front windscreen of the 12C allows you to take in all the information needed for perfect lines through apex turns.�
By the time the MP4-12C goes into final production more than 50 engineers will have driven 40-plus development cars in excess of 1,000,000 miles. That�s a lot of testing. Around 12 venues were used for testing, including the Car Evolution test track and the N�rburgring Nordschleife. The 12C has also been pushed to extremes of another kind by being tested at temperatures of -50�C and +50�C.
There�s more , including video of Jenson and Lewis at the wheel of the MP4-12C.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/lewis-jenson-mp4-goodwood-2010-07-12
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