The new McLaren at first feels a bit aloof, Kevin Hackett reports, but that’s before you get to know it

McLaren 650S Spider.Courtesy of McLaren
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Racial stereotypes are always dangerous things, aren’t they? But many of us can’t help but resort to them when describing the attributes – or otherwise – of anything from cuisine, fashion, mannerisms, topography or mechanical objects such as cars and motorcycles.

Think about it: could Porsche, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Volkswagen hail from anywhere other than Germany? The country’s famous pursuit of engineering and technical excellence is imbued in practically everything its people design or manufacture. Could Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani or Ducati have originated anywhere other than Italy? Passionate, loud, beautiful and far from shy, these machines fly the flag for their country in inimitable style, while Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce, despite having availed themselves of foreign investment money for survival, display a more reserved, resolutely British approach to design. What, though, of the upstart that is McLaren?

McLaren is British through and through. It does, indeed, benefit from GCC money with Bahraini investors, but everything it designs, engineers, develops and builds is UK-centric. And the stereotypical Britishness comes across loud and clear in every level of its operations – evident when you meet some of the people responsible for producing its latest production car, the 650S. Initially a bit backward in coming forward, entirely polite and pleasant, they’re good company over dinner at the car’s international launch venue in Marbella, Spain. But the more you get to talk to them, the more you get to know them and what makes them tick, the more you get to enjoy yourself. It’s a two-way street and a very rewarding process.

And this is reflected perfectly in the 650S. At first acquaintance, it appears a bit clinical and aloof. It fails to excite, with cynics dismissing it as nothing more than a cut ‘n’ shut of a P1 and the outgoing MP4-12C with nothing really new to offer, apart from a nose borrowed from a more exciting and rarer car. They say it’s cold and unapproachable, doesn’t shout enough, doesn’t fire the imagination and is built without passion. And yet, when you get to know it, when you spend quality time with it in a variety of circumstances, you see nothing could be further from the truth. Just like the men and women who build it, the 650S is a riot once you scratch its surface and reveal its true personality.

At first glance, you might agree with the naysayers, in some respects. The MP4-12C was, to some eyes, too bland in its styling, particularly at the sharp end, and McLaren, instead of penning an entirely new design for its replacement, has simply emulated the mental P1’s nose and left the rest as it was. To my eyes, it’s not a complete success and there’s a touch of over-styling going on, despite the company’s insistence that everything looks the way it does because it serves a functional purpose. It’s not beautiful, I think that’s my biggest issue, but it’s definitely unique and distinctive, if nothing else.

When I’ve had the opportunity to drive any MP4-12C (I still think that tongue-twisting nomenclature was a big mistake) I have been absolutely blown away by its capabilities. No matter what your skill levels are behind the wheel of a super sports car, it flatters the driver and actually helps him or her become better at what they do. It’s as comfortable as an S-Class on the road but when you dial in some of its trickery at a track it changes character and practically obliterates anything else, including the best that Maranello can throw in its path. It’s an almost perfect product of decades in the motorsport business and I would own one in a heartbeat.

But the 650S moves things on considerably, despite its somewhat familiar looks from the A-pillars back. Yes, it’s built around the same carbon fibre tub, has the same 3.8-litre, twin turbo V8 engine, and the same seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox as the 12C, but it genuinely is a massive leap forward, with more than 25 per cent of it entirely new when compared to its still young ancestor.

Unlike the 12C, this new model is available from the outset in both coupé and Spider forms, with the open top model expected to take the lion’s share of sales, especially in the USA but, oddly enough, the same can be said of the UAE, while other countries like Saudi Arabia traditionally prefer the tin-top. That engine has been given new cylinder heads and a power boost (not that it needed it), now pumping out 650hp (hence the name) and the transmission has been worked on, too, to be even more responsive, while the car’s three driving modes have been tweaked to further the driver appeal and it has managed to shed 60kg in the process. On paper, at least, it all looks incredibly positive, especially as McLaren claims its suspension is just as refined and as capable as before.

And what a venue we have at our disposal for testing out McLaren’s claims: Ascari, on the southern tip of Spain – one of my all-time favourite circuits, surrounded by some tremendous public roads that snake around Marbella. The weather could not be more perfect, there’s a selection of cars to try out and they’re all fuelled up with fresh tyres to boot. Oh yes.

Since its launch in 2011, McLaren has sold more than 3,000 MP4-12Cs – a real success, despite industry rumours that it was struggling to find buyers, and the Middle East has really taken to it, with owners totally keyed into McLaren’s racing heritage. And there’s no reason to assume the 650S will be any less successful, but here, on this technically challenging and quite dangerous track, I should be able to get a real feel for the differences between it and a car I fell in love with within seconds of driving it.

Audibly it’s more exciting (a common criticism of the 12C), even at tickover, with a deeper, more menacing boom instead of the rather anodyne soundtrack of its forebear. The interior is practically identical, although there’s a greater prevalence of Alcantara trim (it’s lighter than leather and nice and grippy when you’re really getting on the gas), which is actually comforting as there’s nothing to get familiar with, meaning we can just get out there.

Even with a pro-driver at my side, the complexity of Ascari is still intimidating. There’s barely a straight section, instead it’s a snaking ribbon of tarmac that weaves through beautiful countryside, with blind crests, chicanes, corners tighter than a bull terrier’s jawbone and very little run-off if you get things wrong. With 650 horses being channelled through the rear wheels only, this is perhaps not the ideal venue – last time I was here I spent hours hooning around in the rather more playful Aston Martin V8 Vantage S, but this is a very different beast. But I need not fear, because the McLaren turns out to be an exceptionally brilliant performer in every respect.

Listen to the instructor and you won’t go far wrong – that’s the mantra I live by when driving on any racing circuit, and over the years it has served me and the cars I’ve driven well. Today is no different.

Immediately, the 650S shines more brilliantly than the 12C. By any standard, it is a stupendously fast car – put the hammer down and it’s as though a supernatural being has pressed an index finger on its rump and pushed it into another dimension. Turbos are brilliant when they’re as finely tuned as this. But it’s the brakes that really set themselves apart as so much better than before. No matter how fast I push it, the 650S stops just as well. It also steers and shifts gears better than before – we’re talking small steps here, obviously, but the cohesive whole represents a marked overall improvement in the way this car sounds, goes, feels and stops. It really does behave like the most civilised race car imaginable and I’d better stop while I’m ahead.

Because the danger is that, when a car is this capable and addictive on a track, you’re always wanting to get in an extra lap. And that is normally when accidents happen. So I stop and have some lunch at Ascari’s equally brilliant restaurant before heading out for a few hours on the roads in the Spider.

The roof remains open for the duration and it proves to be a delightfully vocal performer. See a gap in the traffic, drop to third, nail the throttle and hold on tight while the McLaren dispatches absolutely everything in front of it, as though every other road user is at a standstill, all the while screaming its head off. Yes, this is much more electrifying than the 12C, fabulous though that car always will be.

It’s when I reach a series of lengthy tunnels that I really get to hear what’s going on – particularly when it’s just bare rock above my head. Slow down upon entry, even down to a speed where second gear is appropriate, allow the other traffic to disappear into the distance and, once again, open the taps. What happens then is just extraordinary – a nape-tingling roar accompanied by time-warping power delivery. In a flash, I’m right behind the traffic I’d let go just seconds before and those mighty brakes make the car stop with breathtaking efficiency. The Spider, it turns out, is an even more engaging car to drive quickly than the closed coupé. It looks nicer, too.

When I get back to the hotel, I hand the car over to McLaren’s PR director, Wayne Bruce (affectionately known to us hacks as Manbat) and immediately feel a tinge of regret. Nose job aside, this is a quantum leap – the car the MP4-12C could have, would have been, had McLaren spent more time developing it.

But it’s here now and, while my knees are knocking thanks to the way it drives, the competition should be quaking in its boots. After last week’s Jaguar F-Type drive, the McLaren 650S proves beyond a doubt that Britain is firing on all cylinders. What a relief.

khackett@thenational.ae