The big Mclaren

McLaren KL starts selling the 650S, supercar buyers are now spoilt for choice. By Chris Ng

The mere mention of the word super car and immediately the Lambos, Ferraris and Porsches of the world would have started flashing in your mind. And why not, those are the most memorable ones, you’ve probably has a poster of one stuck on your wall, or wallpaper. But while the Italians and Germans are adept at making these Machines of Many Horsepowers, what about English? Where would the Astons, the Lotuses, the Nobles and the Keatings fit in?

Fine, you may argue that the Aston is more of a luxury grandtourer, Lotus and Noble make sportscars and what on earth is a Keating? So maybe, finally, England can have a supercar they call their own, and it is called the McLaren 650S.

Not to say that the 12C cannot exist as the same plane as the rest of McLaren’s impossibly great cars, but the 650S is just lighter, faster and more powerful. A delicious formula isn’t it, and it is all packed within a shell that invokes a sense of awe and shock.

And a bit reptilian too, if I may offer my two cents. This makes the McLaren unlike the other sports car you see parked in Publika, which usually adopts either the silhouette of a big cat or a jet fighter; take your pick. That said, the design isn’t pulled purely from the mind of a designer. The svelte curves and the hard lines of the 650S were inspired by the McLaren P1 and following the philosophy of ‘form follows function’ that the supercar-maker from Woking holds on to so dearly. Which really means the McLaren is as dramatic as it looks.

The power mill in the middle, which peeks though the rear windscreen, sends 641bhp (or 650PS, hence the name) and 678Nm of torque to the rear wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox. That will take the 1,330kg car – light! – from zero to hundred in 3.0 seconds flat. Or zero to 200kph in 8.4 seconds. Not many cars will be able to match the 650S when it’s going full bore.

In spite of its brute force, the interior has all the splendid trappings that befit a car like the McLaren. The cabin is swathed with Alcantara and the steering-wheel is wrapped in leather. There’s also a choice of two new semi-aniline leather colours and one can upgrade to full Nappa leather. To reduce overall weight, the interior houses generous amounts of lightweight carbon fibre, which can be ordered for the door inserts, rear capping panel, quarter panels and the lower B-pillars. Adding further lightness can be done by opting for carbon-backed seats which saves 7.5kg per seat.

The McLaren is available in two body styles – Coupe and the slightly slower, slightly heavier but no less sexy Spider. The Coupe is priced at RM2.4million and the Spider can be yours for RM2.6million; prices are tax inclusive. So, is it already too late to cancel the other car?