McLaren confirms 650S supercar

McLaren has confirmed it will reveal a supercar called the 650S at the upcoming 2014 Geneva motor show.
Expected to be based on the McLaren 12C that has been a slow seller compared with the Ferrari 458 it competes with, the 650S is expected to get major styling revisions and a more powerful version of the 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine.
The 650S will be the third supercar in the current range from the British sports car maker that is better known for its Formula One success than its road cars.
Power is expected to increase to about 480kW – or 650 horsepower, hence the 650S moniker – outgunning the Ferrari 458 Speciale it’s expected to compete with.

The 650S is an additional model on top of the McLaren P1 hypercar (it won’t be sold here because it will only be produced with the steering wheel on the left-hand side) and long rumoured more affordable McLaren, which is expected to take on Porsche’s iconic and segment-dominating 911.
McLaren released only a picture of the badge of the upcoming 650S, saying it would release more details of the car on March 4, 2014.
In a short statement accompanying the picture McLaren said the 650S would sit between the 12C and the P1, suggesting a price tag between $500,000 and $1 million.
“Designed and developed to offer the enthusiast driver the ultimate in luxury, engagement and excitement, as well as dramatic yet beautiful styling, the McLaren 650S is the result of 50 years of competing, and winning, at the highest levels of motorsport,” the statement read. “It takes learnings from both the 12C as well as the sell-out McLaren P1 and will be positioned between the two on McLaren Automotive’s supercar grid.”
According to official sales figures just 51 McLaren 12C Coupes and Spiders have been sold in Australia since going on sale late in 2011 up until the end of January 2014.