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McLaren 650S isn't your average middle child

The all-new McLaren 650S is making its auto show debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show today, and we've just had a proper first look at the British exotic's new midrange model. Boasting McLaren's familiar 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, the 650S packs 641 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to hit 60 in a brisk 3 seconds, placing it firmly between the wildly quick P1 and the standard MP4-12C. The 650S' overall look sits between McLaren's other two offerings, as well. The front bears a strong resemblance to the P1, while the rear is much more aligned with the 12C. We've got a full gallery of live images from the floor of the 2014 Geneva Motor Show up top. You can also hop back to our original post on the 650S for the complete roundup of details. PERFORMANCE FIGURES ANNOUNCED FOR THE McLAREN 650S AHEAD OF GENEVA DEBUT Feb 27, 2014 - New McLaren 650S Coupe can accelerate 0-200km/h (0-124mph) in just 8.4 seconds - Faster than rival 'stripped out' road racers, yet offers far superior comfort, refinement and equipment - Available in Coupe and Spider variants from launch As the first example of the McLaren 650S rolled off the line at the state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre in Woking, McLaren Automotive has released performance numbers and confirmed pricing ahead of the global debut at the 84th International Geneva Motor Show. The latest addition to the McLaren range accelerates to 100km/h (62mph) from rest in just 3.0 seconds, and can reach 200km/h (124mph) in just 8.4 seconds. The standing quarter mile (400m) takes 10.5 seconds, and top speed is 333 km/h (207 mph). This performance puts the latest model from McLaren a full second quicker than the iconic McLaren F1 road car to 200 km/h, and 0.6 sec faster over the standing quarter mile, underlining its performance focus. This represents a sprint time to 200 km/h more than half a second quicker than the rapid 12C, which continues in production. Optimised aerodynamics ensure that the performance of the McLaren 650S is accessible and increases driver engagement. Enhanced handling, high-speed balance and steering turn-in result from improved levels of downforce. 'Driving excitement is at the absolute heart of the McLaren 650S,' explains Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive. 'Of course the performance figures are important, and they help boost excitement. But they're only part of the story.

Santander sticks with McLaren amid sponsorship exodus

Sponsors have been leaving McLaren one after the other as the team's performance has dropped off drastically over the past few seasons. But Santander is sticking with it for another few years. The banking group first teamed with McLaren in 2007. It started sponsoring Ferrari in 2009 and originally planned to drop McLaren, but ended up sticking with – and continues sponsoring – both teams today. Under the renewed contract, Santander will continue supporting both the British team and its driver Jenson Button for another five years, through the end of 2020. The news was undoubtedly welcomed in Woking amid the exodus of several other sponsors. Former title sponsor Vodafone left before the start of last season. Longtime sponsor TAG Heuer is leaving for Red Bull. After more than three decades with McLaren, Hugo Boss switched to Mercedes earlier this year. And Johnnie Walker is expected to leave as well to join Aston Martin over at Force India. McLaren did pick up sponsorship from CNN, which previously backed Caterham prior to the team folding. It also recently signed the Chandon champagne brand and extended its deal with Hilton hotels. Other partners include oil giant ExxonMobil, business technology leader SAP, multinational accounting firm KPMG, and Segafredo coffee. Once a championship frontrunner with eight constructors' championships, 12 drivers' titles, and 182 grand prix victories to its name, McLaren has dropped off drastically in its performance over the past few seasons. It finished the 2011 season in second place, 2012 in third, 2013 and '14 in fifth, and this past season in ninth. Much of that drop in performance can be attributed to teething problems with the new Honda engine package. But without a title sponsor for two seasons now and with many others leaving, McLaren might find itself without the resources it needs to rediscover its former winning form. McLaren-Honda and Jenson Button renew partnership with Santander McLaren-Honda is pleased to announce the extension of its partnership with leading bank Santander UK plc. The agreement is set to continue the partnership for a further five years until the end of 2020, with British driver and 2009 F1™ World Champion, Jenson Button, continuing to feature prominently in Santander campaigns. Having first partnered together in 2007, McLaren-Honda and Santander have enjoyed a long and successful relationship.

McLaren evaluating an EV hypercar for the P1 family

McLaren is evaluating a fully electric powertrain for a future Ultimate Series of model – a family that currently includes the P1 and P1 GTR (pictured above). The possible hypercar could give wealthy customers an ideal combination of insane performance and zero emissions. Look out for significantly more hybrids from the British sports car maker, too. McLaren doesn't have any specific details about the EV yet because the development is still in the early stages. "Our engineers have even started work on a one-off prototype to evaluate the possible benefits of a fully-electric powertrain in an Ultimate Series car," McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt said. The P1 already sports a hybrid powertrain, but the company wants to bring electrification to its less expensive Sports and Super Series models, too. "Our next hybrid vehicle will launch towards the latter part of our six-year plan, and we will see at least 50 percent featuring hybrid technology by 2022," Flewitt said. To fund so much powertrain development, McLaren's latest business plan includes investing a billion pounds ($1.4 billion at current exchange rates) over the next six years into research and development. Beyond electrification, the other fruits of that labor will be launching 15 cars or derivatives over that period and a new engine architecture around the end of that time. The company will have to deliver on plans to double output this year to continue putting so much money into vehicle development. Related Video: McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE LAUNCHES SIX-YEAR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME IN FUTURE PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY Six-year 'Track22' Business Plan announced GBP1 billion investment in Research and Development over six-years of plan 15 all-new cars or derivatives under development At least 50 percent of McLaren cars to feature hybrid technology by 2022 Fully-electric prototype in the Ultimate Series under evaluation Just over six years after the company was formed, McLaren Automotive has announced details of its Track22 Business Plan, taking it through the next six years through to 2022. Maintaining a spotlight on the development of the world best drivers' cars, McLaren Automotive will continue to focus purely on the development of two-seater sports and supercars. At the heart of the Business Plan is a commitment to its industry-leading 20-25 percent of turnover invested in Research and Development for future products and technology.