Not because you aren’t paying attention, but you might just miss the McLaren 650S as it screams past on the road. Of course if it’s doing that on a highway chances are you will absolutely notice the blue lights following along. The 650S is a car the is made to combine the track features of the P1 with the comfort and drivability of the 12C. This car blends these two nicely without giving anything up as it shows off with massive power and huge performance on any road it chooses to ride on. To showcase this blending, the 650S ranks as one of the world’s best-handling exotic cars, not an easy feat but one that McLaren was working toward with this amazing super car.
As is well-known for many exotic supercars there is generally a long waiting list since the cars are not built until ordered and the orders back up quickly. For McLaren, they are able to deliver cars faster than Ferrari or Lamborghini who both proudly tout a two-year waiting list, which is great for business, but not for the customers. If you don’t need to have the fastest super car and have fallen in love with the McLaren 650S Coupe or Spider, this car can be a great ride and offer some of the greatest neighborhood bragging rights until your neighbors wait out their exotics.
Offered new for 2015, the Coupe will arrive first and the retractable hardtop equipped Spider will show up later in the year. Even though this car offers a seven-speed automatic transmission the paddle shifters on the steering wheel make the driving experience much more engaging and work to perfection with quick responses that leave most manual transmissions behind. To go along with this and the idea of having more comfort, the Meridian Audio system found in the 650S with its seven-speakers of surround sound allow those inside to not have to listen to engine and tires at all times allowing for a drive that is truly and oasis from the norm.
With the downforce improved through the use of the Proactive Chassis Control and a low front splitter the 650S will stick like glue to the pavement, especially in Track mode. This allows a driver of just about any ability to fully enjoy the drive behind the wheel and have a fully engaging experience every time they take their 650S out for a spin. The suspension, steering and braking systems are all symbiotic allowing for a fully controlled drive that allows the car to continually offer more and more excitement along any road.
The power for this beast comes in one engine with is a highly engineered 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. This engine offers up to 641 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque to give as much or more power than is needed for every drive of this amazing car. Attached to the aforementioned transmission this powertrain gives a fuel mileage of 16 city/22 hwy mpg which of course is not really a concern when discussing a car of this magnitude, but still is something that is nice to know. With all this power and performance under the skin the 650S can reach sixty mph in 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 207 mph, more than enough excitement for just about every owner.
At the price called for the interior is exactly what it should be. The surfaces inside are covered in a variety of soft and supple leathers, high end carbon fibers and metal trimmings. This allows the interior to be sleek and comfortable at the same time, offering a feeling of a race car that is made to take out on the town for a night of fun or simply showing off. The controls and gauges offers all the information needed to ensure drivers are able to make the right adjustments when in action and keep the car firmly planted on the road while zipping past any competition.
On the outside the 650S is highly recognizable as a McLaren vehicle. With the sculpted front housing around the headlights and the severely low profile this car offers every single inch of the exterior as a part of performance, power or control. The wheels which come in either 19 or 20-inch sizes are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires and the Spider offers a heated rear window that works independent of the convertible top making it a great option to keep in place to act as a windscreen.
The standard offerings for the 650S start with the powerful engine and transmission and move to the 19 and 20-inch wheels. The Proactive Chassis Control, semi-aniline upholstery coverings, Alcantara leather trimmings, a leather steering wheel, cruise control, carbon-ceramic front and rear brake rotors, a seven-inch navigation touch screen monitor, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, and a Meridian four-speaker audio system with a hard drive and iPod integration are all aboard every one of these cars.
The optional features offered for the McLaren 650S show up with the upgraded Meridian Surround Sound system, colored semi-aniline or full Nappa leather interior trim, power seats, front and rear parking sensors, carbon fiber trim on the rear bumper, door blades and splitter. Additional features include the power adjustable steering column, a rearview monitor, and the ability to customize many of the various interior and exterior trim pieces to give the car the personality of the owner.
As you might expect, the McLaren 650S does not come cheap in either format. The Coupe starts out just under $270,000 with the convertible Spider model asking for an opening price of $285,000. This is actually right in line with the pricing for these kind of cars making them exotic and very much meant for those who truly have this kind of money to enjoy such a high performing exotic super car, and take it out for an exciting ride.
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