The Goodwood Test: McLaren 650S Spider

Heritage

The 650S is part of McLaren’s Super Series, which comprises the 650S and 675LT in Coupe and Spider forms. McLaren describes the Super Series as the core of the brand, positioned above the Sports Series and below the Ultimate Series. The 650S, in Coupe and Spider form, was launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show - the 675LT Coupe arrived a year later at the same show as a limited edition of 500 units, which sold out within weeks. McLaren says the 650S has “benefited from learnings of the McLaren P1 as well as 50 years of competing in the highest levels of motorsport”. It’s positioned very much in the supercar segment, designed to appeal to customers for both road and track use.

Design

McLaren says the 650S Spider takes styling pointers from the P1 hypercar, although it’s a little more tame to look at than the hybrid monster. Only in the crazy world of McLaren could a 650S’s looks be described as tame, however. This is a magnificent, dramatically styled supercar, with a distinctive front splitter, that recognisably McLaren windscreen falling deep into the curved bonnet, door blades for optimised aerodynamics, an active rear wing, and those dihedral doors for a fitting sense of drama. The LED headlights are magnificently styled and, as with all McLarens since 1981, the chassis is made from carbon-fibre for light-weight, torsional rigidity and strength. 

Inside, the cabin is clothed in Alcantara, with a small, neat touchscreen and a few buttons controlling all functions. Customers can specify carbon-fibre race seats if they have the track in mind. 

The Spider version gives you a smart, small retractable hardtop, which folds into the bodywork at up to 19mph. With the roof down, and the sun shining, our test car in bold orange was simply the business on the West Sussex country lanes.

Performance

The clue’s in the name: the 650S badge refers to the power output - 650PS (641bhp) from the twin-turbo V8 mid-mounted engine. This gives a power-to-weight ratio of 493bhp per tonne. The “S” stands for sport, which gives you an indication of the focus on the handling characteristics. All the styling equates to a large dose of downforce and improves balance and control. There’s also 500lb ft of torque on tap, and 0-62mph takes a neat 3.0 seconds.

But it’s the dialled-in sporting nature that gives the McLaren its edge: even at low speeds, up-shifts on part throttle are accompanied by a brief cylinder cut for a better engine noise. At high speeds, under hard acceleration, “inertia push” harnesses all the available torque, raising the engine speed at a faster rate for each gear (the transmission is a smooth dual-clutch automatic gearbox). The result is one long continual surge of speed.

Passion

There is something very unique about McLarens. They feel harder, more sculpted, more precise, more engineered, than many other supercars and high-performance sportscars. They’re the British no-nonsense end of the business if you will. And the performance is always extraordinary (witness the look on Jeremy Clarkson’s face when he almost lost it in a P1 in the first Grand Tour episode). They really are not to be messed with (“driver focused”, or “No compromise” in manufacturer speak), which gives you an extra sense of joy when driving one. 

Price from: £218,250