As McLaren continues to grow its presence globally, the British sportscar maker has announced plans for its first regionally tailored model aimed at the Asian market. The new McLaren 625C offers the greatest level of refinement of any McLaren model to date, combined with the optimised driving dynamics all McLarens are famous for.
The Asian market has seen the biggest area of growth for McLaren Automotive over the past two years, not least with the entry into China in September 2013. Sales are set to grow from 20 percent in 2013 to more than a third in 2014.
The name of the 625C refers to the power output of the highly efficient derivative of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 powerplant - 625PS (616bhp). 'C' stands for 'Club', highlighting a more accessible and less extreme model in terms of character. However, the McLaren 625C enjoys a number of the technical advances already debuted on the McLaren 650S.
With a power output of 625PS (616bhp), enhancements have been made to driveability and efficiency with engine torque of 610Nm. Acceleration from 0 to 100km/h takes just 3.1 seconds, while 200km/h is reached in 8.8 seconds for the Coupe. Despite the lower power of the 625C, maximum speed mirrors that of the 650S, at 333km/h (329km/h for Spider), and CO2 emissions remain the same at 275g/km.
New dampers and revised mechanical balance give the McLaren 625C the most refined ride of any McLaren model to date. The bespoke set up, with a less stiff spring rate at the rear, ensures a sharp response with no loss in ride comfort through the ProActive Chassis Control system in 'Normal' mode, without any compromise to handling or performance in 'Sport' and 'Track' modes.
The new McLaren 625C will initially be launched in Hong Kong, with Coupe and Spider bodystyles both immediately available. Selected other markets across the Asia Pacific region will be announced in the coming months.
