McLaren 570S 2016 News

McLaren expects its personal best of 93 Australian sales in 2016 to topple in 2017 for another record year.

McLaren, the grand prix powerhouse, is aiming at Porsche as it cuts the starting price for its supercars in Australia.

Later this month Ferrari will show off its newest supercar, the 488 GTB, to Australian customers.First drive reviews suggest it's a more than worthy replacement for the fabulous 458. But if Italian supercars are not your style, brands from Germany, Japan, Britain and the US are lining up to tempt the supercar enthusiast.The second generation of Ingolstadt's supercar evolves the original design but is built around a new aluminium and carbon fibre space-frame. A 5.2-litre V10 engine sits behind the cabin and comes in two levels of tune: 397kW or 449kW, with the more powerful able to hit 100km/h in 3.2 seconds. A bright yellow example was on display at the MCG during the International Champions Cup at the weekend.Deliveries begin in the first quarter of 2016, with prices starting at about $370,000.The revived version of Honda's famous NSX from the 1990s will be a hybrid powered by a turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine in combination with three electric motors. One motor boosts engine output to the rear axle while the other two independently drive the front wheels. Where the original was all-aluminium, the new NSX will comprise a mix of carbon fibre, aluminium, steel and "other advanced materials". Deliveries begin next year, with prices expected to start around $250,000.The star of this year's Detroit motor show was designed by Australian Todd Willing, so it's a shame the GT is left-hand-drive only and cannot be road-registered here. That won't stop a few collectors signing up for the second revival of the famous Le Mans winning racer from the 1960s. Ford chose this year's event to announce it would use the new GT for another crack at the race next year.Road cars will be powered by a turbocharged V6 with about 450kW; overseas deliveries start next year.The British supercar specialist now has three strands to its model range, with the most accessible Sports Series comprising the recently unveiled 540C and 570S. The 570S is named for the output of its turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 in metric horsepower, equivalent to 419kW, and with a dry weight of just 1.3 tonnes it can reach 100km/h in 3.2 seconds. Australian deliveries begin next March, with prices at $408,000 (including NSW on-roads) for the 570S and $350,000 for the less powerful 540C.

If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. The adage explains why car makers like to launch their latest and greatest at the annual New York motor show. Many of the cars unveiled there won't make it here in the near future, if at all. CarsGuide casts an eye over the models that will.The Chevy Spark arrives wearing a Holden badge in early 2016.The company has addressed criticisms of the previous model by upgrading the fabrics, improving the fit and finish and stiffening the chassis to improve roadholding.The new Spark's looks have been streamlined with a longer wheelbase and lower body and there's a new more powerful 1.4-litre engine.Holden vehicle performance director Ian Butler says local engineers will give the car a local suspension and steering tune. "We made sure the car remains fun and agile but will now deliver even more sophistication," Butler says.The Civic coupe concept previews the 10th generation small car that will reach showrooms late this year.Designed by Honda's US studio along with the sedan — Europe will shape the hatchback — the Civic uses shorter overhangs and sharper lines to differentiate itself from the unloved previous model.The new model will have a 1.5-litre turbo engine matched to a six-speed auto or continuously variable transmission.Honda Australia head Steve Collins says the Civic is a crucial model. "Because it is a global car, ours will share some of the styling characteristics with the car just launched in New York and it will also have design features specific to our region."More interior space and more upmarket interiors mark the new Optima.A big hit in the US — Kia sold 160,000 last year — the Optima hasn't enjoyed such success locally.Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says the new car is a more refined package, headlined by a 2.0-litre turbo engine that pushes the car to 100km/h in just on seven seconds. "(It has) improved ride, more rear space and an engine that will be a class benchmark for power and economy," Hepworth says.Top-spec US models use a 360 degree camera, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot alert. The car is due in Australia late this year.The 570S is aimed squarely at the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 V10. Essentially a detuned version of the 650S supercar, the 570S nevertheless shares no panels with its big brother.The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is retained, although outputs have been reduced to 420kW/600Nm. That's good for a 100km/h sprint time of 3.2 seconds.Its Australian launch is early 2016 — expect a price in the high $300,000s.The facelifted Outlander's most obvious change is the "dynamic shield" front end, to be worn by future Mitsubishis.Mitsubishi Motors Australia marketing head Tony Principe says the update includes revisions to the Outlander's suspension, steering and drivetrain."Outlander will continue to offer great SUV functionality, terrific fuel economy and low running costs," he says, "but it will now be significantly quieter, more responsive and even more enjoyable to drive, making it a real stand out in the medium SUV class."The Outlander is launched locally next week.The massive Lexus spindle grille and flared fenders make the new RX hard to miss. The SUV also gets a 50mm increase in wheelbase to differentiate it from its NX stablemate, but the extra length doesn't include an anticipated third row of seats.The vehicle will be sold with both a 3.5-litre V6 and a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, each good for 221kW.The RX will have head-up display, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, heated rear seats, and optional 11.6-inch rear entertainment screens. Optional safety gear includes lane departure and blind spot warning, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.Built on the same aluminium-intensive architecture that underpins the XE and F-Type models, the XF is up to 190kg lighter than the current model.Interior upgrades are just as impressive, from head-up display to 10.2-inch infotainment setup using a quad-core Intel processor and ethernet connectivity for super-quick response. Touch and voice control abet smartphone-style apps for everything from remotely warming the car to calculating owners' arrival time at a destination.A new 2.0-litre turbo diesel will be the entry point while its supercharged petrol V6 puts out 280kW. Prices are expected to start below $80,000 when the XF arrives here early next year.The Boxster Spyder is all about driving purity, so owners will have to operate the fabric roof by hand. Based on the design and mechanicals of the Cayman GT4, this is the most powerful Boxster yet — its 276kW 3.8-litre boxer six-cylinder is lifted from the 911 Carrera and matched to a six-speed manual transmission. Porsche quotes 4.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint and fuel use of 9.9L/100km.The Spyder will arrive here in the third quarter, priced from $169,000.

McLaren has revealed its new entry-level supercar, a competitor to Porsche’s faster 911s, the new AMG GT and Audi’s R8.Dubbed 570S, the new model is designed to be more comfortable and affordable than the existing $441,500 650S.Power comes from a revised version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that has powered all of McLaren’s recent production cars.About 30 per cent of the parts are new compared to the 650S motor, and the boosted V8 delivers 419kW (570PS, hence the name) and 600Nm.That’s enough to send this ‘entry level’ McLaren to 100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 328km/h. It’ll do 0-200km/h in under ten seconds, too. Like other McLaren road cars, the 570S uses the SSG seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox with paddles and is rear-wheel drive.Similarly, the new model uses a lightweight carbon fibre tub derived from the design used by the 650S, P1 hybrid and the now discontinued 12C – McLaren’s first mass-produced road car which launched in 2011.The 570S tub has been modified to incorporate narrower sills for easier cabin entry and exit and a more comfortable interior.The new car tips the scales at 1313kg dry, significantly less a Porsche 911 Turbo which offers similar performance.This ‘entry level’ McLaren to does 0-100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and goes onto a top speed of 328km/h.Where the 570S differs most in its construction from the 650S, is its use of aluminium body panels rather than the reinforced plastic of its bigger brother. Its suspension is also significantly different from the more expensive models, dropping the hydraulically-controlled active anti-roll bars for more conventional fixed anti-roll bars with adaptive dampers.The usual ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ selectable driving modes also feature, adjusting the car’s attitude from comfortable cruiser through to track weapon.Cabin entry is via McLaren’s signature dihedral doors, and inside the 570S you’ll find a digital instrument display, sports bucket seats, 7-inch infotainment system and some funky dashboard shapes unique to the 570S.The exterior design is obviously derivative of the existing 650S, though the new model uses P1-style taillights and goes without a glass engine cover or the active air brake rear wing.A convertible version is likely to follow the coupe, while it's believed the 570S will spawn a less powerful 530C in the coming months.  It’s currently unconfirmed whether the new McLaren 570S will be sold in Australia. But if this quick Brit does reach local showrooms, it will likely cost in excess of $300,000.