If AutoExpress do it right, these braking distances will be for warm brakes. German mags do show cold distances, but will describe them as such. The 70-0 distances in US mags like C&D are an average of 5-6 panic stops done in rapid succession.
I'm not sure that link says that they are not likewise targeting Ferrari owners, and that info seems centered around the US market. What it says is that perhaps Porsche are missing out in the jr supercar segment; they have nothing that is really unique in that segment (GT2 RS is too limited, and based on relatively pedestrian 911). As a result, they have been receiving more interest from current Porsche customers rather than Ferrari customers; there are more of them anyway. As a result, this could lead to a shift in marketing strategies in the US. McLaren may look at that gap in Porsche's lineup and may be targeting that as an option for those buyers to step up. It's not like the demographic is totally different: both appear to favor engineering efficiency over the flair (and perhaps questionable robustness) of Italian products. Not everyone enjoys the tactics that Ferrari dealers employ to guarantee exclusivity (building "relationships," right of first refusal, etc). I think it's clear that with McLaren's proposed lineup (consisting of a lower model, plus a hypercar contender) there will be a more direct Porsche 911 competitor in the future....I really believe that nobody has sincerely believed it
Are you basing that on only that short article (which actually says nothing of the sort)? What I see there is the possibility that they are receiving more attention from Porsche owners than anticipated (perhaps moreso than Ferrari owners), and are revising their marketing strategy to suit. Nowhere does it say they didn't build the MP4-12C with Ferrari as the benchmark. I don't see a "dig" in there at all. I also don't see your denial of a 911-competitor in the works. It would be pretty dumb of McLaren not to consider the clients of Porsche. That's a big market, with 20k in new 911 sales last year. More than 3 times Ferrari's total number of all cars included. Why wouldn't they want to appeal to those clients?
It makes sense. McLaren benchmarked Ferrari. Your Autocar article says nothing to the contrary. Let's face it, Ferrari is the most recognized car marque in the world. "Ferrari vs [insert other car name]" probably sells a lot more copy than anything else. This has been the most anticipated matchup between obvious and stated rivals (in Formula One too, remember) for the past year.even so, there's no JUST ONE magazine with a cover " McLaren Mp4 Vs Porsche", but all with "MP4 Vs 458"
