It would be tempting to label McLaren's new 650S as one of the all-time great sports cars. It looks incredible. It sounds fantastic. It performs above and beyond almost anything else on the road. So with these three boxes ticked, you'd think this was an open and shut case. But objective facts and subjective opinions rarely align in the car world. Creating an automotive great is a combination of luck and skill. All the engineering prowess and design ability in the world doesn't count for much if you don't have the right brand name on the bonnet - an attitude that reveals much about the industry's strange relationship with branding and heritage.
In terms of appearance, size, price and performance, the 650S goes head to head with Ferrari's 458. And while Ferrari has been shorthand for 'extravagant, ostentatious, desirable sports car' for well over half a century, McLaren's corporate image is rather more obscure - better known to F1 fans and technology-obsessed engineers than the public at large. It'll never trump a Ferrari.
At least that's what the industry would have you believe. In truth, the 650S turns just as many heads as its Italian rival. Inside it's far more comfortable and ergonomically coherent, and the massively complex electronics that manage the engine, gearbox and suspension allow the 650S to be driven sedately, calmly, and very smoothly. You could use this car every day with ease.
The 650S has its origins in McLaren's first modern-era production car, the MP4-12C. Brilliant as it was for a first attempt, there was always scope for more power, more excitement and a bit more visual drama. The 650S shares a family look with McLaren's P1, the hybrid-powered limited-edition supercar intended to blaze a trail for future developments in high-end auto tech.
While it's not quite as hardcore as its part-electric sibling (at about a quarter of the price), the 650S certainly won't leave you wanting more. Mid-engine cars have an amazing capacity for entertainment, as the power and noise is ever-present, lurking just behind your head. The turbos whoosh dramatically as they spool up - not, perhaps, the traditional noise of raw power, but a seductive one nonetheless. For an extra £20k you can drop the top and get the Spider model, adding even more entertainment (and noise), and both cars have a host of go-faster enhancements (all of which come at a cost). Of course, the original 12C remains on McLaren's order book and is still seriously competent. But the 650S is even better still.
But while Ferrari has been shorthand for 'extravagant, ostentatious, desirable sports car' for well over half a century, McLaren's corporate image is rather more obscure - better known to F1 fans and technology-obsessed engineers than the public at large
In truth, the 650S turns just as many heads as its Italian rival
Inside, it's far more comfortable and ergonomically coherent, and the massively complex electronics that manage the engine, gearbox and suspension allow the 650S to be driven sedately, calmly, and very smoothly
You could certainly use this car every day with ease...
The 650S has its origins in McLaren's first modern-era production car, the MP4-12C
The 650S also shares a family look with McLaren's P1, the hybrid-powered limited-edition supercar intended to blaze a trail for future developments in high-end auto tech
While it's not quite as hardcore as its part-electric sibling (at about a quarter of the price), the 650S certainly won't leave you wanting more
The turbos whoosh dramatically as they spool up - not, perhaps, the traditional noise of raw power, but a seductive one nonetheless
-
A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lightingLauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
-
‘He immortalised the birth of the supermodel’: inside Dior’s career-spanning retrospective of photographer Peter LindberghOlivier Flaviano, curator and head of Paris’ La Galerie Dior, talks us through a new Peter Lindbergh retrospective, which celebrates the seminal German photographer’s longtime relationship with the French house
-
Take a bite: Laila Gohar and The Luxury Collection’s ‘Cakes & Candles’ are a sweet treat for the sensesLaila Gohar’s six cake-inspired candles draw on The Luxury Collection’s hotels around the world – where guests can enjoy matching edible confections
-
The best gyms around the world for design buffs in 2018 -
Skate park design goes to the British seaside with Guy Hollaway’s F51F51 is Folkestone's brand new, dedicated, multistorey skate park, courtesy of the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and Hollaway Studio
-
Community centre architecture redefined: Holborn House by 6a and Caragh Thuring opensHolborn House by 6a Architects and Caragh Thuring opens for the Holborn Community Association in London, bridging art and community architecture with people at its heart
-
Pink concrete skatepark is a striking urban landmark in the Chihuahuan DesertA team of architects, landscape designers, sociologists and urban planners came together to create La Duna, a fine example of skatepark architecture on the northern border of Mexico
-
Last chance to play: Yinka Ilori's colourful basketball court in Canary Wharf is a slam dunkArtist and designer Yinka Ilori applied his signature colourful geometries to his design for this new public basketball court in Canary Wharf, London
-
Building muscle: London architecture walks and runsTry these London architecture walks and runs for some physical and intellectual edification
-
Janne Tuunanen captures modernist architecture of renovated Helsinki Olympic StadiumPhotographer Janne Tuunanen captures the sharp modernist architecture of the recently renovated Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland in his latest series
-
Yinka Ilori’s colourful skatepark in France is a pillar of the communitySport, street art and community merge in Yinka Ilori’s skatepark in Roubaix, project that is part of Lille’s World Capital of Design 2020
