When McLaren Automotive first decided to re-enter the supercar market, it only had one true competitor in mind; the impressive Ferrari 458 Italia.
When first launched, the McLaren 12C featured a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine delivering the same 570hp as the Ferrari 458 Italia. However, due to pressures from the press and prospective customers, McLaren was forced back to the workshop to refine the car and this inevitably led to a number of performance enhancements.
That brings us to today where the 2013-specification McLaren 12C now produces 625hp from its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, an impressive 55hp more than its closest rival. While those changes may seem conclusive in ending the battle between the two, can the McLaren MP4-12C really compete with the Formula One know-how and expertise of the most successful F1 team ever in Ferrari?
Well, our latest rolling drag race seems to lay that question to bed when a black McLaren 12C equipped with 625hp goes head to head with a red Ferrari 458 Italia on an abandoned runway over two runs.
While 55hp may not seem like heaps on paper, the McLaren 12C manages to sprint away from the Ferrari 458 Italia as if it has over 700 or even 800 horsepower!
