► Month two with the McLaren 650S
► Passenger rides obligatory
► Is there anything this supercar can’t do?
Life with a McLaren 650S Spider inevitably involves giving plenty of passenger rides. Obliging could hardly be described as a chore, and can prove useful for finally silencing family members previously convinced that their Alfa Mito is ‘a rocket ship’.
Any true supercar must be able to impress in this scenario – talk of advanced composites counts for nothing if a car can’t render a ten-year-old boy hysterical. And I had worried for the McLaren on this score, largely because the last supercar I was fortunate to spend any real time with – CJ’s Lamborghini Huracan – might have been crafted from the wheels up with impressing passengers as its driving design objective, hence the wild styling, banshee V10 and lime green seats.
I needn’t have worried. Our Spider may be stealth of paint, rendered as it is in dark Storm grey, but the orange calipers and diamond-cut wheels work to dramatic effect against the car’s menacing form. The McLaren seems just as capable at invoking silent awe as any Lamborghini. The doors help. The lack of an obvious handle delights newcomers, as does the effortless way in which each one hisses up like a butterfly wing on its strut. A true supercar must have event doors. Front-hinged and outward-opening? Please.
Once aboard the twin-turbo V8 yelping into life ramps up the anticipation nicely, as does dropping the roof. The next few minutes have now begun to adhere to a script of sorts. Passenger expresses delight at the quality and design of the cabin, coos at seats, then plays with nearest air vent (which look identical to those used on McLaren’s F1 pitwall ‘office’, though in the 650S they ventilate a far happier environment). Throttle goes to the full extent of its travel for perhaps three seconds. Passenger goes silent, grasps handle. 650S negotiates corner or roundabout at speed without roll, protest or incident. Passenger grunts, then starts laughing as the car’s speed drops back to normal and the McLaren reverts back to its plush-riding, auto-shifting best-behaviour.
And the rest of the time, when you’re on your own, the 650S shines with a deeply satisfying brilliance across an impressively broad operating window. On dry roads you know well it’s predictably accomplished, effortlessly eclipsing any previous personal bests you have set with its blend of any-rev thrust, mighty grip, fantastic steering and wickedly strong brakes. It’s just as engaging in the streaming wet too, the multi-level traction and stability systems allowing you to explore the available grip in complete safety. The deft damping and communicative, encouraging steering also swell your confidence. For me the car’s at its best on wet roads, rear window dropped to better hear the engine and the underbody aero flinging a vast GT3-style wake into the atmosphere behind you. The only snag in such conditions is that because the stability systems are linked to the Handling mode, switching to Sport, for its firmer damper set-up and weightier steering, also slackens the electronic leash. There’s a logic there of sorts, but it’s interesting to note that on the 675LT McLaren has decoupled the two.
And if you’ve a couple of hundred miles of ground to cover on more mundane roads the 650S is no less capable; refined, comfortable and shot-through with an intangible but ever-present sense of special-ness. Set the chassis to Normal, the gearbox to Auto and the DAB radio to talkSPORT, pop a Starbucks in the cup holder and you’re ready for any journey, even the kind of four-hour stints that have Huracan pilots grumbling.
From the driving seat
+ Gorgeous steering, particularly in Sport mode
+ Heady yet delicate turbo thump
+ Aces all kinds of roads and all kinds of journeys
– 17mpg makes for frequent stops
– Stability control inextricably linked to handling mode
Logbook: McLaren 650S Spider
Engine: 3799cc twin-turbo V8, 641bhp @ 7250rpm, 500lb ft @ 6000rpm
Gearbox: 7-speed auto with paddleshift, rear-wheel drive
Stats: 3.0sec 0-62mph, 204mph
Price: £215,520
As tested: £251,080
Miles this month: 739.5
Total miles: 1315.3
Our mpg: 17.4
Official mpg: 24.1
Fuel this month: £64.90
Extra costs: £0