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NEWS
McLaren 650S encore at Sandown this weekend
Fresh from Aussie unveiling at the AGP, new coupe is set to stun at GT roundMcLaren's piping hot 650S is back for a return performance in Melbourne this weekend, having already made its first appearance at the Australian Grand Prix.
The new coupe, which is based on the MP4-12C, can knock over the 0-100km/h sprint in three seconds flat – three tenths of a second faster than the MP4. That extra performance is courtesy of a 478kW tune for the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.
Pricing has already been announced for the 650S /news/mclaren/mclaren-650s-undercuts-ferrari-42284, and McLaren dealers in Sydney and Melbourne are standing by to take orders.
The 650S won't be the only McLaren at Sandown over the weekend. Klark Quinn's Darrell Lea-sponsored MP4-12C will be there too, ready to take on all comers in the 2014 Australian GT Championship. Quinn's car placed fourth at the Bathurst 12-hour last month, and set a new lap record around the circuit. The McLaren driver was pleased with the result, despite missing out on the podium.
"A number of people were writing us off before the race because the McLaren was considered a 'sprint' racer, not so much an endurance machine," Quinn said.
"For a car that's supposedly not much more than a sprinter, we certainly surprised a lot of people when we challenged for the race lead over the final laps and stole the lap record chasing down the leaders. In the end we only missed a podium by a couple of car lengths, and we weren't that much further behind the winning team.
"I'd never actually driven the car prior to my first practice at Bathurst, but I really enjoyed it. It was different to drive than the GT3-R but it was quick, so the decision to retire the Porsche and take on the McLaren 12C for the national series this year wasn't a difficult one.
"I'm really looking forward to Sandown and to seeing how the car performs. It's going to be a tough year with some seriously good competitors joining the championship, but I think we'll be pretty right. Bathurst was proof of that."
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Written byCarsales Staff
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