Monday 17th February 2014

UPDATE: McLaren 650S - teased

458 Speciale chasing 12C derivative previewed ahead of Geneva debut (Updated with leaked images)

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UPDATE: Official stories on the McLaren 650S remain on ice but a growing number of websites are now showing supposed leaked official shots of the McLaren 650S and, with them, offering more info. The 650hp headline figure was a clue in the title matter but additional reported figures include 500lb ft of torque, 0-62 in three seconds, 207mph top speed and a weight of 1,330kg. That's only 6kg shy of the dry weight of a standard 12C so assuming that's a like for like figure not much less than the standard car. Pics as leaked and links to the sites from which they came below, along with our original story as posted last week.

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So the great game of dodge the embargo begins. PH, like many other in the business, yesterday saw the McLaren 650S that has been teased in an official press release today. But on a strict need to know basis.

The official line announced just a short time ago, such as it is, amounts to a single photo and a statement as follows: “Designed and developed to offer the enthusiast driver the ultimate in luxury, engagement and excitement, as well as dramatic yet beautiful styling, the McLaren 650S is the result of 50 years of competing, and winning, at the highest levels of motorsport.  It takes learnings from both the 12C as well as the sell-out McLaren P1 and will be positioned between the two on McLaren Automotive’s supercar grid.”

Autocar’s Steve Cropley has been the boldest so far in the reporting of the story but most have run with the ‘650’ referring to the power output. Prefixed with lots of careful ‘is thought to’ and ‘sources say’, Autocar’s story goes further and discusses a “P1-style nose” and a boast that the 650S “will be engineered to have more character than the existing car.”

If that claimed output is correct the 650S will have won the horsepower bragging rights battle over the 605hp 458 Speciale, the latter countering that a normally aspirated V8 revving to 9,000rpm is probably all the engineering you need to increase character. Certainly it’ll renew the existing rivalry between McLaren’s ‘junior’ supercars while we consider just how LaFerrari might top the McLaren P1.

So, if not the epic hypercar face off we saw last year with the P1 and LaFerrari, the 650S and new California T promise another McLaren-Ferrari battle for attention at Geneva. One Lamborghini threatens to overshadow with a proper all-new car this time, not just an aero bedecked fright pig knocked up in a rush to try and gatecrash the party.

[Sources: Autocar, Jalopnik, WorldCarFans, Autoevolution, McLarenLife]

[Zammy]

Oooooooooooh what's this? With all the hype over the P1 this one has missed my radar. Can't wait though!

[timnoyce]

McLaren MP4-12C-650S....

Well that rolls off the tongue nicely. Bet it will be epic though, which should more than make up for it.

[007 VXR]

[Pistachio]

Why is McLaren using the typeface from ferrari for their logo?

[WCZ]

is this the game changer?

[Monty Python]

timnoyce said:

McLaren MP4-12C-650S....

Well that rolls off the tongue nicely. Bet it will be epic though, which should more than make up for it.

NSIS

[E65Ross]

timnoyce said:

McLaren MP4-12C-650S....

Well that rolls off the tongue nicely. Bet it will be epic though, which should more than make up for it.

Erm, it's a separate car, no? So it'll be mclaren 650S. Secondly, the MP4- has been dropped, the cars official name is now the 12C. Either way, if the car delivers I couldn't care less if it was called the pink fluffy tooth fairy.

[trunks82]

On the basis of the p1 and 12c, ive already given this 10!

[motor mad]

That'll probably be the 12C that I saw driving through Woking recently with what looked like a bodge job/race taped front splitter.

[harryowl]

E65Ross said:

Erm, it's a separate car, no? So it'll be mclaren 650S. Secondly, the MP4- has been dropped, the cars official name is now the 12C. Either way, if the car delivers I couldn't care less if it was called the pink fluffy tooth fairy.

From the sounds of things its a face lifted 12c with more power.

[maffski]

trunks82 said:

On the basis of the p1 and 12c, ive already given this 10!

No, you need a random letter as well. How about the McLaren 1q0?

[Ex Boy Racer]

Sorry, but was this a story??

[V8 GRF]

Article said:

It takes learnings from both the 12C as well as the sell-out McLaren P1 and will be positioned between the two on McLaren Automotive’s supercar grid.”

Learnings???? "Lessons learnt" yes but not learnings.

So is this just bad transcription on the part of PH or could this be a faked press release? With poor English like this it sounds more like a dodgy phishing mail you supposedly got from your bank but actually written by a Nigerian!!

[suffolk009]

V8 GRF said:

Article said:

It takes learnings from both the 12C as well as the sell-out McLaren P1 and will be positioned between the two on McLaren Automotive’s supercar grid.”

Learnings???? "Lessons learnt" yes but not learnings.

So is this just bad transcription on the part of PH or could this be a faked press release? With poor English like this it sounds more like a dodgy phishing mail you supposedly got from your bank but actually written by a Nigerian!!

"Learnings".

Ron is back.

[V8 GRF]

suffolk009 said:

"Learnings".

Ron is back.

Just Googled it......

Christ almighty you're right it's yet another new management speak word......

[E65Ross]

harryowl said:

E65Ross said:

Erm, it's a separate car, no? So it'll be mclaren 650S. Secondly, the MP4- has been dropped, the cars official name is now the 12C. Either way, if the car delivers I couldn't care less if it was called the pink fluffy tooth fairy.

From the sounds of things its a face lifted 12c with more power.

Either way "12C 650S" is a shorter name in terms of length and syllables than "458 speciale" so not sure what his problem with the name is. No worse than Porsche 991 911 GT3 RS is it.

[JDMDrifter]

So this is a new sandwich model, to fill the MP4 to P1 gap?

Personally I'm rather excited

[wtdoom]

I think we need a gentleman's power limit agreement . If not Ferrari will go all turbo ( at least the v8 cars ) to keep up and we will lose those lovely free revving naturally aspirated engines .

A sad day .

[E65Ross]

If not Ferrari will go all turbo ( at least the v8 cars )
[/quote]

Like the F40?

[JDMDrifter]

wtdoom said:

I think we need a gentleman's power limit agreement . If not Ferrari will go all turbo ( at least the v8 cars ) to keep up and we will lose those lovely free revving naturally aspirated engines .

A sad day .

Its mainly the emissions that force the forced induction to be used. Take the new cali, less emissions and more powerful. Its progress my dear boy.