McLaren channels feedback into revised MP4-12C

A Formula One team runs very differently than a car manufacturer. When an F1 team finds that a new suspension component or aerodynamic winglet isn't performing exactly as expected – or as their star driver would like – they go straight back to the drawing board and come up with a solution, lickety-split.

When an automaker gets feedback from customers, however, it can often be a different situation entirely. They might justify why it was done that way, or maybe keep it on file for a mid-life refresh. And with good reason: while F1 teams only make a handful of cars each year, automakers crank out millions.

The question is, then, what direction will the new McLaren Automotive take? We may have our answer. According to PistonHeads.com, the racing-team-turned-automaker has reportedly gathered feedback received from prospective customers, automotive journalists and dealers and channeled it into a revision to the MP4-12C even before it reaches the market.

The changes reportedly include improved steering feel, a lighter shift action and more engine noise channeled through the cabin. These alterations themselves might seem relatively insignificant, but the speed at which McLaren's engineers have responded to the feedback could be the fastest thing the company – as an automaker – has done yet.