This is the new McLaren 650S, a £190,000 mid-engined coupé that's capable of hitting 207mph. It will make its public debut at the Geneva show next month alongside a 650S Spider model.

The McLaren 650S is closely related to the 12C but is £20,000 more expensive and closer in styling to the recently launched £860,000 P1 hypercar. It also incorporates a basket of detailed revisions that improve performance in all areas but major on driver involvement. The McLaren 650S gets more standard equipment than the 12C, including lightweight forged alloy wheels, LED headlights, an Alcantara interior, carbon-ceramic brakes, revised sat-nav and a DAB radio as part of a sophisticated, screen-based audio system. The car also gets a new, wider design of Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres.

Debuts in Geneva

A purported price list for the McLaren 650S has surfaced online ahead of the car's unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show.

According to the documents, the 650S Coupe will cost €232,500 ($319,035) including a 19.6 VAT.

If the standard model is a little too pedestrian, buyers can reportedly request "special" or "elite" paint that costs €2,150 ($2,950) and €4,840 ($6,640) respectively. Customers can also order a variety of carbon fiber components including a front splitter, side blades, mirror caps and a rear diffuser. The model should also offer a sports exhaust system, colored brake calipers and an assortment of alloy wheels.

The pricey options continue in the cabin as the 650S can be equipped with carbon fiber racing seats, carbon fiber trim and extended Nappa or semi-aniline leather upholstery. Other highlights include an Alacantra-wrapped steering wheel, branded sill plates and a Meridian audio system.

As we have previously reported, the 650S will slot between the 12C and P1 and feature a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that develops 650 HP (478 kW).

PERFORMANCE FIGURES ANNOUNCED FOR THE McLAREN 650S AHEAD OF GENEVA DEBUT
Feb 27, 2014

- New McLaren 650S Coupe can accelerate 0-200km/h (0-124mph) in just 8.4 seconds
- Faster than rival 'stripped out' road racers, yet offers far superior comfort, refinement and equipment
- Available in Coupe and Spider variants from launch

As the first example of the McLaren 650S rolled off the line at the state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre in Woking, McLaren Automotive has released performance numbers and confirmed pricing ahead of the global debut at the 84th International Geneva Motor Show.

The latest addition to the McLaren range accelerates to 100km/h (62mph) from rest in just 3.0 seconds, and can reach 200km/h (124mph) in just 8.4 seconds. The standing quarter mile (400m) takes 10.5 seconds, and top speed is 333 km/h (207 mph). This performance puts the latest model from McLaren a full second quicker than the iconic McLaren F1 road car to 200 km/h, and 0.6 sec faster over the standing quarter mile, underlining its performance focus. This represents a sprint time to 200 km/h more than half a second quicker than the rapid 12C, which continues in production.

Optimised aerodynamics ensure that the performance of the McLaren 650S is accessible and increases driver engagement. Enhanced handling, high-speed balance and steering turn-in result from improved levels of downforce. 'Driving excitement is at the absolute heart of the McLaren 650S,' explains Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive. 'Of course the performance figures are important, and they help boost excitement. But they're only part of the story. This is a car that's about feel as well as measurement.'

Despite these impressive performance figures, more akin to a stripped out road racer, the McLaren 650S boasts a high level of luxury specification. Carbon ceramic brakes sit behind unique '650' lightweight alloy wheels shod with Pirelli P Zero™ Corsa tyres, IRIS satellite navigation with Bluetooth telephony, DAB digital radio in Europe (SIRIUS satellite radio in North America), wireless tethering, audio streaming and voice control are all fitted as standard, and the cabin is trimmed in Alcantara. Enhanced levels of optional specification are also offered, including fixed-back carbon racing seats, based on the lightweight design found in the McLaren P1™, an electric steering column adjustment assists ingress and egress, a rear parking camera and extended carbon fibre throughout the interior.

The 'no compromise' McLaren 650S also performs efficiently, returning 24.2 mpg (11.7 l/100 km) on the EU combined cycle, and a CO2 figure of 275 g/km making it one of the most efficient models in class. This is testament to the drive by McLaren for continued improvement and class-leading efficiency.

'The McLaren 650S represents 50 years of road and racing car know-how,' comments Mike Flewitt. 'Everything we've learnt from the 12C and the McLaren P1™ has gone into this car, creating a car with the widest breadth of capabilities of any production supercar. It's also a new benchmark in pure driving excitement.'

The McLaren 650S Coupe and Spider make their global debuts on Stand 1240, Hall 1 at 12.00 CET (11.00 GMT) on Tuesday, 4 March 2014 at the 84th International Geneva Motor Show.

TECHNICAL AND PERFORMANCE DATA
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION– McLaren 650S COUPE

Drivetrain Layout

Longitudinal Mid-Engine, RWD

Track, F/R (mm)

1656 / 1583

Engine Configuration

V8 Twin Turbo / 3799cc

Length (mm)

4512

Engine

PS / rpm

650 / 7250

Width (mm)

2093

Torque Nm / rpm

678 / 6000

Height (mm)

1199

Transmission

7 Speed SSG

Dry Weight (kg / lbs)

1330 / 2932

Body Structure

Carbon Fibre MonoCell with Aluminium Front and Rear Frames

Active Aerodynamics

McLaren Airbrake

Wheelbase (mm)

2670

Suspension

ProActive Chassis Control

Brakes

Carbon Ceramic Discs with Forged Aluminium Hubs (F 394mm/R 380mm)

ProActive Chassis Control modes

Normal / Sport / Track

Tyres (F/R)

Pirelli P Zero Corsa 235/35 R19 /

Pirelli P Zero Corsa 305/30 R20

Powertrain Modes

Winter / Normal / Sport / Track

Wheel Sizes (F/R)

19" x 8.5"J / 20" x 11" J

PERFORMANCE DATA

Efficiency

CO2

275 g/km

Fuel consumption (combined)

24.2 mpg

Power to weight (with lightweight options)

500 PS (493 bhp) /tonne

CO2/power

0.42 g/km per PS

Speed

Maximum speed (650S Spider)

333 km/h (207 mph)

Acceleration

0-100 kph (62 mph)

3.0 s*

0-200 kph (124 mph)

8.4 s*

0-300 kph (186 mph)

25.4 s*

0-400 m / ¼ mile

10.5 @ 224 km/h (139 mph)*

Braking

Braking

100-0 km/h 30.5 m (100 ft)

200-0 km/h 123 m (404 ft)

300-0 km/h 271 m (889 ft)

Sales volume of the [MP4-12C and 650S are] expected to stay at about 1200 units a year. The big sales boost for McLaren will come after next year’s launch of a £120,000 mid-engined McLaren, codenamed P13.

If you raised an eyebrow in suspicion when McLaren insisted its new 650S would join its lineup in tandem with – and not as a replacement for – the MP4-12C, we're with you. The 650S is, after all, based closely on the 12C, distinguishing itself essentially with a revised shape, updated equipment and more power. And with the Spider version having debuted alongside the coupe in Geneva, there's really little room left for the 12C at all.

Keeping both around at the same time would be like if arch-rival Ferrari offered both the old California and new California T (or the 360 Modena and the F430 that followed) at the same time. Yet McLaren has remained adamant that the 12C isn't going anywhere despite the arrival of the 650S.

Or is it? Well, yes and no. Reports coming in from the UK indicate that, while McLaren will continue to offer the 12C to customers who order it, the company has actually ceased production of the older, less expensive version for the time being in order to gear up for producing the newer 650S.

Keeping both models on the order sheet will likely cease once McLaren's upcoming entry-level model, dubbed P13, comes along. Essentially replacing the 12C with the 650S at that point will allow Woking to open up a bigger price difference between it and the new model, helping to differentiate between the two. In the meantime, the House that Bruce (or Ron) Built appears to be taking a similar approach to Pagani, which kept the Zonda on offer long after the Huayra came along.

McLaren has been busy these past few years. It launched the MP4-12C in 2011, the 12C Spider in 2012, the P1 in 2013 and (most recently) the 650S in 2014. But it's not about to stop there. It's got an "entry-level" model in the works, set to take on the Porsche 911, and - according to information reported by Car and Driver and confirmed by McLaren in correspondence with Autoblog – a new flagship model, too.

The project is internally codenamed P15, and it calls for a new flagship that will cap the company's lineup once the P1 finishes its limited production run, but carry a price tag in the neighborhood of $500k to slot in between the P1 and the new 650S.

Just how, you wonder, can McLaren possibly develop another supercar each year? Simple: underneath, they're all essentially the same. (Only we're sure it's anything but simple.) That is to say they're all based on the same carbon monocoque structure and powered by the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels. What differentiates them is what the engineers in Woking build around that monocoque and how they tune the engine: +/- 600 horsepower in the 12C (depending on the year it was built), 640 hp in the 650S, or 727 hp in the P1 (with another 177 from the electric assist). The 911 fighter would likely develop in the 500hp range, and the P15 will probably land in the upper 600 (or lower 700) range.

McLaren confirms that the P15 would, again, be based on that same architecture. But while C/D, noting the renewed Formula One partnership between the two, suggests that it could incorporate some measure of Honda powertrain technology, McLaren's communications director Wayne Bruce dismisses the prospect as pure speculation. "The focus of the Honda and McLaren relationship right now is very much on racing." Which isn't to say that it couldn't extend to road cars at some point in the future, but though the P15, we're told, is still "some years away yet," when it does emerge, it will in all likelihood use some form or another of the M838T engine and seven-speed DCT which McLaren developed with Ricardo to power the rest of the McLaren Automotive lineup.

Yes, it's a face lifted and tweaked 12C. But it also has 650hp and is faster than a shooting star. Well, that's what Ron told us.

Baby P1 with 650 HP

The McLaren 650S arrived in the USA, visiting the famous Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit in California. The British supercar, which was officially presented during the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, hit the track for several laps.

Designed for those who want a more track-focused 12C Spider, the coupe comes with a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that develops 650 HP (478 kW) and 678 Nm (500 lb-ft) of torque. The vehicle needs only 3 seconds until 62 mph (100 km/h) while the 0-124 mph (200 km/h) run is accomplished in 8.4 seconds. The 650S has a top speed of 207 mph (333 km/h).