McLaren unveils new 650S ahead of Geneva

McLarenMcLarenUnited Kingdom, 1963 > present92 models
1883 photos
12 videos
has revealed its highlight at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the 650SMcLaren 650SUnited Kingdom, 2014 > present, which the brand promises will be its “fastest, most engaging, best equipped and most beautiful series-production supercar yet”.

The McLaren 650S joins the range alongside the 12CMcLaren MP4-12CUnited Kingdom, 2012 > present544 photos
and the P1McLaren P1United Kingdom, 2013 > present26 photos
and takes knowledge from both models as well as 50 years of high-level motorsport. Available as a fixed-head coupé or as a Spider, the 650S was designed and developed to provide the ultimate in driver engagement on the road and on the race track.

The 650S badge designation refers to the 650PS of the M838T twin turbo V8 engine, while the ‘S’ stands for ‘Sport’, underlining the focus and developments made to handling, transmission, drivability and engagement. Performance figures will be confirmed ahead of the Geneva Show but will better the 12C.

The design is inspired by the McLaren P1, previewing a new family design language. The new front bumper and new LED headlamps give the 650S a similar look to the P1. The more integrated front splitter contributes to increased levels of downforce, giving a greater level of steering feeling and confidence to the driver on turn-in, while also adding to the agility and the car’s handling balance. Unique door blades behind the front wheels direct air from the trailing edges of the front splitter, further benefiting front-end grip and vehicle balance.

“As always with McLaren, the new design is there for good engineering reasons,” says McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt. “The newly designed front bumper improves downforce and steering turn-in. The high speed handling balance is now even better. The LED lights use less power and last longer.”

Unique side intakes behind the dihedral doors feed large, efficiently packaged, radiators which help provide the cooling requirements of the mid-mounted, compact engine. A new design five-spoke lightweight forged ‘650S’ alloy wheel is unique to the model, and are fitted with Pirelli P Zero™ Corsa tyres to offer optimised roadholding, handling and driver feedback.

Active aerodynamics, which feature on both the 12C and McLaren P1, have been further developed and honed to ensure the ultimate performance and ability for the McLaren 650S. The McLaren Airbrake, originally fitted to the 12C and 12C Spider and designed to offer optimised levels of downforce on the rear of the car, now operates with a greater level of functionality providing increased stability. The newly developed system means the Airbrake deploys whenever the car senses extra downforce is advisable. Below the Airbrake, a distinctive rear three-piece bumper, similar to the GT3 racing version of the 12C, compliments the aerodynamic shaping of the McLaren 650S.

The pioneering ProActive Chassis Control (PCC) suspension system, developed by McLaren, has been further enhanced for the McLaren 650S. A feature of the system is the ability to adjust the ride and handling modes – Normal/Sport/Track – in isolation from the drivetrain, which gives complete freedom in terms of ride and handling.