Given the rather restrained design of the McLaren 650S and its lack of a screaming engine or exhaust note, one can easily dismiss just how incredibly fast it is.
As its name implies, it has 650 hp on tap thanks to the company’s customary 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. When combined with an advanced launch control system, rear-wheel drive and a dual-clutch transmission, it can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds, 200 km/h (124mph) in 8.2 seconds and 300 km/h (186mph) in only 23.7 seconds.
Those times make it a rival to the more powerful and much more expensive Lamborghini Aventador. While it can compete with pricier supercars, how does the 650S fare against its hybrid hypercar brother, the P1?
At a recent drag racing event in the United States, the two were pitted against each other making for an exciting race.
Off the line, the better traction of the 650S enables it to quickly build up an advantage with it experience absolutely no wheelspin. The P1 on the other hand lights up its rear tyres despite the launch control system being used. Even as it continues down the runway, its 903 hp unsettles the tail as the car builds speed.
Ultimately, the additional power of the P1 was too much for the 650S to handle but over a shorter race, the result could have been different.