Folks,

I thought some of you may find this post interesting as it confirms just how great the LFA is!.. I recently added a Mclaren 675LT to the garage and have now had some time to compare it to my LFA.. Bottom line, everything that has been said before still stands.. The LFA is still the best drivers car out there. Nothing beats the connection to the road, steering feel, noise and raw emotion of driving the LFA... Sure, the LT is faster, transmission is worlds better and drives better than any other Mclaren made, but it still can't match the sense of drama when you drive the LFA.. I honestly don't understand why the LFA doesn't get the credit it deserves as one of the all time greatest drivers car ever made!

 

I was torn between buying the 675LT and my LFA, the Mclaren is just beautiful, but the LFA just seemed more special, rare and iconic. Thanks for confirming my choice. Haha. Very jealous that you have both of these fantastic cars. Congratulations and enjoy the LT!

 

Those are beautiful words Sir!

Congrats on owning such machines!

 

Great write up! Thanks for posting. Please post pictures of both side by side.

 

Thanks for posting this. I turned down my LT build slot and went for the LFA instead. Nice to know that the LFA shines when compared to the latest and greatest, including the Ferrari F12 as posted by another member. This car has truly spoiled me!

 

Is there anything you miss about your Mclaren MP4-12C?

 

Its probably because so little people have actually driven it, rode in it, much less even see one in person. It is a rare car indeed!

 

I think you nailed it!

 

Not really, no. I suppose the one thing I remember most fondly about the MP4 is the driving position, being a rear mid-engined car with good visibility through the windscreen. That said, the pedals and steering wheel are not completely centered (despite their claims), I think because of the wide sills of the chassis tub.

That said, I think a McLaren and an LFA complement each other quite nicely, if one were to have both. Different layouts, NA vs Turbo engine, different gearbox feel, etc. But for my tastes, the LFA is superior in almost every aspect. I'm an engine guy, and I like cars that feel raw and razor sharp. Not just the drivetrain, but the handling, too. There is no slack whatsoever in the LFA's suspension. It makes driving anything else feel disconnected.

 

Great read. What you said confirms what all of the reviews say that everything is very direct about the LFA. There is no "cushioning" of any sort. Steering response, suspension, engine response and even the transmission shifts are very direct.

 

On the track, it is such a beast because the front-end grip is tenacious with monster brakes. You can just pile into the corner and lean on the front end so hard, especially for a road car. Scott Pruett must have loved giving demo rides in the LFA, as I understand he likes a very strong front end on his racecars.

You gotta stay on top of it, though. It doesn't roll into the corner and lazily take a set, like many other sports cars. The weight transfer is more immediate to the outside tires and it will slide nicely if you've gone it too quick. As soon as you feel the rears grip up, you can punch it again but be ready - the V10 snaps to attention in a millisecond. You'll get a nice little back end wiggle as she rockets out, exhaust screaming like a banshee the whole time. Highly engaging.

 

Yeah, the oversteer out of corner somehow even scared Randy Pobst. LOL

What about HP? Do you miss the additional horsepower of the MP4-12C?

 

Not at all. I wish manufacturers would stop or even reverse the HP war and focus instead on making cars lighter. When you drive a few racecars with literally half the HP of most exotics yet that lap 15-20 seconds a lap quicker, you realize how pointless things have become.