McLaren to launch 650S replacement in 2018

Mon, Aug 3 2015

McLaren only launched the 650S last year, but by 2018 it'll be four years old – and the 12C underpinnings on which it is largely based will have been around for seven. Looking at those time spans, it should come as little surprise that Woking is already gearing up to launch its replacement.

According to Autocar, the successor to the McLaren 650S is due in 2018. It's anticipated to be based on the same carbon monocoque architecture and 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that's widely used by the company. Frank Stephenson and his team are also tipped to be working on a new design that will depart sharply from the theme that has characterized the P1 (Ultimate Series), 650S (Super Series), and 570S (Sports Series). Look for that appearance to point the way forward for future McLaren models.

Expect output to exceed the 641 horsepower in the 650S and possibly even the 666 hp in the 675LT. By the time it arrives, Woking's latest will have to contend with even more powerful versions of the Ferrari 488 GTB and Lamborghini Huracan, which produce 661 hp and 602 hp, respectively, in their current iterations. It remains to be seen, however, whether the new Super Series model will adopt hybrid propulsion like the P1.

A hard-top convertible Spider is also anticipated to follow. The new model's internal designation of P14, as Autocar asserts, may finally put to rest the mystery of what Woking was saving that slot for: P11 was used for the 12C (and P11M for the 650S), P12 for the P1, P13 for the new Sports Series, and P15 is said to be earmarked for a new model to slot in between the 650S and P1.

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By Noah Joseph