McLaren Unveils Its Lowest-Priced Supercar Ever

McLaren Automotive Ltd. will formally introduce the first of its "affordable" Sport Series supercars, the 570S Coupe, on Wednesday at the New York auto show.

The British company's $214,500 two-seater features scissor doors, a carbon-fiber-reinforced chassis that weighs only 175 lbs and the ability to zip from zero to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds and achieve a top speed of 204 mph.

The supercar is powered by an updated version of McLaren's 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine that makes 562 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. Output from the mid-engine layout is delivered to the rear wheels through a 7-speed sequential-shift gearbox. McLaren says the car has a combined fuel economy rating of 25 mpg on the European test cycle.

The 570S, which will roll on Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires: 225/35/R19s in front and 285/35/R20s in the rear, stands just under four feet tall. The lightweight chassis and aluminum body give the car a dry weight of less than 2,900 lbs.

Aerodynamic elements include prominent aero blades below the front bumper and an intricate rear diffuser. Flying buttresses direct airflow from the shoulders of the car across the exposed engine bay in back and onto the fixed rear spoiler.

McLaren says the 570S is its most practical model ever for day-to-day use. The car has more usable space than any other McLaren model, including 150 liters of storage in the front luggage compartment.

Among the creature features inside are Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, an optional 1,280-watt surround-sound audio system, touchscreen controls and a digital instrument cluster that changes configuration as the driver switches from Normal to Sport to Track suspension settings.