Friday 20th March 2015

Mclaren Sports Series spy images

With official McLaren images still a little way off, here's what's been caught from testing

---

There are still a couple of agonising weeks before the McLaren Sports Series is revealed at the New York show. McLaren has been playing its cards very close to its corporate chest, gradually revealing the car piece by piece without ever giving too much away.

Quite the convoy!

Ahead of New York these fresh spy shots do (thankfully) tell us a little more about the Sports Series. Having the 675 Longtail directly behind here makes a good case for comparison, the Sport Series smaller and narrower but with some shared styling cues; the air intakes and rear wheelarches share a resemblance it seems. As hinted at in the brief promo vid, there is some P1 influence to the rear of the Sports Series as well.

Take a close look at the pair of smaller McLarens though and you'll see differences between those two. The lead car has a its side and rear window covered, suggesting it is the Sports Series Spider. Given McLaren launched both 650S Coupe and Spider at the same time it would make sense for the same to happen with the Sports Series.

P1 influence clear from behind

There are no images of the front because, according to the photographer, "this test group didn't like our camera and we were not able to do the same speed as this test group." Bit of a shame but perhaps to be expected!

With less than two weeks until the New York show opens, this will probably be the last time the McLaren Sports Series is seen in the full prototype camo. Not before time some may say...

 

[Images: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien]

[uremaw]

Hints of Cayman in the rear haunches.

The LT even looks awesome camouflaged.

[Vee12V]

Al I see is a detuned 12C or 650S. Seriously, they're just too similar. Styling looks better though.

[British Beef]

From the side profile I see more than a hint of the Farbio GT 350 sports car.

[matrignano]

I get a 360 Modena vibe from it

[cocopop]

The driver appears to be wearing a paper bag

[GroundEffect]

Looks prettier than the 650S, which is already a great looking car.

Problem will be branding - if the new car looks so close to a 650, why pay double+?

(I know, I know, the performance but the badge & looks do sell...)

[rejn]

cocopop said:

The driver appears to be wearing a paper bag

Ron specified that the car can only be sold to attractive men.

The test driver is ugly, hence the requirement for a paper bag.

One of the other test drivers is so mis-figured, that there is a mclaren requirement that you have to wear a 2nd paper bag yourself to even look at the photos. Thosee pictures are only available in the paper copy of the magazine, where a Mclaren branded paper bag is included as a freeby on the magazine cover.

[Dion20vt]

Anyone else thinking that front windscreen is massive???

[MichelV]

Can you see that I am styled in the windtunnel and the fan took away any personality?

[GRBF430F1]

Brits are going to beat the germans up good and proper with this little gem. 911 in whatever guise won't get close on looks or performance. Going to be a real winner in the sports car class

650S is a supercar and still a good step above with better performance, suspension and active aero

[bertie]

It's a really pretty thing in real life.

This is going to be the pick of the range IMHO.

[The Vambo]

Front half proportions are very similar to a Ferrari 360

[The Vambo]

GRBF430F1 said:

Brits are going to beat the germans up good and proper with this little gem. 911 in whatever guise won't get close on looks or performance. Going to be a real winner in the sports car class

650S is a supercar and still a good step above with better performance, suspension and active aero

I'm getting sick of you xenophobic bks on every single McLaren thread.

It's heavy industry not a fecking battlefield.

[StottyEvo]

The proportions look great

[smilo996]

It pays to stand on a roundabout clearly.

Cannot see much Cayman there. No 4 foot overhangs or japanese slanty lights.

Looks like it is more of an integrated design that the 650 which is a relief.

Cerainly should be kicking Porsche into touch.

[danp]

Like the look of it from these images, appears to be nice and compact also.

[BoxsterEtype]

Did somebody say Aston's all look the same? McLaren really do have a one track mind. Why don't they just have 1 car with 10 different orderable specs? Oh that's what they already do but they have numbers to identify them. I see said the blind man...

[Europa1]

Good to see that Britain's world renowned reputation for embracing foreign cultures extends to the Australians' tall poppy syndrome.

[s2000db]

Interesting.... Well to be quicker than a 991 TurboS, it'll have to be quicker than a 12C, so might cause Mac a bit of a quandry then...

[OddJoe]

BoxsterEtype said:

Did somebody say Aston's all look the same? McLaren really do have a one track mind. Why don't they just have 1 car with 10 different orderable specs? Oh that's what they already do but they have numbers to identify them. I see said the blind man...

On top of that, the engines are all 3.8 V8 TT's....now, I'm not one to turn one down but a bit of variety would be nice? Wont a remap of this take it up towards 650s levels? Or near enough to be worth buying this ahead of that?