McLaren 650S revealed

McLaren has taken the wraps off its brand new supercar, the McLaren 650S at a private presentation in London. The new McLaren 650S slots in between the McLaren 12C supercar and the McLaren P1 hypercar and should be priced around Rs 2.5-3.0 crore (exclusive of taxes and shipping). The 650S will take on the likes of the Ferrari 458 Speciale and the Lamborghini Aventador amongst others. 

The new McLaren 650S looks like a crossbreed between the McLaren MP4-12C and the McLaren P1 from a design standpoint. The new 650S takes cues from the P1 for its frontal nose and bumper design while looking quite similar to the MP4-12C from the rear end. While many have criticised McLaren for loosing the design plot, we think this new ‘family face’ looks quite striking and goes well with the clean and performance oriented design that McLaren are known for. 

Although not many figures and facts have been revealed about the 650S, we do know that the new car has been based on the underpinnings of the 12C and uses the same engine as its cheaper cousin. We expect the 650S to generate about 660PS of peak power from its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. The engine will be coupled with a seven-speed automatic dual-clutch gearbox, which will be bolted onto the same carbon-fibre monocoque tub that does duty in the McLaren MP4-12C. 

There have also been rumours about the 650S being a replacement for the 12C entirely. We however think that the three cars will continue to sell as separate entities while catering to separate clients. According to McLaren, the new 650S has been developed taking in learning from both the MP4-12C and the P1 hypercar and has been made to celebrate 50 years of McLaren’s participation in Formula 1. The 650S has been designed to offer the ultimate blend of luxury, excitement and high performance driving all blended into a dramatic and beautiful body. McLaren also admits that although the 650S is not a new car altogether, it is a big improvement over the 12C with special efforts made to improve suspension, aerodynamics, brakes and steering systems. The new car will also offer much more power and driver involvement over the 12C. 

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McLaren will make its way to India sooner with a dealer already appointed in Delhi, and dealerships in Mumbai and Bangalore being finalised as we speak. More details about the McLaren 650S will emerge as we head closer to its reveal at the 2014 Geneva Motor show.