718 GT4 to 12c
Discussion
Has anyone done this?
I don’t earn a lot but I’ve always been careful with money. I came in to some earlier in the year and was very close to buying a 12c, I set a budget of 70k. Ultimately I went with a 718 GT4 (£67,000). I love the car but part of me wishes I’d gone for the 12c.
I have a lot going on in life at the moment with a son with brain cancer and a mum with terminal cancer…. It’s definitely put things in perspective and I’m contemplating a 12c, or any of the cheaper McLarens.
Seeing Thorney Motorsport has had some 70k 12c’s gives me confidence that you can get a good car at that price.
Has anyone gone from a GT4, Cayman or 911 GT3 to McLaren or does anyone have experience with both cars.
I’m just looking for people’s experience at the moment. I’m yet to even sit in McLaren.
I don’t earn a lot but I’ve always been careful with money. I came in to some earlier in the year and was very close to buying a 12c, I set a budget of 70k. Ultimately I went with a 718 GT4 (£67,000). I love the car but part of me wishes I’d gone for the 12c.
I have a lot going on in life at the moment with a son with brain cancer and a mum with terminal cancer…. It’s definitely put things in perspective and I’m contemplating a 12c, or any of the cheaper McLarens.
Seeing Thorney Motorsport has had some 70k 12c’s gives me confidence that you can get a good car at that price.
Has anyone gone from a GT4, Cayman or 911 GT3 to McLaren or does anyone have experience with both cars.
I’m just looking for people’s experience at the moment. I’m yet to even sit in McLaren.
I went from 718 GT4 to a 600LT.
The GT4 is a good car, but it's not in the same league as a McLaren. it's easy to see the differences on paper, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. The difference in power feels more than it is because of the way the McLaren delivers the huge mid range torque, and the Mclaren actually feels lighter than the figures would suggest, much more pointy and go kart-like. Although I guess you probably tune the geometry on the GT 4 to match it a little bit more.
What surprised me (and my wife) was the difference in ride quality, the Mclaren being a much smoother ride than the GT4 which was actually quite hard and a bit crashy on our roads. If you're looking at the 12C then the difference would be even more exaggerated because you've got the cross linked hydraulic suspension which would make it even smoother on the road than mine.
Obviously I like the looks of the GT4 and the interior,or I wouldn't have bought one in the first place, but I think all the McLarens are stunningly beautiful and very much supercar rather than production car.
The Mclaren does cost more to run but not really much more. Servicing comes out to not far off £1,000 in the GT4, and about the same for the Mclaren but the Mclaren requires annual servicing, whereas the GT4 is every two years. In terms of fuel consumption the Mclaren's actually slightly better than the GT4.
I've had the LT for just over 2.5 years now, and it still looks and feels special.
A lot of your decision-making will hinge around what you want from the car. For a driving experience more like your GT4 but with the dials turned up, then a sports series (570S, 570GT, 600LT) might be a better bet. The 12C is faster of course, but my impression not having driven one, is that it's slightly more GT car. I have driven a 720S though which reinforced that expectation.
You really need to get a test drive, it's the driving feel that is the car's strong point. A friend of a friend who had a 718 Spyder went looking at McLaren GTs which she loved, but ended up in a 650S.
The GT4 is a good car, but it's not in the same league as a McLaren. it's easy to see the differences on paper, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. The difference in power feels more than it is because of the way the McLaren delivers the huge mid range torque, and the Mclaren actually feels lighter than the figures would suggest, much more pointy and go kart-like. Although I guess you probably tune the geometry on the GT 4 to match it a little bit more.
What surprised me (and my wife) was the difference in ride quality, the Mclaren being a much smoother ride than the GT4 which was actually quite hard and a bit crashy on our roads. If you're looking at the 12C then the difference would be even more exaggerated because you've got the cross linked hydraulic suspension which would make it even smoother on the road than mine.
Obviously I like the looks of the GT4 and the interior,or I wouldn't have bought one in the first place, but I think all the McLarens are stunningly beautiful and very much supercar rather than production car.
The Mclaren does cost more to run but not really much more. Servicing comes out to not far off £1,000 in the GT4, and about the same for the Mclaren but the Mclaren requires annual servicing, whereas the GT4 is every two years. In terms of fuel consumption the Mclaren's actually slightly better than the GT4.
I've had the LT for just over 2.5 years now, and it still looks and feels special.
A lot of your decision-making will hinge around what you want from the car. For a driving experience more like your GT4 but with the dials turned up, then a sports series (570S, 570GT, 600LT) might be a better bet. The 12C is faster of course, but my impression not having driven one, is that it's slightly more GT car. I have driven a 720S though which reinforced that expectation.
You really need to get a test drive, it's the driving feel that is the car's strong point. A friend of a friend who had a 718 Spyder went looking at McLaren GTs which she loved, but ended up in a 650S.
Benzooki said:
Has anyone done this?
I don’t earn a lot but I’ve always been careful with money. I came in to some earlier in the year and was very close to buying a 12c, I set a budget of 70k. Ultimately I went with a 718 GT4 (£67,000). I love the car but part of me wishes I’d gone for the 12c.
I have a lot going on in life at the moment with a son with brain cancer and a mum with terminal cancer…
Sorry to hear about this - losing a parent is often hard but not unexpected, potentially losing a child must be devastating. I don't know anything about your circumstances, ages, abilities, etc, and am not trying to denegrate your decision in any way, but what would your son rather you did with £70k?I don’t earn a lot but I’ve always been careful with money. I came in to some earlier in the year and was very close to buying a 12c, I set a budget of 70k. Ultimately I went with a 718 GT4 (£67,000). I love the car but part of me wishes I’d gone for the 12c.
I have a lot going on in life at the moment with a son with brain cancer and a mum with terminal cancer…
ex-devonpaul said:
Sorry to hear about this - losing a parent is often hard but not unexpected, potentially losing a child must be devastating. I don't know anything about your circumstances, ages, abilities, etc, and am not trying to denegrate your decision in any way, but what would your son rather you did with £70k?
Thanks for the kind words and I do understand what you’re saying.My son’s 25 (I’m 49), we had a few years of little contact but the last six months I’ve been with him every weekend, driving the GT4 from Derbyshire to Scarborough, and we’ve been doing drives and visiting car shows up there.
My son’s a big car guy although he can’t drive due to brain surgery, he first had a brain tumour in 2019 and recovered well but after what he went through it’s 5 years before you can drive and now we’re dealing with it again.
The car has been a huge part of bringing us closer together, he loves it.
Before the 718 he’d constantly cancel visits, even when I was half way there.
I think he’d LOVE if I got a McLaren. I’ve told him already that when the day comes I’ll happily sell any car I have and buy him whatever vehicle he wants
BobM said:
I went from 718 GT4 to a 600LT.
The GT4 is a good car, but it's not in the same league as a McLaren. it's easy to see the differences on paper, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. The difference in power feels more than it is because of the way the McLaren delivers the huge mid range torque, and the Mclaren actually feels lighter than the figures would suggest, much more pointy and go kart-like. Although I guess you probably tune the geometry on the GT 4 to match it a little bit more.
What surprised me (and my wife) was the difference in ride quality, the Mclaren being a much smoother ride than the GT4 which was actually quite hard and a bit crashy on our roads. If you're looking at the 12C then the difference would be even more exaggerated because you've got the cross linked hydraulic suspension which would make it even smoother on the road than mine.
Obviously I like the looks of the GT4 and the interior,or I wouldn't have bought one in the first place, but I think all the McLarens are stunningly beautiful and very much supercar rather than production car.
The Mclaren does cost more to run but not really much more. Servicing comes out to not far off £1,000 in the GT4, and about the same for the Mclaren but the Mclaren requires annual servicing, whereas the GT4 is every two years. In terms of fuel consumption the Mclaren's actually slightly better than the GT4.
I've had the LT for just over 2.5 years now, and it still looks and feels special.
A lot of your decision-making will hinge around what you want from the car. For a driving experience more like your GT4 but with the dials turned up, then a sports series (570S, 570GT, 600LT) might be a better bet. The 12C is faster of course, but my impression not having driven one, is that it's slightly more GT car. I have driven a 720S though which reinforced that expectation.
You really need to get a test drive, it's the driving feel that is the car's strong point. A friend of a friend who had a 718 Spyder went looking at McLaren GTs which she loved, but ended up in a 650S.
Thank you for that. Extremely helpful.The GT4 is a good car, but it's not in the same league as a McLaren. it's easy to see the differences on paper, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. The difference in power feels more than it is because of the way the McLaren delivers the huge mid range torque, and the Mclaren actually feels lighter than the figures would suggest, much more pointy and go kart-like. Although I guess you probably tune the geometry on the GT 4 to match it a little bit more.
What surprised me (and my wife) was the difference in ride quality, the Mclaren being a much smoother ride than the GT4 which was actually quite hard and a bit crashy on our roads. If you're looking at the 12C then the difference would be even more exaggerated because you've got the cross linked hydraulic suspension which would make it even smoother on the road than mine.
Obviously I like the looks of the GT4 and the interior,or I wouldn't have bought one in the first place, but I think all the McLarens are stunningly beautiful and very much supercar rather than production car.
The Mclaren does cost more to run but not really much more. Servicing comes out to not far off £1,000 in the GT4, and about the same for the Mclaren but the Mclaren requires annual servicing, whereas the GT4 is every two years. In terms of fuel consumption the Mclaren's actually slightly better than the GT4.
I've had the LT for just over 2.5 years now, and it still looks and feels special.
A lot of your decision-making will hinge around what you want from the car. For a driving experience more like your GT4 but with the dials turned up, then a sports series (570S, 570GT, 600LT) might be a better bet. The 12C is faster of course, but my impression not having driven one, is that it's slightly more GT car. I have driven a 720S though which reinforced that expectation.
You really need to get a test drive, it's the driving feel that is the car's strong point. A friend of a friend who had a 718 Spyder went looking at McLaren GTs which she loved, but ended up in a 650S.
For me it’s about the driving, I insured the GT4 for 5000 miles for the year and I’ve done that in 5 months, include a 13 hour round trip to Edinburgh and back in the 718 carbon buckets.
I can take a lack of creature comforts, the car doesn’t have to have any extras or be showy. I just love driving, doing long miles. It relaxes and me whenever I’m behind the wheel I feel stress free.
As for which McLaren I’m sure I’d love any but the 12c appeals more than others in my price range. The most important things would be handling and engine.
Thanks for taking the time to reply and writing such a detailed post, it’s much appreciated.
I would say that's a pretty fair summary.
For myself, I owned a 981 GT4 from 2015 which by 2024 was heavily modified ... upgrading to a 991.2 GT3RS that I use for trackdays but it is a raw car for the road and it may be that I should have kept my GT4 with it's expensive suspension !!
However, being a very lucky soul I took the plunge into a 2024 Artura as a GT car having previously owned a 12c for a year ... which has reminded me of just how much more fun McLaren make their cars for every journey ...
For road use the McLaren is better in every respect than my GT3 .... Porsche have really milked this market and all of a sudden I think that the McLaren is also better value for money and a real occasion in a way that Porsche has become everyday ...
For myself, I owned a 981 GT4 from 2015 which by 2024 was heavily modified ... upgrading to a 991.2 GT3RS that I use for trackdays but it is a raw car for the road and it may be that I should have kept my GT4 with it's expensive suspension !!
However, being a very lucky soul I took the plunge into a 2024 Artura as a GT car having previously owned a 12c for a year ... which has reminded me of just how much more fun McLaren make their cars for every journey ...
For road use the McLaren is better in every respect than my GT3 .... Porsche have really milked this market and all of a sudden I think that the McLaren is also better value for money and a real occasion in a way that Porsche has become everyday ...
BobM said:
I went from 718 GT4 to a 600LT.
The GT4 is a good car, but it's not in the same league as a McLaren. it's easy to see the differences on paper, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. The difference in power feels more than it is because of the way the McLaren delivers the huge mid range torque, and the Mclaren actually feels lighter than the figures would suggest, much more pointy and go kart-like. Although I guess you probably tune the geometry on the GT 4 to match it a little bit more.
What surprised me (and my wife) was the difference in ride quality, the Mclaren being a much smoother ride than the GT4 which was actually quite hard and a bit crashy on our roads. If you're looking at the 12C then the difference would be even more exaggerated because you've got the cross linked hydraulic suspension which would make it even smoother on the road than mine.
Obviously I like the looks of the GT4 and the interior,or I wouldn't have bought one in the first place, but I think all the McLarens are stunningly beautiful and very much supercar rather than production car.
The Mclaren does cost more to run but not really much more. Servicing comes out to not far off £1,000 in the GT4, and about the same for the Mclaren but the Mclaren requires annual servicing, whereas the GT4 is every two years. In terms of fuel consumption the Mclaren's actually slightly better than the GT4.
I've had the LT for just over 2.5 years now, and it still looks and feels special.
A lot of your decision-making will hinge around what you want from the car. For a driving experience more like your GT4 but with the dials turned up, then a sports series (570S, 570GT, 600LT) might be a better bet. The 12C is faster of course, but my impression not having driven one, is that it's slightly more GT car. I have driven a 720S though which reinforced that expectation.
You really need to get a test drive, it's the driving feel that is the car's strong point. A friend of a friend who had a 718 Spyder went looking at McLaren GTs which she loved, but ended up in a 650S.
Thank you for that. Extremely helpful.The GT4 is a good car, but it's not in the same league as a McLaren. it's easy to see the differences on paper, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. The difference in power feels more than it is because of the way the McLaren delivers the huge mid range torque, and the Mclaren actually feels lighter than the figures would suggest, much more pointy and go kart-like. Although I guess you probably tune the geometry on the GT 4 to match it a little bit more.
What surprised me (and my wife) was the difference in ride quality, the Mclaren being a much smoother ride than the GT4 which was actually quite hard and a bit crashy on our roads. If you're looking at the 12C then the difference would be even more exaggerated because you've got the cross linked hydraulic suspension which would make it even smoother on the road than mine.
Obviously I like the looks of the GT4 and the interior,or I wouldn't have bought one in the first place, but I think all the McLarens are stunningly beautiful and very much supercar rather than production car.
The Mclaren does cost more to run but not really much more. Servicing comes out to not far off £1,000 in the GT4, and about the same for the Mclaren but the Mclaren requires annual servicing, whereas the GT4 is every two years. In terms of fuel consumption the Mclaren's actually slightly better than the GT4.
I've had the LT for just over 2.5 years now, and it still looks and feels special.
A lot of your decision-making will hinge around what you want from the car. For a driving experience more like your GT4 but with the dials turned up, then a sports series (570S, 570GT, 600LT) might be a better bet. The 12C is faster of course, but my impression not having driven one, is that it's slightly more GT car. I have driven a 720S though which reinforced that expectation.
You really need to get a test drive, it's the driving feel that is the car's strong point. A friend of a friend who had a 718 Spyder went looking at McLaren GTs which she loved, but ended up in a 650S.
For me it’s about the driving, I insured the GT4 for 5000 miles for the year and I’ve done that in 5 months, include a 13 hour round trip to Edinburgh and back in the 718 carbon buckets.
I can take a lack of creature comforts, the car doesn’t have to have any extras or be showy. I just love driving, doing long miles. It relaxes and me whenever I’m behind the wheel I feel stress free.
As for which McLaren I’m sure I’d love any but the 12c appeals more than others in my price range. The most important things would be handling and engine.
Thanks for taking the time to reply and writing such a detailed post, it’s much appreciated.
Benzooki said:
My son’s a big car guy although he can’t drive due to brain surgery, he first had a brain tumour in 2019 and recovered well but after what he went through it’s 5 years before you can drive and now we’re dealing with it again.
The car has been a huge part of bringing us closer together, he loves it.
Before the 718 he’d constantly cancel visits, even when I was half way there.
I think he’d LOVE if I got a McLaren. I’ve told him already that when the day comes I’ll happily sell any car I have and buy him whatever vehicle he wants
Well I think that is your answer - maybe casually get him chatting and browsing the classifieds to sound out what he likes but it sounds like a great idea if the pennies stack up.The car has been a huge part of bringing us closer together, he loves it.
Before the 718 he’d constantly cancel visits, even when I was half way there.
I think he’d LOVE if I got a McLaren. I’ve told him already that when the day comes I’ll happily sell any car I have and buy him whatever vehicle he wants
As you say, life is short.
I went from 981 CGTS, 981 GT4's to 991.2 and 991.1 GT3's to 570S Spider. The main reason was I didn't want to do any more trackdays and found the GT Porsche's to harsh, high NVH for more relaxed touring with my wife.
The 570 has been all I expected, I've spent over £10k fixing various parts, a lot preventative but it has so far been way better than the Porsches for this kind of use. It's comfortable, quiet and can still be hugely fun when the circumstances allow. Of course the build quality isn't in Porsche leagues and the warranty is not comparable either (but I've still had over £4k done under it in the last year, so not all bad).
We look for excuses to go somewhere now to enjoy the car, never did that with any Porsche.
Thorney did an inspection on mine just after I bought it and have since fitted new springs all round and new discs, changed the fasteners on the undertrays etc. and will no doubt do more for me.
I think at that price it's worth spending a little more and going to Thorney to buy a 12C, removes a lot of the worry that McLaren ownership entails. His recent video about buying a 720 illustrates how tricky it can be to buy from a non specialist.
But, if trackdays are your thing, stick with the beetles?
The 570 has been all I expected, I've spent over £10k fixing various parts, a lot preventative but it has so far been way better than the Porsches for this kind of use. It's comfortable, quiet and can still be hugely fun when the circumstances allow. Of course the build quality isn't in Porsche leagues and the warranty is not comparable either (but I've still had over £4k done under it in the last year, so not all bad).
We look for excuses to go somewhere now to enjoy the car, never did that with any Porsche.
Thorney did an inspection on mine just after I bought it and have since fitted new springs all round and new discs, changed the fasteners on the undertrays etc. and will no doubt do more for me.
I think at that price it's worth spending a little more and going to Thorney to buy a 12C, removes a lot of the worry that McLaren ownership entails. His recent video about buying a 720 illustrates how tricky it can be to buy from a non specialist.
But, if trackdays are your thing, stick with the beetles?
Firstly, sorry to hear about your woes, does put things in perspective.
Hopefully I can help. 10 years ago I desperately wanted a 981 GT4 but as I wasn't important enough to get an allocation the only option was used. Back then a used one was £100 - £120k. I just couldn't pay overs in the knowledge someone else had paid list and made a quick killing on a car they didnt even want. It put me off the whole idea.
So I began to explore what I could get for the price of a used GT4. I ended up, in 2016, with an early 12C coupe (first 100 cars). Absolutely loved it, had it 3 years and did 14k miles with it, European road trips and some daily use. It did have a lots of warranty work in the first year but in retrospect I think most of that was the dealer creating work for themselves (example dash out and new AC when I didn't even report and issue and nothing was wrong) There was nothing after the first year and I think any niggles on a 12C will have been sorted now.
I only sold it as someone really wanted my car (a white one) and offered me a good price. I reluctantly sold it and replaced it with a 981 Spyder & Exige 430CUP. Needing to scratch the earlier itch and now they were back at list.
I owned the Spyder for 18 months and 8k miles. I never gelled with it. The ride was too hard, the exhaust a bit too Vauxhall Nova and the engine map / power delivery was all over the place. I sold it and lost a good chunk of money.
Reminiscing on my 12C, the spyder was replaced with its ultimate incarnation, a 675LT in Jan 2020. Which I still have. Its an amazing car, has never gone wrong, will do up to 44mpg (that's not momentarily, 100 miles of m-way) takes loads of luggage and is the best car I've ever driven.
However I wanted to try a 718 Spyder so I Bought one in Jan 2024. Keeping the 675LT (its never going). The minute I drove off in the 718 Spyder I knew I had made a mistake. But I stuck with it. Did 11k miles in 18 months and have just sold it. I just couldn't get on with it. Difficult to quantify but I just wasn't feeling it. Something I hear more and more about newer Porsches. That's not to mean you would have the same experience, I know loads of owners that adore them. I also have several friends who have sold very quickly with feelings similar to mine.
In terms of running costs I keep a record on the depreciation costs, servicing, warranty & any repairs and work them out per mile. Does not include tax, insurance, petrol, tyres. See below:-
981 Spyder - £1.56 per mile
718 Spyder - 73p per mile
12C - £1.14 per mile
675LT - has appreciated in value but if I assume no appreciation 83p per mile
On the 12C and 675LT I had to buy warranties and they are included in my calculations. I now don't run a warranty on my 675LT and would not on any P11 McLaren (12C/650s/675LT/P1). in fairness the 981 is now at the bottom of its depreciation curve, I think, 718 probably has a little bit to go still?
If you take out the unnecessary warranty costs:-
12C was 71p per mile
675LT 0p per mile (its needed nothing and hasn't deprecated)
Both the Spyders came with warranty and I didnt need to buy.
In terms of MPG both Spyders can do 30-32 mpg on the m-way when touring in Europe (981 2-3mpg better than 718 despite all the Co2 saving devices) . The 12C usually gave 30-34 mpg and the 675LT 36-44mpg (I know, crazy!) In terms of insurance, both McLarens were / are around £800pa and the Spyders both around £1,100 (no idea why that way around). I pay £500 - £800 to service my 675LT, the Spyders are around £1,200 - £1,500 but every 2 years. So nothing in it.
The Spyders were not without their charms and even though I 100% prefer manuals the twin clutch boxes in the McLarens have done nothing to lessen my experience. I have driven a 987 Cayman R and preferred to both my spyders and there are many who say the 987 spyder is the pick of the spyders. The roof is a bit too much of a faff for me. I would try one though and could be persuaded in the future. However a nice 986.1s is all the Boxster you could ever need (I've had 2 and adored them - smaller wheels the better)
If you want a reliable, low depreciation, fast McLaren the 650s is the top choice. IMHO the 12C looks better, is comfier, has more old skool boost, but the 650s feels more polished and tied down. Noise is often a factor. The 12C is no Ferrari F355 (but ok) the 675LT is perfect, the 718 is awful, sorry it really is, especially at lower rpm , the GPF's probably contribute and its like a bag of nails on start up. To get it to sing you need 6k RPM in 2nd and by then you are getting points on your licence as the gearing is too high. 981 sounds better but need to tame the pops and bangs, its all exhaust and unfortunately drowns out what is a good sounding engine.
That's my tuppence. Good luck with your search.
Hopefully I can help. 10 years ago I desperately wanted a 981 GT4 but as I wasn't important enough to get an allocation the only option was used. Back then a used one was £100 - £120k. I just couldn't pay overs in the knowledge someone else had paid list and made a quick killing on a car they didnt even want. It put me off the whole idea.
So I began to explore what I could get for the price of a used GT4. I ended up, in 2016, with an early 12C coupe (first 100 cars). Absolutely loved it, had it 3 years and did 14k miles with it, European road trips and some daily use. It did have a lots of warranty work in the first year but in retrospect I think most of that was the dealer creating work for themselves (example dash out and new AC when I didn't even report and issue and nothing was wrong) There was nothing after the first year and I think any niggles on a 12C will have been sorted now.
I only sold it as someone really wanted my car (a white one) and offered me a good price. I reluctantly sold it and replaced it with a 981 Spyder & Exige 430CUP. Needing to scratch the earlier itch and now they were back at list.
I owned the Spyder for 18 months and 8k miles. I never gelled with it. The ride was too hard, the exhaust a bit too Vauxhall Nova and the engine map / power delivery was all over the place. I sold it and lost a good chunk of money.
Reminiscing on my 12C, the spyder was replaced with its ultimate incarnation, a 675LT in Jan 2020. Which I still have. Its an amazing car, has never gone wrong, will do up to 44mpg (that's not momentarily, 100 miles of m-way) takes loads of luggage and is the best car I've ever driven.
However I wanted to try a 718 Spyder so I Bought one in Jan 2024. Keeping the 675LT (its never going). The minute I drove off in the 718 Spyder I knew I had made a mistake. But I stuck with it. Did 11k miles in 18 months and have just sold it. I just couldn't get on with it. Difficult to quantify but I just wasn't feeling it. Something I hear more and more about newer Porsches. That's not to mean you would have the same experience, I know loads of owners that adore them. I also have several friends who have sold very quickly with feelings similar to mine.
In terms of running costs I keep a record on the depreciation costs, servicing, warranty & any repairs and work them out per mile. Does not include tax, insurance, petrol, tyres. See below:-
981 Spyder - £1.56 per mile
718 Spyder - 73p per mile
12C - £1.14 per mile
675LT - has appreciated in value but if I assume no appreciation 83p per mile
On the 12C and 675LT I had to buy warranties and they are included in my calculations. I now don't run a warranty on my 675LT and would not on any P11 McLaren (12C/650s/675LT/P1). in fairness the 981 is now at the bottom of its depreciation curve, I think, 718 probably has a little bit to go still?
If you take out the unnecessary warranty costs:-
12C was 71p per mile
675LT 0p per mile (its needed nothing and hasn't deprecated)
Both the Spyders came with warranty and I didnt need to buy.
In terms of MPG both Spyders can do 30-32 mpg on the m-way when touring in Europe (981 2-3mpg better than 718 despite all the Co2 saving devices) . The 12C usually gave 30-34 mpg and the 675LT 36-44mpg (I know, crazy!) In terms of insurance, both McLarens were / are around £800pa and the Spyders both around £1,100 (no idea why that way around). I pay £500 - £800 to service my 675LT, the Spyders are around £1,200 - £1,500 but every 2 years. So nothing in it.
The Spyders were not without their charms and even though I 100% prefer manuals the twin clutch boxes in the McLarens have done nothing to lessen my experience. I have driven a 987 Cayman R and preferred to both my spyders and there are many who say the 987 spyder is the pick of the spyders. The roof is a bit too much of a faff for me. I would try one though and could be persuaded in the future. However a nice 986.1s is all the Boxster you could ever need (I've had 2 and adored them - smaller wheels the better)
If you want a reliable, low depreciation, fast McLaren the 650s is the top choice. IMHO the 12C looks better, is comfier, has more old skool boost, but the 650s feels more polished and tied down. Noise is often a factor. The 12C is no Ferrari F355 (but ok) the 675LT is perfect, the 718 is awful, sorry it really is, especially at lower rpm , the GPF's probably contribute and its like a bag of nails on start up. To get it to sing you need 6k RPM in 2nd and by then you are getting points on your licence as the gearing is too high. 981 sounds better but need to tame the pops and bangs, its all exhaust and unfortunately drowns out what is a good sounding engine.
That's my tuppence. Good luck with your search.
Edited by Bispal on Wednesday 3rd September 09:35
Benzooki said:
Many thanks to everyone who's posted, all extremely helpful. Some time in the next year I'll be making the switch to Mclaren.
Do it my friend!Just do it.
I am now 18 months on with my Thorney Motorsport purchased 650s. I have had 1 issue with, fixed under warranty. My 9th service was under £800.00.
The car is going strong and an absolute joy to drive!
I will now soon be going into my 6th year with a 12C. I still cannot explain how this car makes me feel every single time I drive it, this car drives even better than it looks and the feeling never changes. Most of the time I drive it like miss Daisy, so comfortable and smooth and easily returns over 30mpg, 38 last time out. I had in my first year issues seen to under the superb warranty and which most 12C's are now sorted with the factory upgrades and a special shout out to McLaren client services who have been superb, faultless in my case. Since then, just annual service with no advisories or problems. Now on 24k from 11k miles and loving it still. Good luck, be patient and keep us updated.
Edited by macdeb on Thursday 4th September 08:08
Take your time to find the right one. Get V Engineering to inspect and maintain it and you will have zero issues and a lot of fun. I know some swear by others but I'm extremely fussy and who better than the guys that actually built and developed the car in the first place.
Once you experience the level of detail and care that V Engineering provide you it will be well worth it even if you have to travel or wait for them to service it.
Once you experience the level of detail and care that V Engineering provide you it will be well worth it even if you have to travel or wait for them to service it.
GallardoSpyder said:
Do it my friend!
Just do it.
I am now 18 months on with my Thorney Motorsport purchased 650s. I have had 1 issue with, fixed under warranty. My 9th service was under £800.00.
The car is going strong and an absolute joy to drive!
I think you might be me, Just do it.
I am now 18 months on with my Thorney Motorsport purchased 650s. I have had 1 issue with, fixed under warranty. My 9th service was under £800.00.
The car is going strong and an absolute joy to drive!
18 months owning a Thorney supplied 650s - check
1 issue fixed under warranty - check
9th service under £800 - check
Going strong and a joy to drive - check
To the OP, glad you decided to join the club next year.
Go for it, Mclarens are amazing to drive and own. Just get one from a reputable dealer/indie or you will be facing £5k of work.
I just went the other way, only because I fancied a change after owning my Mclaren for nearly 8 years. I just bought a 718. It is exactly what I expected, a very good sports car with great steering and brakes, the engine is OK but not amazing, goes well then runs out of puff when the Mclaren just gets into it's stride. Stepping from any 718 to a Mclaren is like turning the dial from 8 to 11. Steering, handling, power are all several levels higher.
My better half commented on the speed difference after a country blast this weekend. She said in the Mclaren after a few seconds accelerating hard you arrive at the next bend and need to brake much harder than in the Boxster. i.e. 20+ mph more speed to scrub off. Quite noticeable.
I will be back in a Mclaren one day in the future, just invested my money elsewhere for now.
P.S. The Mclaren has better cabin storage and cupholders than the Porsche!
I just went the other way, only because I fancied a change after owning my Mclaren for nearly 8 years. I just bought a 718. It is exactly what I expected, a very good sports car with great steering and brakes, the engine is OK but not amazing, goes well then runs out of puff when the Mclaren just gets into it's stride. Stepping from any 718 to a Mclaren is like turning the dial from 8 to 11. Steering, handling, power are all several levels higher.
My better half commented on the speed difference after a country blast this weekend. She said in the Mclaren after a few seconds accelerating hard you arrive at the next bend and need to brake much harder than in the Boxster. i.e. 20+ mph more speed to scrub off. Quite noticeable.
I will be back in a Mclaren one day in the future, just invested my money elsewhere for now.
P.S. The Mclaren has better cabin storage and cupholders than the Porsche!
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