McLaren has published a preliminary set of details about its upcoming entry-level sports car. Called P13 internally, the car will slot beneath the MP4-12C and help McLaren increase sales and expand its presence outside of Europe.

The upcoming sports car will pack P1 design cues such as a low nose, fluid lines and large air vents behind both doors in a more compact package designed to take on upmarket variants of the iconic Porsche 911 and the yet-unnamed, AMG-designed sports car that will replace the SLS. The P13 will be built upon the lightweight carbon fiber MonoCell platform that also underpins the larger MP4-12C, a setup that will undoubtedly make it lighter than its main rivals.

McLaren says the mid-engined P13 will be powered by a detuned version of the 3.8-liter V8 engine that powers the MP4-12C. The motor will generate somewhere between 450 and 500 horsepower, considerably less than the 12C's 616-pony output. Power will be sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, enabling the P13 to reach 60 mph from a stop in less than four seconds and achieve a top speed of approximately 185 mph.

Company executives hope the addition of a smaller, more volume-oriented sports car will enable McLaren to sell roughly 4,000 cars a year. Last year, the British firm sold roughly 1,400 cars.

The McLaren P13 will bow at next year's Geneva Motor Show and go on sale shortly after as a 2015 model. A convertible model is expected to follow soon after.

McLaren holds the Porsche 991 GT3 in such high esteem the company has actually bought one - and that's boding very well for the handling of its new, junior supercar due next year. Though yes, McLaren has had to give it back to get its engine replaced!

"The GT3 is one of the most impressive new cars I've driven. I was genuinely astonished at how accomplished that car is," McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt told PistonHeads.

We all like to think that that McLaren's battle is with Ferrari, but the boss revealed it's actually Porsche that McLaren Automotive's business is more closely aimed at, and from whom it is stealing the most customers. "Porsche is the brand we have the most conquests from. People who know and understand Porsche can relate to what we do in terms of technology," Flewitt told us. "We're less of a fashion statement than Ferrari and Lamborghini."

He told us the new car, known internally as P13, will cost around £120,000 and will essentially be a slightly less techy version of the 650S, using the a modified version of that car's 75kg carbon fibre tub. It won't be a 2+2, he said, but what it will be is more practical. "It's more usable, it's more affordable, it's still an actual sports car," he said. We can expect a version of the firm's 3.8-litre V8 to power it.There have been rumblings in the Porsche section of the PH forums from GT3 owners and potential buyers hit by the recall that a secondhand McLaren 12C could be a good alternative, particularly as they're now as low as £120,000.

With the new P13 expected to take a bow at the Geneva motor show next year, the delay in replacing the GT3 engine could play right into McLaren's hands, especially if it's even 70-80 per cent as good as the phenomenal 650S updating of the 12C.

Flewitt is full of sympathy for Porsche over the recall. "It can happen to anyone," he said. "Modern cars are so complex there isn't a car company in the world that hasn't recalled cars for something."

It looks likely the P13 will beat the GT3's weight of 1,505kg, especially with that carbon tub, even if it won't beat it on price at the boss's prediction of £120,000 against £100,540. But what a shootout that'll be, especially with the GT3 coming back stronger and in fighting mood.

According to a recent report, McLaren’s entry-level sports coupe could be named the 500S.

Up until now it was believed the vehicle in question will be badged as the P13, but now Winding Road says it could wear the 500S moniker. Set to take on the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Nissan GT-R and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT, the car will be priced at around $180,000 (136,000 EUR).

The magazine also says it is very hard to predict what the car would look like. Mclaren CEO Mike Flewitt has described it as "evolutionary", while design director Frank Stephenson was quoted saying that "Ferraris must look like Ferraris, and Porsches invariably look like Porsches, but there is no fixed formula for a McLaren".

As reported before, the 500S will likely be powered by a detuned version of the brand’s 3.8-liter V8 engine with output topping at about 500 PS (368 kW). The model will be getting some of the main features of the 650S, such as the carbon fiber central tub, the dashboard and and some of its ergonomics.

It is believed the 500S will be revealed during next year’s Geneva Motor Show with sales starting several months later. It will be offered in three different body styles – coupe, spider and the track-focused 500S GTS.

We’ve learned that McLaren is set to launch three different versions of its forthcoming ‘baby’ model (rendered in coupe form above), which is currently only known by the corporate code of P13.

While it comes as no surprise that there will be both a coupe and an open-topped Spider version, the revelation is that the platform will spin off a separate ‘GT’ that will feature a luggage compartment at the back of the car.

Given that the P13 will share its carbon-fiber tub and mid-mounted V-8 engine with other members of the lineup, this sounds like a deeply unlikely turn of events. Yet a McLaren insider has confirmed the GT as part of the mix, and the company believes it could even be the bestselling version of the P13. We’re promised that the finished GT, which we’ll see next year, “looks more like an E-type than the Jaguar F-type does.”

A mid-engined car with a trunk? Apparently so—and remember, you heard it here first. We’re told that some clever airflow management will prevent anything in the luggage area from being cooked despite its proximity to the P13’s mid-mounted engine. Our informant has also told us that the coupe version of the P13 will have a concave rear window similar to that of the Ferrari 206GT Dino.

Mechanically, the P13 sticks closely to the script that McLaren has established with the 12C, 650S, and P1. All three cars share the same basic carbon ‘monocell’ and twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. Given the P13’s position at the bottom of the range, we can expect the motor to be substantially de-tuned. It’s likely to produce between 450 and 470 horsepower, enough to put it in contention with rivals like the new Audi R8 V8 and the upper reaches of the Porsche 911 range. As with McLaren’s other cars, a dual-clutch gearbox will be the only transmission option, and all P13s will be rear-drive only.

Pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but our latest intelligence suggests the GT and coupe versions will start around the $130,000 mark, with the Spider commanding a slight premium.

McLaren Automotive is set to launch a new supercar positioned below its 650S, and will reveal it for the first time next year, most likely at the Geneva Motor Show in March. We’ve already spotted test mules for the new car, which is referred to internally as the P13 and has been confirmed today to be called the Sports Series.

Sports Series might sound a bit silly but it’s meant to signify that the new McLaren is more of a sports car as opposed to the high-end supercars that most people associate with McLaren. The Sports Series will compete with the Ferrari California T and high-end Porsche 911 variants, and is expected to be the most practical model in McLaren’s lineup.

The basis of the vehicle will be McLaren’s carbon fiber monocoque chassis used in the 650S, and its powerplant will be the familiar 3.8-liter V-8 found in all modern McLaren road cars.

Along with revealing the name of its latest model, McLaren also launched today a new teaser campaign for the Sports Series that will focus on game-changing moments throughout history, otherwise known as black swan events. Clearly McLaren wants to persuade performance fans to see its Sports Series as a game changer in the industry, though we’ll have to wait a few more months to determine whether McLaren achieves that goal.

McLaren is set to introduce its new Sports Series at next month’s 2015 New York Auto Show, and like the Super Series and Ultimate Series it will sit under the Sports Series will be made up of several models distinguished by performance and styling attributes.
McLaren has previously hinted that the Sports Series will mimic the Super Series by offering a softer model, a mid-level performer and a pure performance variant, which in the case of the Super Series entails the Asia-only 625C, the 650S and 675LT respectively. There will also be convertible versions of some of the Sports Series members.

Now we have the first details on the first member of the Sports Series family: the 570S Coupe. Based on existing McLaren nomenclature, the 570S Coupe packs 570 metric horsepower, which equates to roughly 562 American horses. Such a power rating is comparable with outputs of key rivals such as the 552-hp Ferrari California T and the 560-hp Porsche 911 Turbo S.

The 570S Coupe will eventually be followed by a 570S Spider convertible, due shortly after the launch of the fixed-roof model. Below the 570S Coupe should sit a softer, more practical variant (think extra storage space) designed for grand touring and above it should sit a ‘LT’ variant designed for the track but still usable on the street.

As previously reported, the basis of the Sports Series will be the same carbon fiber monocoque chassis used in McLaren’s other cars, and borrowed from them as well will be the familiar Ricardo-built 3.8-liter V-8 engine and Graziano-sourced seven-speed SSG dual-clutch transmission. Pricing, we hope, will start below the $200k mark.

The Sports Series is here, and it’s every inch a McLaren. Don’t call this the cheap one. Call it the 570S.

To be fair, it’s still not likely to be inexpensive—figure something around $150,000. But you’ll get an awful lot of bang for those 150,000 bucks.

First up, the specs: A 562-horsepower, 443-pound-foot twin-turbocgharged 3.8-liter V-8 engine sits in the middle; a 7-speed SSG dual-clutch gearbox swaps cogs; 62 mph comes in 3.2 seconds; 124 mph arrives in just 9.5 seconds; top speed is 204 mph; the car weighs 2,895 pounds when configured with lightweight options; 42 percent of the weight is over the front axle, 58 percent over the rear. Naturally, it’s rear-wheel drive.

Those are the McLaren 570S’s prime stats, but if driving the car is anything like the 12C and 650S, both of which we’ve had in our hands, the specs will only be a tiny portion of the overall experience. Thrust, brakes, and lateral grip, as well as an incredibly rewarding driver experience have become road-going McLaren hallmarks.

Wearing a design McLaren calls “shrinkwrapped” (think of the body being sucked down around the chassis and necessary components), a pair of flying buttresses improve aerodynamics and downforce. This aerodynamic optimization has been applied to the entire car’s surface as well, including the “door tendons” that help direct air up to reach the cooling inlets for the V-8.

Other key equipment includes a set of carbon ceramic brakes, Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires (225/35/19 front, 285/35/20 rear), and an engine with 30 percent unique components—the last of which, combined with the car’s carbon monocoque passenger cell and overall lightweight, helps the car avoid the gas guzzler tax in the U.S. (American EPA gas mileage figures are still forthcoming).

Inside the cabin, leather-upholstered seats, improved visibility, and some modifications that improve day-to-day comfort, the 570S is intended to be one of the most frequently driven McLarens on the road—a fact backed up with the most usable space within the cockpit of any McLaren on the road, too, as well as the 5.3 cubic feet of storage in the front trunk. A 7-inch touchscreen with integrated climate controls, Bluetooth, and other infotainment functions sits on a floating center console.

Despite the presence of modern electronics, McLaren is still shaving grams—resulting in a four-speaker audio system—although a Bowers & Wilkins 12-speaker system (or a McLaren Audio Plus 8-speakers system) is available as an upgrade. Other upgrades include Alcantara upholstery, nappa leather, and carbon fiber trim, as well as a range of bespoke interior treatments that coordinate with the exterior paint color and accentuate the cabin—similar to the treatments for the 675LT.

As the first of the coming Sports Series range (joining the Ultimate Series and Super Series), the coupe will be joined by at least one other form: its Spyder counterpart—but that won’t likely come until next year.

McLaren has unveiled its new rival to the Porsche 911 ahead of its debut at the New York Motor Show. The new 570S Coupe is the first derivative of McLaren’s brand new Sport Series, the second of which is expected to be within the next few months.

The updated 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 – coined the M838T E (as in ‘Evolution’) – is a more efficient version of the unit found in Woking’s established 650S, 675LT, P1 hypercar, and the now defunct 12C. McLaren’s ‘baby’ Porsche rival though kicks out 562bhp and 443 lb ft of torque, enough for the mid-engined rear-wheel drive coupe to hit 100kph from standstill in just 3.2 seconds, and 0-200kph in just 9.5 seconds. Top speed is a very un-baby-ish 328kph.

Running on unique 570S design forged alloy wheels (19in at the front, 20in at the rear) and Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres, the 570S Coupe weighs 1313kg – compared with the 650S’ 1330kg – some 160kg less than its nearest rival. Key to this lightweight build is a newly designed carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis that weighs less than 80kg, while adaptive dampers and anti-roll bars are paired with double wishbone suspension for McLaren-savvy performance. As is the seven-speed SSG transmission.

The 570S’ aerodynamic design though is not radical compared with McLaren’s existing model line-up, front aero blades, side skirts, fixed rear wing and rear diffuser being the main areas of focus. Few would argue that it looks better than a Porsche 911. And for it too handle better than a Porsche 911 is an enormous ask.

Barely has the dust settled on the release of the McLaren 570S than the British sports car company releases another new car in its Sports Series – the McLaren 540C Coupé.

Taking up the mantle as the latest entry-level McLaren, the 540C boasts 533bhp and will hit 100kph in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 320kph. So despite its lowly status on the McLaren pyramid, it’s still pretty damn speedy. The price has been set at $188,000, making it comparable to the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 V10. It was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show.

As with the rest of the McLaren range, the 540C Coupé has a lightweight carbon fibre chassis and plenty of race tech to make it extra speedy. The engine is the familiar 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 developing 533bhp at 7500rpm, and 398lb ft at 3500-6500rpm. It’s also fitted with stop-start technology – McLaren says this will improve efficiency and lengthen the range of the 540C, and therefore make it more suited to the typical usage of cars in this segment.

Indeed, the 540C may take the title of being the most usable McLaren to date. The carbon mono cell has been modified from other models to focus on day-to-day usability, with better access into the cabin. The dampers have also been tuned for extra comfort.

Inside, there’s more focus on space and comfort, with plenty of leather as standard and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

But fear not, despite the extra comfort it’s still all about performance. The carbonfibre and aluminium body panels keep the weight down – McLaren claims that with a dry weight of 1311kg it’s almost 150kg lighter than its closest competitor – and the power is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed seamless shift gearbox. It sits on Pirelli P Zero tyres and keeps the F1-derived Brake Steer system that is designed to help cornering by braking the inside rear wheel. Like its bigger siblings, it also features Normal, Sport and Track handling settings and double wishbone suspension.

Visually, the 540C has revised aerodynamics and a different wheel design, to differentiate it from the more powerful 570S.

Orders are being taken on the McLaren 540C now, with the first deliveries expected early in 2016.

McLaren will launch its second model in the new Sports Series, the McLaren 540C Coupé, at the Shanghai Motor Show, 20-29 April 2015. The most attainable McLaren yet, the 540C Coupé joins the recently revealed 570S Coupé in the Sports Series as the brand brings its race derived DNA to a new audience and segment. These introductions bring the number of new McLarens launched in 2015 to four as the brand continues its rapid growth. Globally available and priced from £126,000, the 540C Coupé can be pre-ordered now with deliveries scheduled to being in early 2016.

The 540C Coupé is a pure McLaren, and a pure sports car, sharing its DNA with the models in the Super Series and Ultimate Series, including a light weight carbon fibre chassis and race-derived technologies. It is fitted with a mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine which has been developed to be responsive and thrilling, even at low engine speeds. As its name suggests, the Sports Series dedicated application of the award-winning McLaren power unit generates 540PS at 7,500 rpm and 540Nm of torque at 3,500-6,500 rpm. With stop-start technology, it offers optimised levels of efficiency and a longer range suited to the typical usage of cars in this segment.

At the heart of the 540C, as with the 570S, is the unique carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis which has been newly designed with a greater focus on day-to-day usability, offering improved ingress to and egress from the cabin, along with class-leading occupant protection and safety. A dry weight of as low as 1,311 kg (2,890lbs) is achieved as a result of this lightweight structure and the use of aluminium body panels. This figure sees the 540C almost 150kg lighter than its closest competitor.

Power is delivered through the rear wheels via a seven-speed seamless shift gearbox (SSG) which, aided by the low weight of the 540C, sees the 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint completed in 3.5 seconds, 0 to 200km/h (124mph) in just 10.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 320km/h (199mph). Given this level of performance, 25.5 mpg on the EU combined cycle and emissions of just 258 g/km are an impressive achievement.

A subtly revised aerodynamic package and a dedicated wheel design mark out the 540C Coupé against the more powerful 570S Coupé. Unique aero blades below the front bumper channel cold, clean air through the lower bodywork and up over the sculpted bonnet, flanked by large LED headlamps. At the rear, the diffuser sits between the twin exhausts which exit below the rear bumper. The aerodynamically-led styling of the Sports Series Coupé includes intricately designed dihedral doors which include the elegant floating door tendon. This design feature channels air along the length of the door into the two integrated air intakes mounted in the rear quarter panel. This creates a clean path for the air to flow along the bodywork with minimal drag, directing air to the flying buttresses at the rear of the cabin which optimise air flow over the rear deck to increase downforce levels and aid engine cooling. An integrated spoiler at the trailing edge of the rear deck provides optimal downforce.

The 540C Coupé is fitted with distinctive new cast alloy wheels, available with silver or stealth finish, 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear. These are fitted with Pirelli P Zero™ tyres as standard, which have been developed specifically for the Sports Series to offer high levels of performance in all conditions, with progressive levels of grip and a focus on comfort. The 540C retains the Formula 1™-derived Brake Steer system, designed to aid cornering through the application of braking force to the inside rear wheel. This enables later braking into corners, and earlier application of power on exit.

The 540C features a newly-developed suspension system ensuring enhanced levels of driver engagement and refinement on both road and track. The system uses front and rear anti-rollbars Formula 1™- style dual wishbones and independent adaptive dampers. The damper tuning has been revised on 540C, over 570S, with more focus on day-to-day road driving. Adaptive dampers offer control over bump and rebound settings using the familiar McLaren ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ handling settings, with the Sports Series having its own unique damper settings. In ‘Normal’ mode, the system provides a refined yet engaging ride, while the ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ settings allow a greater level of focus and engagement when required. Twin damper valves ensure precise control, while dual wishbone suspension provides optimised levels of ride quality and driver feedback.

The interior of the Sports Series has been created with a focus on space and ergonomics, offering great outward visibility and interior space for occupants and their belongings. Organic curves carried inside from the exterior design bring delicate tension without aggression to ensure the cabin remains a welcoming environment.

Inside the cabin, the 540C Coupé is luxuriously appointed with leather upholstery to the seats, dashboard and lower doors as standard. The ‘floating’ centre console features a seven-inch IRIS touchscreen which controls all elements of the infotainment system. The air conditioning controls are also incorporated, as first seen on the McLaren P1™, minimising switchgear in the cabin. The touchscreen also controls the standard DAB digital radio, as well as satellite navigation, Bluetooth telephony and media streaming, voice activation and the audio media player. The IRIS system also includes the electronic owner’s manual.

The McLaren 540C Coupé is the second model to join the Sports Series, and sits alongside the 570S Coupé. Both models are available to order from the dedicated global McLaren retail network, operating in every major automotive market, in more than 30 countries. Pricing for the 540C Coupé starts from £126,000.

According to a recent report, McLaren is developing a new model called the Gran Turismo.

Set to become a member of the Sport Series lineup, the Gran Turismo will reportedly be based on the 570S but feature softer styling and a fastback glass roof. Little else is known about the car but Automobile Magazine says we can expect a more comfortable interior with additional storage space.

Like all modern McLarens, the model will have a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine. In the Gran Turismo, the engine is expected to be rated at approximately 570 HP (419 kW).

If everything pans out, a concept could be introduced sometime next year.