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Eye-catching McLaren 650S Spider uses race-bred tech (pictures)

The McLaren 650S takes advantage of carbon fiber and race-level drivetrain technology, yet still proves very manageable on the road.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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McLaren's latest sports car, the 650S, builds on its previous MP4-12C and P1 models.

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The 650S is designed to be extraordinarily capable on the track but comfortable on public roads.

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McLaren incorporates its logo styling into the headlight apertures.

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With its retractable hard top, the 650S Spider becomes a roadster in 17 seconds.

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The 650S is formatted as a midengine, rear-wheel-drive car.

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Doors open up and out, but you will likely hit your head more than once.

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Side air intakes help feed the two large turbos.

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McLaren fits the 650S with an adaptive suspension, adding comfort and cornering capability.

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The rear of the car has an active air brake, which deploys when braking from speeds over 60 mph.

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The engine isn't accessible for owners.

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The exhaust ports sit high in the rear.

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Even with 641 horsepower, the 650S is remarkably manageable on the roads.

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The cockpit has room for just two people and their mobile phones.

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The only storage area is behind the console.

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A big tachometer dominates the instrument cluster, and shows a helpful digital speed display.

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Paddle shifters on the steering wheel are necessary for manual gear selection.

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The 650S comes with a seven-speed automated manual gearbox.

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Climate controls are integrated with the door handles on either side.

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The Iris infotainment system, built on the Android OS, comes standard.

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The navigation system offers guidance and live traffic, but had trouble keeping track of the car.

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McLaren includes a limited set of apps,  but the driver must bring in the data connection as a USB dongle or tethered smartphone.

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The audio source menu automatically shows devices plugged into the car's USB port.

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