Only 50 cars for 50 years: McLaren produces limited run of the 650S Can-Am

12 October, 2015

Inspired by McLaren Can-Am racers of the ’60s, production of the 650S Can-Am — based on the current twin-turbo V8-powered 650S Spider — will be limited to only 50 examples globally.

Created by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), deliveries of the 650S Can-Am are set to commence in the spring of 2016 — 50 years on from the first Can-Am race at Mont-Tremblant in Canada.

Exclusive features include a carbon-fibre retractable hardtop and bonnet, air brake, front splitter, door blades, and 650S Can-Am–branded sill cover. MSO has also created a unique set of lightweight forged-alloy wheels, inspired by those of the ’60s racers. Carbon ceramic brakes with black-painted calipers are standard equipment.

Further unique features inspired by the iconic Can-Am racers include carbon-fibre louvered front wings and a new quad-exit, polished stainless-steel exhaust system to provide the 650S Can-Am with a unique soundtrack.

The 650S Can-Am is available in three colours. The launch colour, Mars Red, is directly inspired by the M1B raced by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon in the debut season. The second colour, Papaya Spark, is a modern, metallic take on McLaren’s famous Can-Am racing orange, while the final option is Onyx Black.

Want one? The asking price is £255,850 — at the current exchange rate that’s NZ$587,223.Only 50 cars for 50 years: Mclaren produces limited run of the 650S Can-Am

Super affordable supercar

The owner of this 1978 GTV, Stephen Perry, with only a skerrick of wishful thinking, says through half-closed eyes, “It is not dissimilar to the Maserati Khamsin”.
The nose is particularly trim and elegant from all angles, featuring cut-outs for the headlights echoing Alfa’s own exotic Montreal. The body is unfussy, lean with lots of glass, and the roofline shows a faint family resemblance — although on a much more angular car — to the curved waistline of the earlier 105s. The slightly hunched rear means there’s much more space in the rear seats than in the cramped rear of 105s — very much a 2+2 — and a generous boot. These more severe lines are not quite as endearing as the 105’s but they are still classy and clearly European.