McLaren Builds 50 Special Edition 650S Can-Ams

By Tony Markovich - October 9, 2015

claren650scanam

For normal people, anniversaries warrant small celebrations, maybe some dinner, a few drinks, possibly a gift or two. For British automaker McLaren, an anniversary means building 50 special edition supercars. You can thank the company’s racing heritage for this one.

Back in 1966, McLaren produced its first Canadian American (Can-Am) Challenge Cup car. The series was an engineer’s dream with no restrictions on engines, minimum weight, or aerodynamics. Essentially, the cars just had to have closed wheels and a few safety features. Otherwise, it had free reign. And that’s how McLaren’s Can-Am car began a ridiculous domination of five straight championships, including 43 race wins.

To celebrate 50 years since that first car, McLaren designed a Can-Am 650S Spider. This car has a gorgeous red, white, and black color scheme that pairs beautifully with the custom pieces of carbon fiber exterior. It’s available in three color options: Mars Red, Onyx Black, and Papaya Spark. Extra features include the white trim along the bottom of the car and on the wheels, the No. 5 on the hood and doors, a quad stainless steel exhaust, fender louvers, and an Alcantara interior.

Powering the special model is the 3.8L twin-turbo V8 that puts out 641bhp and 500 lb-ft of torque. That’s good for 0-63 in 3.0 seconds and a 204mph top speed.

The 50 examples cost $391,808 (£255,850) each, and will be available spring of 2016.