For some, seeing an expensive supercar shooting flames is something that never gets old and for a couple McLaren 12C owners recently, it represented the perfect opportunity to light up a cigarette.
Alongside the Lamborghini Aventador, current McLaren models have proven themselves to be prone to spitting flames if revved excessively or even driven hard on a racetrack.
With the right tune and a decatted exhaust system, everyday commuter cars can be made to spit flames but for cars like the 12C, the only way to turn them into fire breathers is to brutally rev them until the exhaust is glowing red and begins spewing flames.
Sure, it may look cool and act as the world’s most expensive cigarette lighter, but it can also be very bad for the car, putting unnecessary pressure and heat into the engine and exhaust and potentially wearing out internal components such as piston rings. It can even cause a car to catch on fire.
Clearly, money doesn’t buy common sense.