Gallery: McLaren's $265K Supercar Tricks You Into Thinking You're a Pro Racer
McLaren Automotive01McLaren-650S-04
The 650S has more power, more downforce and more style than the car it replaces, the MP4-12C. Even at $265k, it's a giant step down in price from McLaren's P1 flagship, but plenty of DNA trickled down.
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The car draws from the styling of McLaren's overachieving flagship, the P1. The integrated front splitter, in carbon fiber, of course, contributes to the 25 percent increase in downforce over the 12C. The headlights look like cranes, and the car has much more style than its predecessor.
McLaren Automotive03McLaren-650S-engine
Buried beneath all that carbon fiber is a 3.8-liter V8 with twin turbos. It produces 641 horsepower, 500 pound-feet of torque and an exhaust note that sounds like a firing squad. No less impressive is its fuel economy: 16 city, 22 highway.
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Bespoke tires. Enormous carbon fiber rotors. Six-piston calipers. Forged alloy wheels. Just your standard supercar fare. The gorgeous carbon fiber rocker tends to get covered with sticky gobs of rubber thrown up by the tire.
McLaren Automotive05McLaren-650S-rear-wing
The rear wing adjusts to maximize downforce when decelerating or cresting a hill. Floor it and the wing lowers to minimize drag. Stab the brakes and it rises sharply, acting as an airbrake. It's startling the first time you see it rise like a sail in the mirror.
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The 650S has stiffer springs and dampers than the 12C, but the ride is surprisingly supple. The active suspension features hydraulically linked dampers and a gas-filled accumulator, ensuring the car remains flat through turns.
McLaren Automotive07McLaren-650S-interior
Lots of leather and Alcantara, supportive seats and a gorgeous center console. The climate controls are on the doors, providing more room in the center of the car. It's a bit cramped, but comfortable. There's a Meridian stereo system, but the V8 just behind your head sounds so much better.
McLaren Automotive08McLaren-650S-Spider
The Spider's folding top stows in just 17 seconds, revealing an open-topped car no less handsome than the coupe. The two cars use the same carbon fiber monocoque, so the Spider is just as rigid as the coupe, too. McLaren expects 90 percent of 650s sold to be spiders.
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Whatever you do, do not call them gullwing doors. They are dihedral doors. With the door raised, you can just see the edge of the carbon fiber monocoque emblazoned with "McLaren."
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The McLaren 650S sounds amazing, goes like hell, and makes you so much better than you actually are. It inspired confidence and encourages you to push ever harder. It makes you feel like a pro.
