2012 MClaren MP4 12C

Let’s see now. You’ve got your Ferrari 458 Italia, your Porsche 911 GT2 RS and 911 Turbo S and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 570-4. After all, if we’re setting the scene properly on the most important supersports car inauguration in quite some time – the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C – we should, in this first privileged go, at least be keeping our minds on sub-12-cylinder mid- and rear-engine road beasts. For now, that is. So if anyone brings up the 2012 Nissan GT-R or Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, that’ll be us snapping your back side with a wet towel at the health club. You’ve been warned.

Before we’ve dropped into the Recaro support-o-rama seats of the MP4-12C, one of the Queen’s lairds of the realm announces, “Be prepared to drive the best handling sports car in history.” What do you say to Sir Ron Dennis, boss of the newly formed McLaren Automotive Company (a.k.a. the MAC daddy), when he puts pressure on like that? It’s like Bill Gates looking at us and asking enthusiastically, “So, don’t you just love that Windows 7?” What happens if you don’t?

But as luck would have it, the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C is quite possibly the best handling supersports road and weekend track car in history. Yes, this will certainly take some ‘splainin’, but bear with us. We’re just pleased that no royal beheadings will now be called for, as Sir Ron is not renowned for his merciful treatment of dissenters.

Senner Tuning Beefs up the Audi S5 Sportback

The crew over at Senner Tuning have pointed their guns on the pre-facelift Audi S5 Sportbackwith the release of a new package that aims to improve both the performance and styling aspects of Ingolstadt’s liftback model.

Underhood, the S5′s 3.0-liter TSI V6 gains a software optimization, a new air filter and a custom exhaust system, all of which do their part to lift output from 333HP and 440Nm to 445-horses and 530Nm (390.9 lb-ft) of peak torque.

Senner Tuning’s engineers then go on to revise the chassis with an adjustable suspension from Bilstein that drops the ride height by around 40mm at the front axle and 35mm at the rear.

The cosmetic surgery on the outside is restricted to the matte black trim on the grille and the window surrounds, the new tail pipes and 20-inch multispoke alloy wheels wrapped around high-performance Conti Sport Contact 5P tires size 255/30R20 up front and 295/25R20 at the back.

A carbon fiber treatment inside completed the tune, which will cost buyers in Europe a total of €15,000 or about US$20,600 at the current exchange rates.