McLaren Special Operations has announced a limited-edition 650S, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the McLaren F1 GTR’s victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
Dubbed 650S Le Mans, 50 examples will be made in coupé form only by the bespoke arm of McLaren Automotive. Each car will cost £244,500, with deliveries commencing in the middle of the year.
Power comes from the same 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 motor found in the standard McLaren 650S, producing 641bhp and 500lb ft. Performance figures remain unchanged from those of the standard 650S coupé, with the 0-62mph sprint taking 3.0sec and a 207mph top speed, according to the British supercar manufacturer.
The 650S Le Mans is a design collaboration between MSO and Peter Stevens, the designer of the McLaren F1 supercar. A number of styling cues are taken from the iconic 1995 Le Mans-winning racer, including a roof-mounted ‘snorkel’ air intake. Finished in metallic Sarthe Grey, the colour also harks back to the race-winning F1 GTR.
The limited-edition model features a carbonfibre front splitter and rear bumper and an MSO-developed rear diffuser and side blades. Lightweight ‘Le Mans Edition’ 19in alloy wheels feature at the front with 20in wheels at the rear, styled around the 1995 F1 GTR racer’s rims. Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard.
Inside, the 650S Le Mans is furnished with black leather and Alcantara trim, while the sports seats are wrapped in black with contrasting orange Alcantara. The anniversary edition gains Le Mans logos on the headrests and on the floor mats.
McLaren says buyers of the 650S Le Mans will receive an exclusive invitation for the owner plus a guest to join McLaren at the Le Mans circuit for a 20th anniversary celebration of the victory. At the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, five McLaren F1 GTRs crossed the line, finishing first, third, fourth, fifth and thirteenth.
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The wheels make a big
That snorkel
As if the 650S needed improving? I sat in the passenger seat of one redined in third and the sensory overload was such that I needed to re calibrate my brain. Stunning...McLaren don't need to tinker with it.
ResteCalme wrote:Delivers
I've been fortunate to see and sit in a 650S and I can say that the car is stunning. It's styling may lack the flamboyance of a 458 or a Huracan, but it still stops you in its tracks and its more conservative looks are still seductive, dramatic and ever so desirable, more so I'd say than even the Lamborghini and Ferrari which somehow lack the 650S's maturity. And what's even more impressive is the astonishing build quality, ease of use and attention the detail, the McLaren is exquisite and is so far ahead of its rivals it's untrue, and you can see this when you're still some metres away from the car. Just on these measures, I'd plump for the Mclaren as it's just more gratifying.
This article would be so much