RE: McLaren 650S Spider: Review

[thepook]

RobinBanks said:

That's also £95k different rather than £85k.

Man maths at play?

[P4ROT]

I'm sure it won't affect the speccing behaviour of potential owners, but £310,000 is dangerously close to an M600 for me (and other supercars for that matter).

[BelfastBoy]

Do any of those hideously expensive carbon fibre options actually improve the car in any tangible way? I've played about with the online configurator (admittedly not the same as having access to a real car), and as far as I can tell, they just seem to be cosmetic ways of parting gullible rich people from their money! How often do people really look into their engine bays, for example?

[Dan Trent]

Mogul said:

Was it a bit of carbon trim on the nose that scraped at '9mph' on that particular speed bump, or perhaps just the little plastic 'air dams' in front of the front wheels?



Frustrating that the lifting system is buried in a menu but I wonder if they have ever given any thought to installing a sensor that would trigger the lift if it senses that a speed bump is approaching?

You'd hope so wouldn't you but experience of an MSO nosed 12C with a similar carbon valance revealed scraped resin on the underside from a fairly mild compression on a B-road taken at less than 60mph. There's more damping support in the stiffer damper modes but, of course, if you're on a bumpy road and that seems to help but you'd expect to be in the comfort mode for such roads.

I wanted to cry when I saw it!

Dan

[julian64]

MyCC said:

Here's a money shot from a 650S we tested up in Gods Own Country AKA Yorkshire:



It brought the local village to a standstill when we pulled over for some pictures.

Regards,

MyCC.

You see I hate that shot of the car. It tells me everything I want to know about why I would never order a sportscar as a spider.

Look at the small bit of car at the bottom meant to be controlling all the torsion of the car, just a bit of floorplan.
Now they could make that slither of floorplan out of unobtaineum, and I still wouldn't trust it to stop the car from twisting.
I want the roof to give struct integrity to that design.

[TaylotS2K]

That colour in the article really suits the car. Nicest colour I've seen on the 650.

[Davey S2]

MyCC said:

Here's a money shot from a 650S we tested up in Gods Own Country AKA Yorkshire:



It brought the local village to a standstill when we pulled over for some pictures.

Regards,

MyCC.

That really doesn't work work for me. Orange aside McLarens seem to look best in more subtle colours IMO. leave the lairy stuff to Lamborghini

[aazer89]

not normally a big fan of the 'spider/cabrio' version of cars HOWEVER i think i might have just made an exception looks as good as the normal 650s

[alexpa]

I like this one, a lot.

http://cars.mclaren.com/featured-articles/650s-le-...

[alexpa]

julian64 said:

MyCC said:

Here's a money shot from a 650S we tested up in Gods Own Country AKA Yorkshire:



It brought the local village to a standstill when we pulled over for some pictures.

Regards,

MyCC.

You see I hate that shot of the car. It tells me everything I want to know about why I would never order a sportscar as a spider.

Look at the small bit of car at the bottom meant to be controlling all the torsion of the car, just a bit of floorplan.
Now they could make that slither of floorplan out of unobtaineum, and I still wouldn't trust it to stop the car from twisting.
I want the roof to give struct integrity to that design.

The carbon tub is I believe identical for the spider and coupe. Only the P1 has a top section creating a mono.

Therefore torsional rigidity should be very similar, possibly the same.

[TonyF]

Still looks bland to me, shame though because it's obviously a very capable car. I would spend my 200+k on something else I'm afraid.

[sjc]

It just so happens I'm driving a 650S at Milbrook on Wednesday, can't wait.

[chelme]

gregf40 said:

Tuvra said:

The face lifted cars look so much better than the originals

I really don't agree - I think the new one will age whilst the original won't. I loved mine when I had it - fantastic cars - and no doubt the 650S is even better to drive.

Edited by gregf40 on Wednesday 21st January 11:45

Have to agree with gregF40, there is a cohesiveness to the 12C, the 650S just doesn't have. The new front end design of the 650S shows no relation to the 12C rear, for example. Its F*gly.

[frodo23]

This (in black or a dark purple colour) would absolutely form one-third of my Euromillions-winner car collection, along with a "full fat" Range Rover diesel and a Bentley Continental V8 S.

[bubney72]

Looks so dated already, you can't hide the 12C with that Hyuandai Coupe facelift.

[DG27]

I drove this new model on track and road at the end of last year. I found it dull still, technically advanced but just dull.

I also drove the Huracan on a different day, the Aston V12 S and the 991 gt3 on other days so a good batch of cars to form a genuine opinion on.

GT3 was still my favourite but even that seemed dull compared with my 458 spider which outguns all these and fulfils my needs and preferences significantly more than all these other great cars, nothing would get me swap out of the 458 currently.

I do like this grey colour though it suits the car.

D

[NotNormal]

PH Article said:

The front lift system is essential enough to make the £3,640 charged for it seem mean, the fact it's hidden in a menu on the options stalk rather than an easily accessible button for those 'oh ... shiiiiii...'!

I understand there is a short cut to raising the nose by pushing the small left stalk up...

[MrTappets]

I know I've been a bit mean about it before, but my god, that's lovely!

[Streetrod]

julian64 said:

MyCC said:

Here's a money shot from a 650S we tested up in Gods Own Country AKA Yorkshire:



It brought the local village to a standstill when we pulled over for some pictures.

Regards,

MyCC.

You see I hate that shot of the car. It tells me everything I want to know about why I would never order a sportscar as a spider.

Look at the small bit of car at the bottom meant to be controlling all the torsion of the car, just a bit of floorplan.
Now they could make that slither of floorplan out of unobtaineum, and I still wouldn't trust it to stop the car from twisting.
I want the roof to give struct integrity to that design.

The 12C/650s were designed as a Spyder from day one, therefore no torsional strength has been lost or weight added in its conversion to a Spyder. Unlike the 458 Spyder which is not only heavier than the coupe but a lot more bendy as well

[julian64]

Streetrod said:

julian64 said:

MyCC said:

Here's a money shot from a 650S we tested up in Gods Own Country AKA Yorkshire:



It brought the local village to a standstill when we pulled over for some pictures.

Regards,

MyCC.

You see I hate that shot of the car. It tells me everything I want to know about why I would never order a sportscar as a spider.

Look at the small bit of car at the bottom meant to be controlling all the torsion of the car, just a bit of floorplan.
Now they could make that slither of floorplan out of unobtaineum, and I still wouldn't trust it to stop the car from twisting.
I want the roof to give struct integrity to that design.

The 12C/650s were designed as a Spyder from day one, therefore no torsional strength has been lost or weight added in its conversion to a Spyder. Unlike the 458 Spyder which is not only heavier than the coupe but a lot more bendy as well

Yep, I read that in their blurb, but its one of those moments when I nod while a politician is talking to me. I know he believes what he's saying but it flies in the face of everything I believe.

Perhaps I'll be more convinced when I see their le-mans car as a spider because of the weight saving from being a coup with no loss of torsional rigidity. After all the spider will be lighter because the weight saving from having no roof hasn't gone anywhere has it?