My FM Log: The McLaren 650S

Having fought Update 3.0's Open Tour Series until the January 17th deadline, I got my hands on the McLaren 650S, an instant classic that made its way back to the new Forza Motorsport game.

McLaren Automotive presented the 650S, in coupe and spider variants, at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show and promises that this new model will be their fastest, most engaging, best equipped, and most beautiful series-production supercar yet.

Although some components came from the MP4-12C, McLaren says that the 650S is not the direct replacement for the 12C, even though production of the 12C halted due to the 650S' high demand. It also comes with some components from the now-sold-out McLaren P1 hypercar. The engine, as usual, comes with the same 3.8L Twin Turbo V8 engine, but the power output is a titular 650PS of power output and 500lb-ft of torque, mated to a ‎7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It will do 0-100kph in under three seconds and a top speed of over 333kph.

The 650S was replaced by the 720S in 2017.

It's time to have a one-lap time attack around Silverstone with the 650S and see if it's still as good as it was made.

It may be a 12C bearing the P1's front but the 650S got what it demanded; the demonstration of its track-honed capabilities you would expect from a McLaren.

Enjoy your new ride!

My FH5 Log: Open-top McLaren Duel

After obtaining the 650S Spider from the Forza Horizon 5 Series 6 Hot Season Playlist, it's time to settle the issue of how much the 720S Spider evolved from the 650S Spider. But first, let's get to know the prime specimens.

The 650S Spider offers the same thrills as the coupe version, especially the 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine producing 641hp of power while mated to a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox but with a foldable roof for some open-top enjoyment on the road and track. While the 650S coupe weighs around 1330kg, the Spider weighs 40kg more and as a result, the top speed is dropped by 4mph, resulting to 203mph, but the 0-60mph time is still at three seconds.

The 720S Spider offers the same driving experience as the coupe version only with the retractable roof that can be opened or closed at the push of the button. It carries the same 720PS 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine as well and although it weighs 4% heavier than the coupe, it can still do 0-60mph in almost three seconds and onwards to 212mph.

Now that we get to know these open-top Super Series machines, it's time to revisit the main Horizon Mexico Festival Site to find out how fast it takes for the 650S Spider to evolve into the 720S Spider. Without further ado, let's roll the tape.

After a quick lap, here are the results;

650S Spider - 1:08.635

720S Spider - 1:07.301

Although these two machines weigh the same, it took nearly a second for the 650S Spider to evolve into the 720S Spider. That's evolution, the McLaren way, and I've never felt this surprised over this result. Still, they're worth fun driving both and deciding.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Forza Horizon 4: The evolution of the Super Series

The McLaren 720S is the current evolution of the Super Series, the series that has been around since the 12C, the very first McLaren they've made after the divorce between McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. Having familiarized with one of the most sensational sportscars of the decade, just how much the Super Series has evolved from the 12C to the 720S?



To find out, let's pit down the three stages of the McLaren Super Series, from the 12C to the 720S, and see how much these machines evolved by taking on a time attack with a major twist; traffic. I know, my experiment is a bit out of touch but I like spicing things up, you know. Before that, let's get to know the Super Series evolution.



The MP4-12C harks the return of McLaren making supercars since the legendary F1. As a pure McLaren sportscar, the 12C features cutting edge-technology borrowed from McLaren's racing data which harks back to the time Lewis Hamilton represented McLaren, making it well adapt to any road and track condition while being aerodynamically efficient at high speeds. Its 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine which is somewhat small but packs a heavy punch when you put your foot down.



Most people believe that the 650S is a mashup between the 12C's body and the P1's face but there's more to its questionable styling than that because while it represents the next step of the Super Series range, the 650S picks up where the 12C left off by incorporating some of the P1's knowhow and improving the 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine that powers it, making it a supercar that can be driven faster and harder for longer.



And now, the latest generation of the Super Series, the 720S. Powered by a brand new 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine and mated with the double clutch gearbox, it does 0-60mph in less than three seconds and onwards to 341km/h (212mph). Apart from the performance, the 720S is all about form and functionality as well as employing McLaren's racing know-how on the road and track, giving the Italian rivals a run for their money.



Now that I got to know about the evolution of the Super Series, it's time to take these three for a sprint on the Monument Wynds. Ready, GO!

After surviving the Monument Wynds, here are the results;

12C - 2:23.010
650S - 2:18.505
720S - 2:12.666

By science, it took somewhat eleven seconds to evolve from the 12C to the 720S and seems that McLaren wasn't joking about improving the Super Series with new and exciting ways to make it faster everywhere.



Call it challenging to drive and tricky to master but the 720S is here to stay and as the Italian rivals get better and better, this British icon stays defiant to the very end and this 720S shows that McLaren is a force to be reckoned with on the road and on the track. Speaking of which, now that the 720S passed my little experiment, how about I treat this little charmer a little something?



This is something to smile about or scare about if it catches you by surprise but anyway, this pesky little joker is ready for action and with that, I'm off to LEGO Valley to get its comic mischief on...



I should warn you that when you inject this fellow with lots of power, it's going to be catastrophic at the start. Trust me, it happens a lot. Anyway, with my favorite joker in place, it's time to see if this is worthy of being my favorite McLaren.

Man, this is messy and anticlimatic from start to finish but the 720S sure knows how to put a smile in my face, especially with a special someone by its side.

Case closed.

Forza Motorsport 6: Let's Compare! Huracan and the 650S

Both the Huracan and the 650S are what you called prize-fighting rivals when pitted side by side and judging by the way it behaves on the tracks of Forza Motorsport 6, you will always be the judge of that. So, how does these two compare in the same way the Clarkson and Hammond compare these two while in Italy during The Perfect Road Trip 2?

First, let's talk about the 650S. Even though it has bits and bobs from the old 12C, McLaren states that this new car is not the replacement to the 12C, even though production has ended due to the 650S's high demand. Unlike the 12C, the 650S is a quick car and its 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine generates 641HP of power and 500lb-ft of torque, mated to a ‎7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It will do 0-100kph in under three seconds and top speed of over 333kph.

When you talk about supercars and hypercars, the 650S possesses hypercar speeds and like 12C, it's very high-tech and surprisingly reasonable to drive thanks to its clever aerodynamics, meaning that this car can go faster and harder for longer.

Onto the Huracan, while the 650S is a better car full stop, the Huracan can still beat it because when you dissect their innards, you will notice how their tubs are made of. The 650S has carbon fiber, which is great but when you ding it, you'll need another car. In the Huracan, however, its tub has a blend of carbon fiber and aluminum, making it more durable from wear and tear.

Under the bonnet lies an improved version of the same 5.2L V10 from the Gallardo predecessor but its uprooted to 610PS of power while mated with the same 7-speed DSG from the Audi R8 V10 Plus, which is by no means one of the best shifting gearboxes ever existed. Believe it or not, the Huracan is a different kind of animal or animals. It can be a hare (fast but fluffy), a cheetah, or a tiger (really angry) but it doesn't behave like an elephant. There are times that the Huracan behaves like a sportscar rather than a supercar and that is a compliment because even though it's as wild as a tiger, it's still a civilized car that can be used on a day to day basis.

Now that these two sorted out, let's find out which one is best it a quick lap round the Top Gear Track. You may remember that in the video, Clarkson and Hammond had a race to a one-room hotel in Bologna and in the end, Clarkson arrived first. So, to prove that the 650S is better than the Huracan, I decided to give a little experiment to see if the 650S is quicker than the Huracan not just on the streets of Bologna but also here on the track.


And now, I had the results and this is terribly disappointing. The 650S managed to do 1:18.419 while the Huracan done 1:17.767, therefore the Huracan is the quickest and second of all, curse you Richard Hammond.

So, the Huracan is the quickest of them two even though it has less power than the 650S but probably thanks to its clever four-wheel drive system that clings through the corners like a hanger with a three-piece formal wear. It's no surprising that despite everything I tried on this latest experiment, it's quite clear that both the Lamborghini Huracan and the McLaren 650S really dish out everything they got not just on the streets but also on the racetracks. Here in Forza Motorsport 6, you'll be the judge of that.

Forza Horizon 2: The 6-5-0

It's time for me to pass the torch to a new car because there's a NAPA Chassis Car Pack on Forza Horizon 2 on sale now and the highlight of this month's car pack is McLaren's latest sportscar, the 650S.



Sure, some people believe that the 650S is nothing more than a minor change model to the 12C but there's more to it than that because McLaren states that it's not a direct replacement to the old 12C even though McLaren stopped selling one due to the 650S' success since its announcement. By engineering the 650S, the folks are drawing inspiration from the now-legendary P1 hypercar and some of the P1's tech have landed on the 650S as well as its face. Yes. The face because the 650S is what happens when a 12C wears the P1's face just like that action movie with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage in it.



It still has the same 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the 12C but as the name suggests, almost 650PS of power output has been produced and that's more than what the 12C had. That's more than what the Lamborghini Huracan also had and looks like there's going to be a dogfight battle between these two in our hands here. Handling-wise, the 650S can pull some crazy moves on the road despite being heavier than the 12C, and drivers need to have better concentration to master this machine. I shall now demonstrate it on its Monthly Rivals event made specifically for this car.



Wow. This car is as crazy as cooking with Rambo while terrorizing the audience. Handling this car is like stuntmen doing hula-hoop for a change but it's a lot more dynamic to handle than the 12C or the Huracan because this is a rear-wheel drive car made for the highly-skilled drivers who are as brave as...well...a brave bird.



And while taking a break from racing against feistier opposition, the 650S tries to look at its best when it comes to show off its feisty silhouette. That really is one heck of a head-turner for those who wish to have one of these and when this car come face-to-face with the more-powerful P1, looks can be deceiving because...it's like looking a reflection through the mirror.

The 650S is a sportscar that glimpse through the mirror of the P1's soul and while it's not quite as battle-ready as the P1, the 650S is well prepared to take on just about everything the opposition may throw at it.

I think I should need more time learning how to master the 650S' crazy handling capabilities. Otherwise, I would get thrown into the wind for no reason, no matter how hard I tried.

McLaren 650S

After spending three years with the 12C and last year with the limited-edition hybrid-engine wielding hypercar, the McLaren P1, the McLaren Automotive portfolio opened a new chapter by launching their newest supercar that McLaren says it sits between the 12C and the P1 but who cares? Even though this is a new supercar with a new name, the brand new 650S is the result of what happens when you give the 12C the front of the P1 and some new updates on it.

2015 McLaren 650S

So, what's it all about the newest creation from Woking, Surrey? I rather fancy the naming because look at that name...6-50-S...it sounds more like it came from the pages of science fiction books but with a bit of flair on it. Even though it sounds as fancy as Downton Abbey meets Mortal Kombat or maybe Namco vs. Capcom, the name 650S refers to the power output because even though it comes with the same 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the 12C, it develops 641HP of power output. That's more than what you get from the Ferrari 458 Speciale or the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 and with such power, the 650S feels like it's on a class of its own. Not the bottom class or the middle class but a class of its own for the Woking newcomer that looks like a mashup of two of the greatest machines in McLaren history. It can do 0-60mph in under three seconds and a top speed of a dramatic 207mph, similar to the 458 Speciale and the Huracan even though those three are rigged with 7-speed dual clutch gearbox.

Although it may have the face of the P1, McLaren says that this is their new signature design and it seems that future McLaren sportscars will have that P1 look from now on because while the P1 is one of the best hybrid hypercars in history, it sold out quickly just as when it was reviewed by Top Gear Magazine or when Jeremy Clarkson tried one in Spa-Francorchamps so they decided to give their cars the same magic from the P1 and here's the result of all this brilliant experience they felt from the P1.

Of course, being a supercar, it has to be rough and tough as like playing a futuristic first-person shooter game in a ultra high difficulty setting in order to experience the thrills ahead but here on the 650S, it's as well-balanced and as refined like a British luxo barge cruising around Pemberley. It's majestic to drive, it fares well on the normal roads, and on track days...this is the one to have. There's loads of Formula One tech rigged on the 650S to give this car the same experience as a Formula One car because McLaren spent several man hours to incorporate their motorsports pedigree on their cars and for a fun fact, Jenson Button is one of the contributors to the 650S.

There's also a 650S Spider variant as well and although it offers the same thrills as the Coupe version, this open-top version sure looks come in handy for the long journey on the open road. However, since convertibles are heavier than their hardtop equivalents due to the rigidity needs, the 650S Spider is no exception. While the 650S coupe weighs around 1330kg, the Spider weighs 40kg more and as a result, top speed is dropped by 4mph but the 0-60mph time still at three seconds. Despite the added weight, it's still worth enjoyable to drive and when this car come face to face with the 458 Spider, it blows it away like exploding hydrogen bubbles from your head.

The 650S starts at £195,250 while its Spider version is £20k more and that's a lot to pay for a car that is more of an updated version of the 12C but for the sheer driving pleasure it delivers, I have to say that the 650S truly won my heart more than the 12C or the 458. Not only it looks great, it drives better and it doubles as a daily driver. You can use it to drive at the shops but as a warning, this is worthy of being a show off because it draws more crowds than a hot celebrity tripped on a red carpet premiere.

This car is a worthy contender of being one of the best cars of 2014 but frankly, I don't hold much hope because of the steep competition but I'm sure the 650S can manage this so here's a toast for Great Britain for now...

Available colors: Blue, Silver, Pearl White, Supernova Silver, Ice Silver, Fire Black, Volcano Orange, Volcano Red, Volcano Yellow, Tarocco Orange, Titanium Silver, Carbon Black, Sapphire Black, McLaren Orange, Storm Grey, Aurora Blue, and Mantis Green.

Photo: McLaren Automotive