This will be a big year for McLaren, which will usher in a new era with the second generation of its Super Series cars. The first model of the new series will make its debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March. It will be the first of 15 new cars cited in the company’s Track22 Business Plan, and the second-gen Super Series will also be the first replacement of a product family by the British carmaker.
The Super Series lineage began in 2011 with the launch of the 12C. The 12C Spider followed in 2012 and in 2014 McLaren introduced the 650S Coupe and Spider. The family was further expanded in 2015 with the launch of the limited edition 675LT Coupe and 675LT Spider. It’s a rung higher than the ‘entry level’ Sports Series.
“Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland. This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new Super Series will be absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment,” said McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt.
The new Super Series is created around a carbon fibre central structure, pictured above. Highly rigid, yet weighing less than the CF and metal cockpit architecture of the first-gen Super Series, the Monocage II contributes to a lightest dry weight of just 1,283 kg for the new car – lower than the Macca’s closest competitor and 18 kg lighter than a comparable spec 650S.
The development of Monocage II has allowed McLaren to incorporate a wider cabin entrance and lower sill to improve access into a driver environment that will offer excellent all-round visibility, Woking says. It also enables a lower centre of gravity, further sharpening the dynamic performance new range. Owners will be able to specify a ‘Visible Monocage’ option that exposes the material on the inside area of the A-pillar.
GALLERY: Spyshots of the next-gen McLaren Super Series’ first model
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