Talk:McLaren MP4-X/@comment-29898480-20161106194059

Just got my first taste of this thing in the special event. As it happens, I've been driving a fully upgraded F14 T around Dubai a lot recently, so it was the perfect track for comparing the PR125.7 F14 T to the PR130.3 MP4-X.

The MP4-X is an all-around better behaved car, more than I expected given just a 4.6PR (~3.5%) difference.

Oversteer: Even though I was pushing a little beyond the F14 T braking points, I didn't induce oversteer - under braking on on-throttle - in places where the F14 would have lost it. Granted the F14 is a super-twitchy machine, but I didn't induce the MP4-X to twitch at all, which was remarkable, and in event 1.3 I was pushing clearly beyond the F14 limits and still never lost grip. And believe me, I know where the F14 T limits are at Dubai!

Understeer: Another F14 issue is pretty bad push under acceleration before you've hit the top speed, max downforce zone. It just wasn't happening in the MP4-X, suggesting much better mid-speed grip. In the F14 you need to really late apex, or briefly come off throttle mid-corner to tuck the nose in, which can be faster (which is backwards from real life, by the way, a consequence of not being able to roll on throttle gradually). The MP4-X could go back to throttle earlier, with an earlier apex, and still stay on track at the exit. Much quicker.

Finally, it clearly has better low speed grip, where downforce isn't helping.

It looks like they've mapped the downforce to be significantly better across all speeds, and the higher posted number, 4.00g vs 3.54g, is NOT just a consequence of higher top speed (ie, downforce), 250mph vs 236mph. This in contrast to the 412 T2, where the higher lateral grip appears to come entirely from higher top speed, and it sticks just as bad at low speed. I also wonder if they've done something to counter the snap on-throttle oversteer the F14 T is prone to, maybe some programmed throttle ramp up as opposed to immediate full power.

So far I'm very pleased. Can hardly wait to have it fully upgraded, which I should be able to get done before the end of the US Thanksgiving holiday.