Is the McLaren 12C the Supercar Bargain of 2016?

Six years after hitting the scene, the mid-engined Macca has become a steal. 

byMax Goldberg|
Is the McLaren 12C the Supercar Bargain of 2016?
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In the market for a lightly-used supercar? Well, in this new golden age of automotive performance, you're certainly not short of options. But when it comes to supercar bargains, there's one speed machine that stands above all the others: the McLaren 12C. 

Produced from 2011 to 2014, the 12C (also known as the MP4-12C early in life) is a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8-powered powerhouse. Thanks to a whopping 616 horsepower, this 3,161-pound coupe is a true rocketship. According to McLaren and various automotive outlets, the 12C can kiss 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds from a dead stop, and do the quarter mile in a blistering 10.3 seconds. Top speed? An independently-confirmed 213 mph.

When the McLaren 12C came out five years ago, it started at $229,000—which would equate to about $245,200 today. Cheaper than most Lamborghinis, sure, but still not a sticker price to laugh at. But if you wanted to purchase a 12C now​, you can find plenty of lightly-used versions with less than 10,000 miles—for around $100,000 less than new. Which pretty much makes the 12C the supercar steal of the year...if not the decade.

Just check out these deals we found in a brief search of our favorite fancy car sites. How 'bout a Volcano Orange 12C with 5,475 miles on sale for a hair less than $169K? 

Taggart Autosport
Lake Forest Sportscars
Excell Auto Group
Gulf Coast Motorworks

Now sure, there are plenty of people out there who will point out there are brand-new cars available for less that are more powerful than the 12C, or just as fast—if not faster. But while cars like the Corvette Z06 and the Nissan GT-R are incredible performance machines...they're not supercars. Not the way the 12C is. Corvettes and GT-Rs sit alongside Equinoxes and Rogues in their showrooms; the 12C only shares space with other McLarens. The 12C comes with outrageous proportions, wild dihedral doors, and high-mounted exhausts that can spit fire. When it pulls up to a corner, people stop what they're doing to stare. It is a supercar—and that's so much more than just performance. 

So while we can understand the idea of dropping your money on a brand-new AMG GT, a 911 GT3, or a Z06...do yourself a favor and check out a lightly-used 12C. Trust us: you won't regret it. 

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