£120k McLaren supercar branded ‘bargain buy’

Canny car buyers might not necessarily consider McLaren supercars a “bargain”, but specialist funder Oracle Finance thinks the 12C could have become just that.

The 200mph supercar was replaced by the fresh-faced 650S in late 2013 and since then its values have fallen dramatically.

The 12C had a list price of £168,500 when it was launched in 2011 – with many costing more than £200,000 when the options boxes had been ticked. However, prices have dipped significantly since the launch of the 650S.

Used prices of the McLaren – the brand’s first supercar since the legendary F1 was sold in the late 1990s – were hovering around £140,000 before the 650S was announced, but have now fallen to around £120,000.

“While that might not look like a bargain to many, a 12C for around the price of a new Audi R8 V10 is plain silly – some are going for nearly half the price they sold for new,” explained Oracle Finance managing director Peter Brook.

“The 12C is a great car and not nearly as common on the roads as its rival from Ferrari, the 458. The McLaren might not have been the road testers’ car of choice out of the two, but it was, and still is, very good indeed and at these prices is worth considering. Many Oracle Finance customers who have had both prefer the 12C over the Ferrari, which says a lot.”

Ferrari 458 values have not dropped off in a similar fashion, probably because it is still in production.

“The McLaren prices are on a par with some high-end Porsche and Audi models and they really don’t compare with a McLaren 12C,” explained Mr Brook.

“Yes, the 650S might be new and improved, but the 12C is a very competent car, extremely quick and looks superb – if you’re in the market for something a bit different it’s certainly worth considering. I’d suggest snapping one up now before everyone realises they’re a bargain too and prices start to climb!”

For help funding your next luxury car, visit oraclefinance.co.uk.