I recently drove the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 at Drift Limits Motorsport Academy based at Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire.
I was driven to the event by my brother who took some photo's that can be seen below.
Upon arrival we were ushered in to a 30 minute safety briefing given by a chap called Johnny who was very clear about how best to keep safe while driving. There were also some videos of when things go wrong and what not to do.
After the brief, it was time to grab a helmet and wait for the McLaren. Having arrived early, I felt ready/nervous/exited about taking on the challenge that was the McLaren but the McLaren was not ready for me.
What I was aware of is that this McLaren was indeed a racing car, what I was not aware of is that before you can even think about getting in the car to start it, there was around an hour needed to get the car ready. The coolant had to be flushed and changed, the oil and engine both needed preheating and this took time. To give some idea in words and numbers about the McLaren, it was built to compete in the FIA GT3 Series and has the same twin turbo V8 as the road going 12C with the ECU de-tuned from 592 bhp to 493 bhp to comply with the class regulations. The engine was then paired with a six speed sequential gearbox made in partnership with Ricardo. To compensate a slight loss in power from its road legal counterpart, Mclaren have made some big changes. The gearbox in the GT3 is 80 kg's lighter than the road cars gearbox, there are also aerodynamic additions such as a new front splitter and rear diffuser. The car is mostly made from carbon fibre and the steering wheel was taken from the MP4-24 F1 car. All these changes means that the Mclaren weighs 1434 kilograms and can accelerate from 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. This will more than likely be the fastest car I will ever drive.
Finally the McLaren was ready to go and I was taken to what is called the Bomber Track, a tight technical circuit that allowed you to get a lot out of the McLaren. This was away from the main supercar track. The first day they took the McLaren out on the supercar track, 6 out of 8 people spun the car.
The Track
The Mclaren MP4-12C GT3 being prepared.
The MP4-12C GT3 ready on track.
Getting in and out of this car is not a glamorous or easy to do. First you have to put your hand on the roll cage, your right leg goes into the foot well, bum down into the seat and finally the left leg comes in. To get out, you simply do the opposite.
Once inside the car, it is very snug with an F1 steering wheel with lots of controls facing you.
behind this are the gearbox paddles. Off to the right is the main control panel and the master switch and the ignition.
Once i'm strapped in, my instructor gets into the passenger seat and talks goes through the starting procedure and that to begin with during the sighting laps, no accelerator is to be used. Once the laps sighting laps were done, gently on the gas. He also tells me about how best to judge the corners as visibility is limited.
The instructor cranks the engine a couple of times before pressing a button on the control panel before telling me to press the ignition button. The engine cranks and the car roars into life.
In order to get going, I have to push the clutch down, press the neutral button with my thumb, pull the right gear leaver towards me to first gear, release the neutral button and ease the clutch up slowly.
I brought the clutch up a little quickly and stalled the car.
On the second attempt I get it right and we are underway. Making my way around a track without using an accelerator is one of the strangest feelings ever and I will hold my hands up a couple of times I did use the gas accidentally. Its soon time to go up the gears and into third which is where we stay for the remainder of the laps. It does not sound like a lot, but on this tight track, third is plenty. Gradually I start to get used to the sheer power that the car has and my confidence grows.
Photo's by James Kirby
As well as a monumental amount of power, the faster you go, the cars grip around the corners also becomes apparent, although as I make my way through the laps, some of my cornering could have been better or tighter to the racing line.
Drift Limits Professional photo's
To conclude, I spoke to the instructor as we made our way back to the viewing area, I asked him how he thought I had done. He was happy that I had not crashed the car and said that some areas were good such as the braking, he did say that my cornering could have been better and that I thought I would be better at driving the car than I was. I too felt this. I would love to say that I was perfect and did the car well but on this occasion I was not perfect. Having had a few days to gather my thoughts about this drive, I would say I did ok, i'm not a professional racing driver and I only had limited time with the car. If given more time, I would get used to it.
To sum up the car it is a monster. Being allowed to drive an off the peg racing car built by McLaren with the intention of winning championships is a privilege.
If you decide to drive this car, reading this text will not prepare you in any way for when you drive it. You simply cannot prepare yourself for the power that this car confronts you with.
I would like to the Drift Limits team for doing a great job, especially to the brave man that was my instructor.
Below is the GoPro footage of the drive.
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