The 650S feels even more capable than the 12C on the road.
It rides better, is slicker up and down the gears, and thanks to that extra
wallop of torque, outruns slower traffic with even greater ease than before.
But take the car out on the racetrack (Spain’s Ascari circuit in this case) and
it rapidly – really rapidly – sheds its British gentleman persona and
transforms into a British bulldog on the scent for sausages.
Besides coping with the increased down force, the stiffer
spring rates also enable the fitment of bespoke super-sticky Pirelli P Zero
Corsa tyres, whose harder sidewalls are designed to provide sharper turn-in. Coupled
with a steering that’s been tweaked to give less assistance and more “action”,
the 650S is exceptionally precise carving out apexes, and feels markedly more
immediate than the 12C. Be sure to warm up the tyres first, though, because the
car displays traces of under steer with cold rubber.
‘Mac’ Version 2.0
interior
And because the suspension setup is firmer and more resolved
in Track mode, the immense level of grip is complemented by the chassis’ wonderful
balance through the bends. The massive downforce means I can carry huge speeds into
and out of corners, sometimes more than what my science teacher once told me is
physically possible.
Then there are the brakes. McLaren has generously specified
as standard equipment its carbon-ceramic discs, and boy, do they bite hard.
Besides being more powerful and less resistant to fade, they are also easier to
modulate and less grabby than the 12C’s steel stoppers.
This “Mac” Version
2.0 Is So Complete That Ferrari Has Every Reason To Be Worried
Forget finesse. The 650S loves to be taken by the scruff of
the neck and rewards a point-and-squirt driving style. Even when I get on the
gas too early while exiting a corner, the car doesn’t threaten to punish the
mistake (deliberate or accidental). The traction control doesn’t completely
disappear in Track mode, but it does allow some slip to make me feel like a
track-day god. All I need is a small dose of opposite lock to correct the slide
when the rear steps out. For hooligans who are reading this, yes, you can switch
the “guardian” systems off.
The 650S almost feels like a different supercar to the 12C,
especially on the track, where the tweaks feel even more pronounced and it
performs even more potently. Racier, more responsive and ultimately more
rewarding than its predecessor, it is essentially the 12C turned up to 11. It’s
how the 12C should have been from the beginning.
Just as exquisite is the 650S Coupe’s showier sibling, the
650S Spider. Like the 12C Spider, because the incredibly stiff carbon tub was
designed to accommodate a convertible from the onset, the lack of a roof is
never felt and the driving dynamics are virtually identical to the coupe’s,
even on a punishing racetrack. What I do feel is the same acoustic drama that’s
unleashed on the eardrums of unsuspecting pedestrians.
What’s lost is a little lightness (+40kg), a 4km/h lower top
speed (329km/h) and the small matter of a $100,000 premium in Singapore. Is it
worth the money for the extra pose-factor? Depending on the size of your
inheritance or private bank account, I’d say definitely.
As usual, McLaren offers an exhaustive list of options for
you to personalise your 650S. On the list is a rear parking camera, which in my
opinion should be free of charge in a car costing over a million bucks.
Anyway, a must-have option is the pair of Alcantara-lined
carbon fibre bucket seats. They won’t score any points with your
miniskirt-wearing girlfriend, but it’ll be $31,800 well spent if your bottom is
well supported out on the Sepang F1 Circuit.
‘Mac’ Version 2.0
wheel
There are four new hues for the exterior: Storm Grey, Aurora
Blue, Tarocco Orange and an unconventional (for McLaren) Mantis Green. These
colours really pop in the Spanish sunshine, especially when contrasted with the
orange brake callipers.
But I’m not entirely convinced by Mantis Green, unless you
don’t mind the ignorant few mistaking your 650S for a certain Italian supercar
with a bull emblem, I’d avoid that paint job. But then again, I’m hardly an
authority on good taste – I’m in my 30s with shoulder-length hair, for crying
out loud.
In the end, the selling point of the 650S will be how its
wider range of abilities visa-vis the 12C allows it to shift, seamlessly, from
being an uncompromising and utterly focused track weapon to a comfortable road
car you can actually use every day. The 12C consulted a psychiatrist for its
OCD and has emerged a more effective supercar. Oh, stopping by a plastic
surgeon helped, too.
This “Mac” version 2.0 still isn’t Italian-ish, but it’s so
complete and convincing that Maranello has every reason to be worried.
