A quick note: Strictly speaking, there is nothing really wrong with the stock MC12. It drives okay, with great handling that betrays the fact that it's over 3000 lbs. But, for a car based off of the Ferrari Enzo, it really should be better. It doesn't do anything as fast as it's bright red stable mate - it's heavier, slower, but has marginally more grip. It's also much bigger - the thing is as wide as Russia. So, the car isn't a bad car at all - not like the Spaghetti and Panamera stock were. It's even attractive. It just lives inside the Enzo's shadow, and doesn't really earn it's food at the end of the day. There are cheaper cars that will drive just as good stock. Because of all it's factors, they are very rarely seen in the hoppers.
But let's forget it has any affiliation with the Ferrari Enzo at all. We took it out for a drive, and were suitably impressed. It's engine note inspires confidence. The engine, while not rip-your-face-off-at-warp-speed fast, has just enough power to get the job done, without that excess torque that sends you spinning into the nearest wall. But the handling is where this car really shines. Despite a bit of wallow by the chassis, there was no understeer and no oversteer. The car goes exactly where you want it to go, and without fuss. You can put your foot completely down and not worry about the consequences, simply because there really aren't any. In short, this car is everything a good grip car should be. This surprised me - being an avid TG fan, I've watched them scrutinize and pick apart the MC12 and be quick to dismiss it for it's temper coming out of corners. Ah well, moving on.
So then, our quest was not to make a bad car good, it was to make a great car awesome. Since this car is such a good grip car stock, we focused on that. That meant better and wider tires, reduced weight and better springs. No power nonsense here. We also added anti roll bars and a roll cage, to get rid of the wallowy feel at speed - the car's only fault. After all of this, we were ready to give it a thrashing in the hoppers.
As expected, this car will probably never be a Le Mans monster. That wasn't it's purpose. However, this car makes a damn good grip car. On short tracks, this car absolutely demolishes anything that isn't made by Lotus. Sharp response by the engine, quick turn in, predictable handling and it sticks to the track like glue. On medium tracks it even holds it's own, although on any track with a straight longer than Motegi's, the MC12's power issue will really hurt it - especially against a lobby full of Skylines and Vipers. If you need a longer track car, see the Porsche Panamera. However, with this car and the Panamera, you have 2 cars that will net you a top 3 or 4 on almost every track. If you need a short track car that will make people say, "what the f*** is that???", then the MC12 deserves a spot in your garage.
Sat Oct 30, 2010 8:14 pm by Soulfire XP