Porsche GT3 RS vs McLaren MP4-12C video review feature
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- Опубліковано 13 січ 2025
- Following on from our teaser video, here's the full chase video we promised you. We've pitched the venerable Porsche GT3 RS against the dizzying McLaren MP4-12C on Rockingham's tight and twisty track. So which one is the faster car? Here, Steve Sutcliffe finds out.
Very impressive Porsche!! Seems like the braking alone was enough for the Porsche to maintain speed with the McLaren. Awesome!
In contest/comparisons like this, I always feel it would be better if the drivers switch cars after one run and do it again to average driver skill out along with vehicle capability.
I'd like to see the Mclaren vs the GT2 just for giggles... That would be more apples to apples I think.
GT2RS would seem to be a much better comparo. Im shocked the GT3RS hung in there as well as it did. McLaren should have out-run it convincingly. Would also be interesting to see how the RS4.0 would match up.
On such a twisty track like this the power advantage of the MP4 vanishes. On a fast circuit like Nurburgring the Mclaren would beat the Porsche no doubt!
4:50 He say "The McLaren wins"
I dont see where the Hell the McLaren have won???
The Porsche start a few inches behind the MC and finish a few Inches behind the MC. The MC was just faster on the Strait because of his 200Hp more, but over the whole Lap the GT3 follow without any Problem.
Please just start the Race again but this time should GT3 start in front.
it should be against a gt2 600 bhp vs 600 bhp.
@ravenstylea2 i honestly believe that the mclaren would still win because its got 93 hp more and the weight difference isnt that much at all
@puyrm True point, but, sometimes or a lot of times editors give shots of vehicles to make them seem ''close'' if you watch, there's many times where the Porsche takes wide turns due to plowing through or understeering where the MP4-12 cuts right through the turns clipping every apex.
@Adasi yeah, but that's not the weirdest comparison they did. they also did Honda Civic versus Audi R8 :)
@ John hill. There is a video by autoweek with the GT3 RS. The Porsche kept up with it but didn't ever manage to pull ahead.
i just cant see where in this video.if anything porsche looked faster on some corners and you had to stop hard from driving to the back of the mclaren.
rear engine bias gives Porsche advantage at braking on any track. Porsche can always brake harder and later.
@SUP3RJ3W113 The GT2 RS and the GT3 RS are both meant to be used on the track (but you can do it on the streets). The non RS version of both, are mainly meant to be used on the road, so they should put the GT3 (non RS) in the front of the MP4 12C and the GT2 (non RS) in the back.
@bachi411 however that might be true, that does not say anything about how that car actually performed on the track.
I highly doubt it. I've driven the Turbo S and the McLaren and the McLaren is a beast by comparison. no brand bias here
The reason might also be that the Porsche is equipped with Sport Cup tires (R-Compound) vs the 12C is actually P-zero street radials? So I wonder if they've equipped the 12C with Corsa's then we'll see if the Porsche could still keep up
GT3
im not surprised, the gt3 rs is set up perfectly for this, and in the tight corners the semi slick tires alone allow for much more traction
how come the video footage tells a TOTALLY different story to the commentary? porsche brakes later, corners faster and exits faster. the only place the mclaren is faster is down the straight. either the reviewers are speaking crap, or the video is total crap.
Updated Mclaren MP4-12C (tuned exhaust, revised TCS etc) vs the GT3 RS 4.0 please?
@crashlove768 Nono, I wasn't saying 'Porsh' was correct, I was just saying that it's odd to hear both said so often :p
@Crushercurtis702 the GT2 has the turbos and its a 3.6
That duplekuplung is a real equalizer. Even millisecond faster shifts allows the slightly weaker Posche engine to make up its power deficit by staying engaged longer.
@imranbadmash1
when I say put on the slicks I meant put on the soft compound on both cars, street radials can only give you a G, regardless of how good the car is. The lower CG of the 12C and the hydraulic anti roll system means it can pull more g's in a corner, which translates into 'faster' cornering speed. With that and also it can put power down faster exiting corner and it's more horses on the straight......it will trash the GT3.
Like I said before, Bring out the GT2 RS, not the GT3.
The views from the cabin centre are really neat! They should do more of those, really shows you the car behaviour more than what we're all used to seeing.
@regjoe30 You can see here that Mclaren has street suspension where Porsche has track setup and probably better tires.
@jo05dk yes that is right, the 991 Carrera S did the same time on the Nordschleife like the 997 GT3
@Crushercurtis702 the mclaren's got 2 extra cylinders as well, but it still won't be able to keep up
@edinburghfreak if they did a comparison like that they would run within tenths of each other and you should be able to see them going at it next year in the le mans series. Actually the gt3 just finished a hotly contested year with the 458.
@golferchin76 And what do you think if they put slick tires in GT3 RS??? Results will be the same...
@jamecontent i agree completely, but i think the fact that they didn't says a lot about the GT3RS. If he was driving the GT2RS it would have been a lot less of a challenge, especially on the the straights. I would like to see the GT3RS4.0
@YourFriendlyJosh can you please explain to me what you mean
@puyrm they did run laps separately.. dont just go by the video, check out the entire article on the autocar website, the mclaren was around 1 sec faster
@puyrm it is faster around the track, check out fastestlaps and compare them, the MP4 is faster on every track
My gosh, those exhaust notes are outstanding!
I think I've heard less tuneful choir ensembles!
the engine in the back is a great advantage at braking cause the engine pushes on the back axel thats why all 911 got crazy braking specs
Typical of Autocar to glorify a manufacturer who is a major contributer to it's funding and very existence.
Didn't know Porsche sponsored Autocar. Where did you get this info? Link me.
Best Comparison?
MP4-12C vs 458 Italia vs Porsche GT3 RS 4.0 vs Gallardo Super Trofeo vs Nissan GTR vs Lexus LFA vs BMW M3 sedan (just kiddin')
this is a great video that show's about power to weight ratio and so on. power isn't everything like alot of you guys think. handling is the most important thing of all. the Porsche is down in power by 248 bhp, but the handling of the Porsche makes it as fast as the McLaren.
I'm sorry, are you saying the 930 Turbo (or any 911) is known for understeer? Not oversteer? I just want to be clear what you're saying. I've never known any 911 exhibit off-throttle understeer, but I've only driven one car.
How about track times? I think they would be close because the Porsche can brake harder, later and should have more traction coming out with all the weight in the back.
I agree also what a lot of people don't understand is, you could race the GT3 HARD on the track for MANY LAPS. Not just once or twice before it overheats like in a Ferrari or Lambo.
GT3 is extremely reliable and durable on the track, and been test proven year after year. Not even the GTR would outlast the GT3 RS on the track.
@tmanutd82 true. all that electronic goodness of the mclaren is ok, it improves your laptimes, but the porsche is far more exciting to drive, it get's you involved much more, as if you were on a race
always thought that the porsche would have its work cut out keeping up with that McLaren let alone passing it. The mclaren was to well sorted and balanced in the corners and left the porsche in the dust on the straights.
What's interesting to me is that a manual box stayed with a much more powerful and faster car with a paddle shifter! I always thought the paddle shifters were gimicky and over-rated for road cars, this proves it. Had this car been the much more comparable GT2 RS then it would have been a different story:-)
he's taking turns like i used to when i first started driving...slowing down before the turn, idling through it and stomping the gas after the turn...
@gweflj i think you are misinformed, McLaren did part of their development at the Top Gear test track , maybe the test car had been tweaked a lil bit, as most of the test cars are but it wasnt changed except for maybe the tires, boost pressure & suspension set up which is pretty much the norm.
Last time I owned a 997 turbo cab, and now I'm driving 458 spider. Trust me, bro, the difference is like sunny day and raining night.
The 911 is definitely a good driving experience, easier to drive than 458, very fast, and very reliable. But the passion, the sound and the look. These 3 are the most important in a super car. 458 revs to 9,000 there comes the shrilling sound, and all the way people start to turn heads and take pictures. With 911, there was a Beetle feeling. Nobody will turn head.
@jchem yeah i'm not quite sure and was surprise by that result too. Porsche had more power and better mechanical traction from fat rears and 32/68 distribution yet lost? I guess it was down to launch control and dct shift time. Because Clarkson would never be biased right?*cough* I love the man but I was puzzled why he didn't bother put the fax machine against the GTR in the corner speed trap? Because it might of won? who knows.
@edoloman24 that a gt2 rs is not 10 seconds quicker around nurburgring and plus the mp4-12c time is unofficial
Exactly what bulltech said ..!!
It is so hard to beat a porsche.. Whether speaking about how good a sport car it is or whether speaking about reliability .
Few manufactures can equal a porsche .
Not to mention the Porsche is a stripped out version of the road going Carrera S. Where it's high strung Race car. The 12C is comfortable and full equipped with Nav. Electric seats, A/C...etc... We'll see when the new "Lightweight" version of the 12C out soon enough....haha... And no it's not those HS version....
@ravenstylea2 Exactly, even the fact that he almost kept up with the McLaren is saying something. Imagine what half the price difference of these cars invested in the porsche would get you? thats about 50k in modifications.
not only that, but if you drive the GT3 RS properly, it won't kill you. Its brakes are second to none. I've been in one already. real thrill.
@dude2106 If you have 2 million dollars, you would think again. you would buy the 12C for daily drive, and GT3 for track day fun.
I read that the MP4 12C has the best time on the Top Gear track. This is not an hazard. But GT3 RS for sensations, sport feelings.
Oh I almost forgot.In their website they state that the MP4-12c was being driven by a ML official tester so which would be the result if Walter Rohrl were at the wheel of the 911???
Seems a tad biased this match.
for such a conventional car, this just shows how good the Porsche is. a naturally aspirated, manual gearbox, without traction control, active suspension, active air brake and whatever else electronic system, the Porsche is one very sorted car.
@lamboisking the porsche in this video does not have turbos. GT2 RS has turbos. GT3 RS does not.
I don't mind my favourite car to lose against the McLaren, that a car it's a really tuff bone to bite, but it's true, not even the McLaren would have it easy against a GT2 RS and the Turbo S, also it's going to be interesting to see next year how does the MP4-12c and the 918 Spyder (which is it's actual rival) stack up
This test only shows that Steve is a better driver than the other guy. Need to see him drive BOTH cars in order to have a true comparison.
Porsche builds a car that a driver wants.
Mclaren builds a car that Ron Dennis wants.
@g1981c
dont hate cause the mc-laren may be out or reach in price. on paper and in every other test including around top gear test track the mc-laren and gt3 are not even in the same league. the mp4-12 went round top gear test track beating veryron supersport etc
@puyrm It doesn't look like it's actually racing. Looks more like they are just aggressively driving.
There is a reason other car manufactures constantly compare their cars to Porsche. Rear engine and basically the same body shell since it's inception... Much respect to Porsche!
Now put Steve in the Maccer (especially if Richard Bremner is driving the Mc..) he's an awesome driver and one of the main reasons I used to subscribe to autocar as his journalism and passion was second to none. Only ye olde' Goodwin got near.
Clearly the difference between the two cars is not quite as dramatic as Steve makes it out to be. If the McLaren was that much faster it would have left the Porsche behind easily but it simply didn't. And it would have been more realistic to compare the newer RS4.0 against it instead of the older model considering the McLaren is a brand new model. It even looks as if Steve was being help up in some places behind the McLaren! Maybe Autocar was paid by McLaren to talk up the MP4-12C a little bit?
I kinda thought they would do that! they should have. in the end the Porsche was still right behind it. same as it started (hmm you already pointed that out lol) yeah they should have done it both ways!
At first on the screen it says the Porsche weighs 1370kg and the McLaren 1434kg, but soon later the presenter says Porsche weighs may be 100 or 125kg less than McLaren
I didn't saw the McLaren wining... the GT3-RS stayed with the MP4-12C. In a track like (twisted) this the result couldn't be other... in other track the power advantage of the MP4-12C, would be more notice! But as Autocar try to demonstrate with this "David and Golias" battle as many others before (Ford Focus RS vs Renault Clio RS or Nissan GT-R and Ford Focus RS) is that you must choose well your car for your goal and don´t waste money...
i can see it from both sides, while the gt3 does have amazing brakes, i dont think it would really gain that much under braking
I mean, the mclaren is extremely well mannered on the street, whereas the gt3 rs is not. Id be curious to know tire compounds and sizes for both cars in the test along with brake setups. Carbon ceramics on mclaren or steel?
The GT2 would be much better matched to the McLaren. Twin-turbo F6 lightweight v. twin-turbo low displacement V8 medium-weight...
@HateWhatISee Perfect example of too much system intervention. I sometimes wonder if it would just be better to not have an insane horsepower war and make cars that are more fun but still really fast
I'd have thought the Porsche was pretty much designed for twisty racetracks. Maybe the Turbo S would be a closer match.
Perhaps a battle more suited fot a GT2 RS?
@PAC3HTK The makers of the cars allow them to. And any mistakes are covered by insurance.
I'm a fan of McLaren, But I will always hold a flame for Porsche. Excellent Video!
There was a time where i was simracing with Stoffel Vandoorne. We used to hang out on skype occasionally. At some point he got the chance to drive a Mclaren mp4-12C GT3 on Spa and i asked him what it was like. He said: "Man that thing understeers towards tokyo all the time". Lol. Well, he was used to his Formula Renault 3.5 so i don't blaim him.
I think in order to drive the MP4 to its real potential you have to be massively talented, in which case it will be astonishingly fast... But even then there are really great drivers who don't like this car
I saw a Porsche destroy a Viper on the Nurburgring in a video on UA-cam. I love both the Porsche and Mclaren. I have a Mclaren F1 poster above my computer and the MP4-12c as my wallpaper on my laptop. Both are great cars but they should have tested the GT2 or the RS 4.0
Steve Sutcliffe is a real driver. Most don't know how experienced and advanced he is behind the wheel. I honestly think the McLaren would of pulled away even more substantially if he was behind the wheel. Yes, we know the answer to the title questions most of the time, and sure, we all would love to see Autocar go much more in depth in many facets, but still, it's an MP4-12C and a GT3 RS ripping around a circuit. If you don't want your intelligence "insulted", just watch something else.
Porsche and it's fellow group members i.e. Audi/VW advertise a great deal in Autocar and it's sister mags so contribute largely in this way.
@gweflj
5th gear is as credible as Top Gear (which managed to get the McLaren to get a better lap time btw)
On the rest I just checked and you are right, I stand corrected. Although I am curious whether the 458 tested in those videos was an actual production and privately owned 458, or Ferrari's typical tinkered tester. As you might know, Ferrari won't let Chris Harris test their vehicles anymore because he publicly complained how privately owned Ferraris aren't as fast as their testers.
All that technology, all that power, two more cylinders, two more turbos, and the MP4-12C STILL could not get away from the GT3 RS.
Just goes to show there is no substitute for a good chassis and lots of mechanical grip.
Now try GT vs GT :) I'm betting a huge spoiler and a diet would work wonders for the McLaren too.
McLaren MP4-12C GT vs any other GT car. Would be interesting.
Loved it! the good old (it is now) GT3 respectfully spanks the McLaren around the twisty bits.
The McLaren has about 150 turbo-hp extra and is in fact a much newer car with a much higher pricetag, I would say their engineers could learn a thing or two from Porsche. Maybe they should go and take some classes in Stuttgart?
Not sure how you came to the conclusion the McLaren was better. Lap times?
@GrannySmith1313 did u seen the mp4-12c on top ger. it beat out all cars but one
What alot of you people don't realise is that this is a very twisty circuit with hardly any straights. This is the sort of track a GT3 RS excels on. The Mac does'nt have a chance to use it's power advantage over the Porka. On a faster track like the Top Gear test track the Mac set an awsome time, being second quickest only to the Ariel Atom V8, beating the Veyron Super sport and was nearly 3 seconds quicker that the Ferrari 458!! It all depends on what kind of track your racing on!
@infdecoy you dont think a GT2RS would eat McLaren? I dont know man. I thought the turbo or even the Turbo S would be a good comparison.
Exactly. Every time I decide that the Porsche is a great car to own and drive I remember the looks, specially next to virtually any other sports car. It's the Toyota Camry of sports cars.
@zomg222 top gear track advantages the powerful cars more than rockingham, this is the reason why the mp4 did so much better there i think - but both cars are exceptionnal although i prefer the porsche !
What about the 500 hp 4.0 GT3RS with better tuned suspension vs. the Mclaren? Try that.
What exactly does drifting have to do with traction and control abilities? Drifting is not faster (on tarmac at least) and as you emphasize on the car's and not the driver's abilities regarding "control" it would be less good if it would drift (as the McLaren did quite often out of corners if you watched closely).
@KHAAAAAAAANNN The GT3 is a track focused car, the mclaren isn't and it gives away over 100kg which is alot when cornering is involved. I no which one I would want to own.
@golferchin76 If you bring GT2 RS here, then you will say Mclaren to Bye Bye. Point here is that on paper there is no comparison between GT3 RS and 12C. And as your point of view about the Semi Slick or Slick tires. I think if you put the same tires in both cars, results would not vary a bit. GT3 RS is lighter and specifically designed for track racing. Yes if you bring Porsche Turbo S here, that would be interesting, because Turbo S is not track car and hence Acceleration is fast
I would have like to see solo one lap times. As already mentioned i dont think the MP4 would fare well against the GT2 RS they could have atleast used a GT3 RS 4.0.
Bottom line: Two very different cars and whomever is passionate about one isn't about the other. They should have had a GT2 RS on hand so the power levels of the cars would have been somewhere close. Most testers say that the GT2 is nearly as sublime as its little brothers. I seem to remember a lot of magazines saying that the GT2 would smoke anything with less than 700 hp. Although entertaining, this vid draws no conclusions.