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McLaren MP4-12C celebrates second-quickest Power Lap time on Top Gear

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McLaren MP4-12C on Top Gear – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Ford versus Chevrolet. Porsche 911 vs Nissan GT-R. Audi versus Peugeot. The car business is full of rivalries, but few are as competitive as Ferrari versus McLaren.

The two outfits have been at each other's throats for decades around the grand prix circuit. But as tight as the competition is between the two in Formula One, and as many comparisons as we've seen between the Ferrari F40 and the McLaren F1 of yore and lore, where it's really come to a head is with their latest production supercars: the 458 Italia and the MP4-12C.

With their 17th series now in full swing, the blokes over at the BBC's Top Gear put the two on their famous test track, and guess which came out ahead? Sorry to ruin the surprise, ladies and gents, but it's the McLaren, setting the second-fastest time in the program's history – beating out the likes of the Bugatti Veyron and Koenigsegg CCX and coming in just behind the superlight Ariel Atom V8 500. And with a 1:16.2 lap time, it thoroughly trounced the 458's 1:19.1 in the process.

It's surely a cause for celebration – in Woking, at least... less so in Maranello. Follow the jump to watch Jeremy Clarkson introduce the epic showdown in the grandest of style.