Claiming a new benchmark in driving excitement, British supercar maker McLaren releases performance details today on the McLaren 650S Coupe and Spider, a pair of exotic Formula 1-derived products capable of reaching a blistering 207 mph (333 km/h).
The cars, under production now at the automaker’s Woking, U.K., factory and scheduled for unveiling at the Geneva auto show on March 4, will cover the quarter-mile (400 m) in 10.5 seconds at 139 mph (224 km/h). McLaren says 0-62 mph (100 km/h) zips by in 3.0 seconds and 0-124 mph (200 km/h) takes just 8.4 seconds.
The cars take advantage of a longitudinal, mid-chassis-mounted, twin-turbo V-8 engine making 650 hp and 678 lb.-ft. (6,000 Nm) of torque. The cars use a lightweight 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
And like all McLaren cars, the 650S employs an F1 derived, 1-piece carbon-fiber passenger cell with aluminum front and rear frames to tip the scales at a lithe 2,932 lbs. (1,330 kg).
The 19-in. front wheels and 20-in. rear wheels are skinned with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and carbon-fiber disc brakes with forged aluminum hubs provide stopping power. The coupe measures 177.6 ins. (4,512 mm) in length, 82.4 ins. (2,093 mm) wide and 47.2 ins. (1,199 mm) high. Its wheelbase stretches 105.1 ins. (2,670 mm).
“Driving excitement is at the absolute heart of the McLaren 650S,” Mike Flewitt, CEO-McLaren Automotive, says in a statement ahead of Geneva. “Of course the performance figures are important, and they help boost excitement. But they’re only part of the story. This is a car that’s about feel as well as measurement.”
That means drivers will find a luxury-leaning cabin, featuring items such as navigation, Bluetooth capability, digital radio for European customers and satellite radio for North American buyers, a rear-parking camera and trim pieces made with Alcantara and carbon fiber.
McLaren estimates European-test combined-cycle fuel economy of 24.2 mpg (11.7 L/100 km) and carbon-dioxide emissions of 275 g/km, “making it one of the most efficient models in class.”
The 650S Coupe and Spider join the P1, 12C and 12C Spider in McLaren’s road-ready lineup.
