McLaren. Chris Goodwin. Everything For A Reason

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This appropriately placed segue into the MP4-12C coupe brings us to a subject on which I’m keen to get Chris’s opinion, given the time he has spent developing McLaren’s first fully-developed supercar. But before I can, Chris is pulling me up on one point.

“It’s not a supercar. It’s actually a high-performance sportscar, but we have certainly got supercar performance out of it. We’ve got more than supercar performance out of its driveability, and far more in terms of comfort and everyday utility. But the headline performance figures are up there with the supercars, aren’t they?”

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“The concept of the MP4-12C was that we designed it from the driver outwards, so it’s all about the driving experience: the drivability; the touch and feel of the controls, and the control that they then give you. It’s the closest thing to a racing car on the road that you can find in terms of directness and responsiveness. It’s a driver’s car that gives the ultimate drivability and driving feel, but at the same time doesn’t compromise utility and comfort. I think McLaren have stated in some of the marketing literature that it’s an and car: it’s fast and comfortable!

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“And it’s the technology that allows us to do that: the carbon fibre monocell, which gives lightweight stiffness; pro-active chassis control system, which is a very innovative suspension system that heightens cornering performance and comfort; the aerodynamics, like the air brake. And then of course our own powertrain, which was a big undertaking but which gives the car its heart and soul. It gives a huge amount of torque and power” – 443lb-ft and 616hp respectively for 2013 – “and, added bonus, the fuel economy is mega!”

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Unsurprisingly, development for such a product is rarely done in a day. More than five years before the MP4-12C finally broke cover, designers and engineers were busy discussing the merits of this and the improvements required for that, all of which Chris would tirelessly put through its paces.

“Yes,” he laughs. “Endless days and nights, and an endless variety of testing venues, from the Arctic Circle to test tracks in Europe. Before the project even started, there were many long sessions on the simulator, where I was driving the car before the car itself had even been built. And that’s the stage where we’re in at the moment. Currently we’re into the next wave of projects and product development, so I’ve been doing a huge amount of simulator driving. It’s an endless amount but it’s really, really cool work to do.”

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My attempts to coerce any further details of future McLaren projects from Chris having failed (fear not Woking, he didn’t say anything!), we move onto another McLaren performance machine that significantly moved the goalposts when it was first unveiled. The McLaren F1. Produced in 1992, powered by a 6.1l V12 and costing an eye-watering $970,000 per unit, the F1 destroyed its competitors by boasting a (rev limited) 372kph top speed and a 3.9s 0-100kph time. In 1998, it was publicly decreed the fastest car in the world when it set a new top speed world record for a production car. Impressive enough in its own right, soon along came the fire-spitting, race-spec F1 GTR, whose competitors were toast from the get-go.

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“That was an awesome car! It was an iconic car, and one that I was very proud to compete in. It was Gordon Murray’s baby, and he just blitzed the opposition at that time in the early-90s. Not only was it quick but it was reliable: I finished very single race that I entered in that car. It re-defined what a GT endurance racing car was all about, which is all the more significant now that McLaren are competing in GT racing again.”

Getting an accurate comparison of both automotive behemoths though is a tall order. Sure both sparked arguably unparalleled amounts of commentary when they first appeared, but such is the frequency of motoring development that today’s big thing so often becomes yesterday’s news. And the F1 is no exception.

“They are both amazing, but the F1 is nearly two decades older than the MP-12C. You could for instance drive Ayrton Senna’s World Championship winning 1988 car [the MP4/4] back-to-back with Lewis Hamilton’s World Championship winning 2008 car [the MP4-23], and on the day, one will be hugely more impressive than the other at face value. Even though at the time the F1 was absolutely state of the art and pushing the boundaries, there’s twenty more years of technology, understanding, materials, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics gone into the MP4-12C. They are just two very different cars from two very different eras, and how can you accurately compare that?”

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Accordingly, the McLaren Group’s focus lies solely on the road ahead, a facet incorporated from the motorsport side of the factory. Indeed so well established is this dictum that engineers and technicians, should they swap between divisions, scarcely notice a difference in the work ethic. An equally innovative automotive operation though doesn’t mean McLaren’s road-going models will always represent the zenith of motorsport technology, try as they may.

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“The racing development is something we’ve tried to mimic, but the difference is that F1 doesn’t have a production date. We develop at a hell of a rate and innovate just as quickly, but there’s still one fixed date in time when we go into production. From then everything is frozen. It’s like in F1: there comes a point during the weekend when the teams have to get the car out for the race. They have 20 shots at it. We have one.

“Saying that, we work at a rate that’s driven by our experience in F1, so our cars are developed in a totally different way. We do a huge amount of pre-development with our simulator, which means that by the time we have a test car on-track, we’re already miles ahead of other competitors. It’s all about planning, and timing. Like you said, everything for a reason.”

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Given Chris’ busy schedule, he’s only available for twenty minutes for a chat, and I’ve already used up thirty. Wishing me a pleasant afternoon, and I wishing him likewise, Chris quickly disappears to the car that’s been waiting patiently for him outside.

All about planning and timing. Seems I’ve still got a bit more to learn about the McLaren work ethic.

Shots courtesy of McLaren Group

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James Gent

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