McLaren vs Vee

[Kett]

Mp4-12c is a 3.8ltr V8 delivering 616bhp.
Is it not surprising that Vee owners feel a bit short changed with our offerings?

What continues to surprise me is that there is no 'quick fix' to upgrade our Vees to 300bhp...
...mine and Patchalls needed considerable work to get to 290bhp.

An 'easy' 300bhp is the holy grail of Vee aspirations... Perhaps we need some McLaren techs on board?

 

[Brett]

Drop an audi 2.7 biturbo in the back. Bish bash bosh . . . 380hp in stock form 600 with common upgrade. Has to date cost me just over a grand.

I plan on short changing the mc12 boys soon . . . In a straight line anyway!

In all credit to the 24v Renault lump, if it received a pair of turbochargers, a good set of rods and pistons and a decent gearbox it would be up around the 500 mark. Not bad considering its been around since the Jarrasic period and you can pick them up for £250. Now a Mclaren engine on the other hand its bang upto date and would probably cost £40k+ to buy. So mathmaticly speaking, a renault engine cost £1.08 per hp and a mclaren is £63.50 per hp. So question is, who's being short changed???







Wouldn't turn down a Mclaren though!

 

[Mulgari]

There is HP in the Vee engine to be had, 285-290 is fairly easily achieved

 

[Kett]

Drop an audi 2.7 biturbo in the back. Bish bash bosh . . . 380hp in stock form 600 with common upgrade. Has to date cost me just over a grand.

I plan on short changing the mc12 boys soon . . . In a straight line anyway!

In all credit to the 24v Renault lump, if it received a pair of turbochargers, a good set of rods and pistons and a decent gearbox it would be up around the 500 mark. Not bad considering its been around since the Jarrasic period and you can pick them up for £250. Now a Mclaren engine on the other hand its bang upto date and would probably cost £40k+ to buy. So mathmaticly speaking, a renault engine cost £1.08 per hp and a mclaren is £63.50 per hp. So question is, who's being short changed???

Wouldn't turn down a Mclaren though!

Point well made! :approve: ...and I can't wait for the moment when your project comes to fruition!

There is HP in the Vee engine to be had, 285-290 is fairly easily achieved

It would be good if some firm could offer a VFM "fixed price upgrade" with some glowing testimonies from existing owners. :approve:

 

[Brett]

That is very true. Infact, I'd go as far as saying it would bring the cars performance back to where it should be compared to other hot hatches this decade. A lot more people would consider them then. Chop chop Ben!!!

 

[Jamesv6]

Buy a different car if you want faster. That's what I'm bored with hearing.

It's fast enough.

 

[EEE007]

Try getting the mp4 serviced for less than the price of a good ph1 ... ) I had a mini cooper with about 80 bhp and it was damn good fun. It's all relative.


Iain

 

[Brett]

I had a mini cooper with about 80 bhp and it was damn good fun. It's all relative.


Iain

That's about 120bhp/ton which is good considering a vee is around 160bhp/ton. Strip the Mini out and it would be around the same.

 

[ravydavy]

Mp4-12C is north of £170k.

How much was the vee? £27k?

I think the answer is in that missing £147,000.

 

[gkronberg]

Buy a different car if you want faster. That's what I'm bored with hearing.

It's fast enough.

Agree ..... And then some

 

[Kett]

Buy a different car if you want faster.

I did. A souped-up Vee.

My contention is that Vee tuning continues to lack transparency.
The words "easy bhp gain" doesn't sit comfortably with me; when most "special projects" have fallen by the wayside.
Reading between the lines: 285bhp seems to be readily achievable - but who can deliver a reliable package and for what costings?

 

[Brett]

Reading between the lines: 285bhp seems to be readily achievable - but who can deliver a reliable package and for what costings?

Any half decent engine builder. The L7X engine has pistons and valves like any other engine.

 

[EEE007]

Slightly higher compression, gas flowed heads, better high flow air inlet, decent exhaust and headers, slightly larger injectors and a remap and you'd see 300+ bhp from this engine, but then there's the gearbox life to consider as the PK6 is not an under stressed unit.. There are more than a few failures with std power.. I think making car lighter is way to go . Power gains on NA engines are a lot harder and costly than forced induction, types(turbo or super charger)
In the real world the V is a quick car and matches or beats a lot of modern cars on 0-60 and top speed / mid range . The real benefit of the V is character and driving dynamics. No other car is the same.



Iain

 

[ravydavy]

In the real world the V is a quick car and matches or beats a lot of modern cars on 0-60 and top speed / mid range . The real benefit of the V is character and driving dynamics. No other car is the same.

This. If i wanted a fast(er) car i would have bought an Evo 8 instead of the vee.

It's all about how much fun you can get away with without being arrested imo - and for that I can't see past renaultsport.

 

[Spike]

Seems to be a lot of dreaming going on. 300bhp, LOL!
it wouldn't be so bad if the starting point was really 255, more like 210 ish, at the wheels. (it is at the wheels that its most useful).
there are a few on here that will testify to the fact that power with this engine is uber expensive , make no mistake.

 

[Bill patchall]

Mine has all the above and we got 279hp a long way of the magic 300hp.simon

 

[EEE007]

100bhp / litre is no big problem from most engines with 4 valves/ cylinder with the appropriate work. I don't think anyone said it was cheap with a NA engine .


Iain

 

[Brett]

To be honest, I spent most of last year planning a route to acheive a true 300+hp with out a turbo. It was so long I couldn't be assed to do it in the end. Your looking at 80% of the top end being completly changed and the bottom end being played with too.
I believe a kit could be made/put together to get 290hp. There's a big leap from that point to 300+.

 

[tarmac terrorist]

I've just finished a stint working on the design of the MY14.5 MP4-12C. Ironically cooling is the limiting factor on the power, not the engine
There are some fairly lairy engineering feats going on under the skin, a lot better than some of the shit Renault had the bare faced cheed to slap onto the vee...

 

[cleedubber]

Buy a different car if you want faster. That's what I'm bored with hearing.

It's fast enough.

I'm with you James

I didn't buy the vee for all out power and speed, that's not what its all about or me
If I want mental acceleration and insane top speeds; I'll take my R1 out for a run

It's all about the owning experience, the awesome sound, smiles per miles driving, knowing its going to get lively when you plant your foot exiting that corner, jaw dropping looks.... and how it's so far turned nearly all my mates instantly back into a school kids, getting all excited, much as when you were looking at the Lamborghini Countach poster we all had on our bedroom walls as kids. ( for the over 40's of us) :rofl:

Obviously these are just my thoughts and opinions

P.S... this is not meant to be a thread bash