MCLAREN F1 DESIGNER STEVENS CONSULTED ON VISUAL UPGRADES
The hits keep coming from McLaren. Following last week’s P1 GTR announcement for the Geneva auto show, the company followed up with news of the new McLaren 650S Le Mans special edition. The 650S Le Mans is inspired by the company’s 1-3-4-5-13 finish at the famous race in 1995. Twenty years ago McLaren built five F1 LMs to celebrate the same result.
The stock 650S was massaged by McLaren F1 designer Peter Stevens, who borrowed styling cues from the race winner, including the roof snorkel, front wing louvers and Le Mans edition wheels. The front splitter and rear bumper make extensive use of carbon fiber, while side blades and rear diffuser are specific to this model. The show car is done in Sarthe gray with splashes of McLaren orange.
“With a mix of subtle design traits, the 650S Le Mans adds a modern twist by blending the iconic lines of the McLaren F1, and heritage features such as the wing louvres and the roof-mounted air intake, with groundbreaking technologies,” said Stevens. “It is a fantastic homage to that original design, and to the incredible race result achieved by the team in 1995 at one of the most difficult, and most challenging races in the world.”
Power continues to come from McLaren’s 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8. Output is rated at 641 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. The sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) takes 3 seconds flat and top speed is 207 mph.
Inside, buyers get black leather and Alcantara sport seats with contrasting orange as well as Le Mans logos in the headrests an on the floor mats.
The McLaren 650S will go on sale globally, with deliveries beginning in mid 2015. Owners get an exclusive invite to join the company at a 20th anniversary celebration of the famous Le Mans victory. The 650S starts at $371,400, converted from British pounds.
McLaren didn’t mention bringing this car to the Geneva auto show, but with the release timing, we assume it’ll be there.
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