McLaren targets Porsche with all-new 570S

What is it? The 570S is cheaper version of McLaren’s already legendary 12C and 650S with a little less horsepower and a much smaller price tag. Basically, McLaren takes the 650S’s 3.8-litre turbocharged V8, turns down the boost to 562 horsepower (down from 641 hp), simplifies the suspension (less Formula One, more sports car normal with double wishbones and fixed anti-roll bars/adjustable damping) and builds the body out of aluminum to save a few bucks. But the 570 is strikingly gorgeous, Mark Vinnels, the company’s executive director of product development, claiming it is the first McLaren ever to be produced completely faithful to its original design sketch without any revisions. Why does it matter? Two reasons. The first is that the 570S really is a supercar masquerading as a top-flight sports car. Its carbon fibre tub is all but identical to the 650’s and not so different from the uberexpensive P1’s, and its performance is definitely supercar-like — it takes 3.2 seconds to sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h and its top speed exceeds 326 km/h. Making this all the more significant is that the 570S will be priced right around the Porsche 911 Turbo’s MSRP, around $100,000 less than the current 650. And, accord- ing to Vinnels, the 570 will be more communicative, its skinnier tires — just 225 millimetres wide in front — and fixed anti-roll bars generating more feedback. Lap times may be down, says Vinnels, but the fun factor is way up. When is it coming? Soon. McLaren isn’t giving up exact details of its launch date, but it will arrive this year. Should you buy it? If you’re in the market for the top-ofthe-line Porsche 911 Turbo or a V10-powered Audi R8, you should really look at McLaren’s supercar-on-a-budget. It’s a genuine mid-engined sports car, the handling is almost assured to be phantasmagorical and it will grab all the attention a McLaren deserves for two-thirds the price. I can’t help wonder, however, if this is McLaren’s wisest marketing move.

As it is so close to the 650S in everything save horsepower — and even then, its zero-to-100-km/h time is only 0.2 seconds slower — one can’t help wonder if all the dilettantes just looking to impress their neighbours won’t opt for this cheaper version. Rendering the 570 as a Mini-Me clone of the 650 may bring all manner of volume-generated production savings but it also risks cannibalizing sales. It’s definitely a boon for those looking for McLaren exclusivity at Porsche prices though.