Man Maths: McLaren 650S

So that means a Super Series car. The MP4-12C (later just 12C) is the most affordable right now, but I was surprised to see you only need to spend £75,000 or so to buy a later 650S. This facelifted car had a prettier face, a better interior, more power, improved dynamics and it was just more exciting, meaning it’s worth every penny over the earlier model, in my view.

It’s the cheapest McLaren that will give you the full McLaren experience: the more junior models don’t have the suspension; the earlier Super Series cars can be strangely anodyne. But the 650S does it all. It’s been said a thousand times before that the biggest issue with all McLarens, other than the hybrid ones, is laggy power delivery. It’s absolutely true. I remember comparing a 650S with a Ferrari 488 and it was laughable how much better the Italian car’s throttle response was.

Nowadays, though, this can be fixed by upgrading the turbos. I tried a Litchfield Garrett turbo upgrade four years ago and while that McLaren didn’t quite have Ferrari-like responses, the installation did at least split the difference. A 650S with Garrett roller bearing turbos, more than 700bhp and, if you want it, even a limited-slip differential for around £90,000 seems like a winning bet to me.

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