2015 MCLAREN 650S

The pictures are officially out. The new 2015 McLaren 650S beast is here. Ok, the 650S is not really completely new, but rather a mixture of inspirations derived from the 12C and the already iconic P1. And it sits right in between – a couple notches above the 12C, but still not as good as the P1.

The 650S is an upgraded version of the 12C, a great car in its own right. However, guys from McLaren describe the 650S as their ‘fastest, most engaging, best equipped and most beautiful series-production supercar yet’. So, what takes it that step further from the 12C?

Well, the engine has the same displacement of 3.8l; it has the same twin-turbo V8 setup, but cylinder head modifications, better cooling and different pistons increased its power to 650hp (thus the name), while the torque came up 10% to reach 500 lb-ft in the range from 3,000 and 7,000 rpm.

These changes brought the acceleration to 62mph to just 3 seconds and increased the top speed to 207mph. These improvements might seem small compared to the figures the 12C boasts with, but the 650C is actually a lot better car. Read on to see why.

First the design. The 650S is a lot more aggressive compared to the 12C. It has P1 inspired LED headlights and significantly bigger air intakes at the front. This made the 650S seem angrier, but also improved cooling and aerodynamics. This is really impressive – the drag is the same as with the 12C, but at 150mph you get a whopping 24% more downforce.

As if this weren’t enough, they improved the steering response and brakes. The damping is unchanged, but the spring rates are increased, which makes the car more fun to drive while, McLaren says, no comfort is lost.

As with any revamp of a previous model, there are more perks here, such as new alloy wheels, new electronic features and carbon race seats just to name some. And here comes the best part.

We said that the 650S is a revamp, but unlike other revamps it does not replace the previous model. The 12C is still available. However, we are not sure who will buy it having in mind that the 650S is only some $33,000 more expensive than the 12C. This does not seem like an insignificant difference, but you get a lot more for less money. For example the 650S has standard carbon ceramic brakes and this is a $16,500 worth option in the 12C.

The 650S is simply better than the 12C in every aspect and only a slightly more expensive. All these slight improvements add up to a significant difference. [via]