Winged Rapidity: The McLaren 650S Coupe

Although a look at the McLaren family tree may give one the impression that the 650S is most like its brother, the MP4, rather than its father, the P1, it clearly takes after dad in the performance world.

What’s not to love with 641 horses and 500 pounds of torque? A twin-turbo V8 in a 3,148 pound car with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. No wonder naught to 60 takes under three seconds. Now that is quick in anyone’s world. It’s quite astounding what McLaren has wrought from this power and heft, for a car with a base price of around $265,000 (add about $15,000 for the drop-top Spider) and a V8 engine to post numbers like that is admirable indeed.

Available in both Coupe and Spider (which weighs about 135 pounds less), this winged-door beauty is a sight to behold and even more fun to drive. One can dial up the performance adjustments (note to self—don’t try “Traction Control Off” in traffic) and turn this road car into a track tuner in short order. Given the weather change, many may be asking for a prescription for the winter blahs, so here it is: Buy. Drive. Smile. Repeat steps two and three… often.