It may have taken McLaren around 20 years since the legendary F1 to create its second road car, the 12C, but it’s making up for lost time. The new 650S splits the difference between the latter car – which came out only a few years ago – and the new, insanely powerful hybrid P1. Other models are also in the pipeline.
For such a quickly developed model (by McLaren timetables), the 650S certainly has DNA from long-standing names in the industry. Jenson Button helped developed it. Frank Stephenson, the man who penned the BMW Mini, the Fiat 500 and the Maserati MC12, led the design department in choosing a look for the car. In splitting the difference between its two siblings, the 650S is largely a 12C with a P1’s front end. The nose, which creates up to 40 percent more downforce than that of the 12C, will find its way onto other Macs in the future. Stephenson says, “We are developing a design language that will become recognisable as McLaren.”
A tweaked version of the 12C’s 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 now makes 641 brake horsepower, which bests the Ferrari 458 Speciale’s 597. The McLaren’s 207-mph top speed is higher, too. Zero to 62 mph times are the same.
“All the go-fast bits, such as the aerodynamics, suspension, tyres, brakes and gearchange, have been uprated,” as well. This means things such as specially designed track-appropriate Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber, standard carbon-ceramic brakes and reprogrammed electronic stability control which can be turned off completely. A quicker double-clutch transmission offers what Jamie Corstorphine, head of product development at the British supercar company, calls, “faster, more emotive downchanges.” Steering feel and response have also been enhanced. Maximum acceleration is enabled by “inertia push,” which raises engine speed at a higher rate for each successive gear, avoiding any drop in the rate of acceleration during upshifts.
The new McLaren 650S will be available as a Coupe and a Spyder, and will start at approximately £195,000 ($325,748). Look for it at the Geneva International Motor Show in March. It will hit dealer showroom floors this spring.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
