P1

Make
McLaren
Segment
Coupe

It was either going to be Geneva in March or New York in April. One of those two venues would be the chosen locale for the all-new McLaren Sports Series. And now McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt has just confirmed to CNBC that the official debut will be the 2015 New York Auto Show. The so-called entry-level McLaren, codenamed P13, will carry a base price of around $180,000, far lower than the current 650S and its $270,000 tag. The already sold out P1 went for roughly $1.2 million.

The Sport Series is really the start of a new beginning for McLaren, as it'll compete more directly against Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. The new supercar will also be built in greater numbers than any existing McLaren - 2,000 units for 2016 alone. But McLaren isn't going entirely mainstream. That production number is still quite low by those aforementioned competitors' standards. "We're a newcomer in some ways," Flewitt added. "McLaren is famous for 50 years in motor sports, so we're a company that's built on technology." Flewitt also commented on the sad case of the P1 that was totaled last week in Texas.

"That gentleman down in Texas, it was really sad, he picked his car up and had an accident the next day. Nothing else involved, he hit a wet piece of road and the guy walked away. These cars are incredibly safe. But you have to think how you're going to enjoy them. You've got to be responsible when you use these cars."