2015 McLaren 650S (8/8)

Article file under www.topspeed.com
by Christian Moe

I think somebody owes me 5 dollars. McLaren has dropped the official details on its upcoming 650S reveal at Geneva , and just as I predicted, it is essentially a hotted up version of the McLaren 12C not the upcoming P15. Just as expected, that 650 in the name stands for the amount of power produced by the engine. Since McLaren is a UK company, they have the power rating of the new 650S rated in Pferdestärke (PS) so the actual U.S. horsepower rating is 641.

The new car features a pretty solid collection of visual upgrades and aerodynamic changes that increase downforce and handling at speed. This isn’t a pure power bump either, as the 650S is designed with several bespoke parts and pieces.

McLaren has kept tight-lipped about the actual performance statistics of the new car, but if it’s siblings are anything to go on, the 650S will best any of its Italian competition with relative ease.

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$2 million McLaren F1 spontaneously combusts

Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com

A man from the US state of Minnesota has had to watch his beloved McLaren F1 supercar go up in flames. The 53 year-old man named Irv Kessler was driving along on Airport Boulevard in Santa Rosa, California when someone noticed some smoke coming from the back of the car. They then alerted Kessler. Soon after the engine caught fire. Firefighters worked quickly to kill the flames before they could spread into the cabin.



Kessler was not keen on talking about the incident. Instead the Rincon Valley assistant fire chief John Lantz was quoted as saying that according to the owner, the car hadn't been driven in six months. It had been taken out this past Sunday and Monday when it started showing some kind of problem. Luckily Kessler told the firefighters that while it is worth around US$2 million, it is insured for US$3 million.



McLaren produced only 64 road-going F1s between 1992 and 1998 with this particular unit a 1995 model. The remaining 42 units were made up of prototypes, LM, GT and GTR versions. Power was provided by a BMW V12 petrol with 635hp (467kW) and 651Nm of torque. Besides the scissor doors and engine location, another notable feature is the centrally positioned driver's seat.

Famous owners of McLaren F1s include Wyclef Jean, Jay Leno, Eric Clapton, Rowan "Mr Bean" Atkinson, and Michael Schumacher.