Here's Proof The McLaren 650S Spyder Is Much More Than A Facelifted 12C

Jan. 21, 2015 3:00 PM ET by Jay Traugott Test Drive / 13 Comments

Consider the old 12C just a warm up.

McLaren had a good thing going with the now discontinued 12C. Considering it was McLaren's first road car for quite some time, the 12C was an impressive thing. Impressive but nowhere near perfect or quite on par with its chief rivals from Ferrari and Porsche. That's why today there is the 650S. At first glance it may look like really nothing more than a facelifted 12C with P1 front end styling. But in truth it's much more than that. The 641 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque 650S (and 650S Spyder) is a dramatic improvement and step above the 12C in every way.

It's more planted, more refined, and more powerful. Power still comes from that twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 and the signature McLaren carbon-fiber tub remains, too. Motor Trend gets behind the wheel of the 650S Spyder to see just how far McLaren has come in a very short period of time.