If there is one thing you need to know if you want to buy a supercar that's fast in a straight line, it's that the McLaren 650S is a beast. There haven't been any races against the brand new Ferrari 488 GTB. We suspect that the new turbocharged engines that Maranello developed will make a world of difference. But for now, McLaren is a force to reckoned with.
The Viper, Z06, Huracan, GT-R and 458 have all had their butts handed to them by the McLaren. But the question of the day is: can something American take on the plucky supercar from across the pond?
It's a case of exotic American Muscle at it’s best with the Ford GT modified by Heffner Performance pushing out 700+ horsepower from it’s supercharged 5.4L V8. This is one of our favorite machines of all time because it's like showing the middle finger to the establishment.
But can a car from 2005 really compete with one from 2015? It's going to be an uphill battle, considering how many exotic materials went into the building of the MCLaren.
The 650S comes from the UK in bone-stock form, packing a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter that's been with us since the days of the MP12. Today's version delivers 641-hp according to the manufacturer.
Besides the weight, the Ford GT has to compensate for another major shortcoming – its gearbox. While it comes with a manual gearbox, the McLaren brings a 7-speed dual clutch unit that shifts with lightning speed and precision, almost talking driver error out of the equation.
Right, let's examine the race. At the start, the red-blooded Ford gets a head start. The cars have nearly identical power-to-weight ratios, but every time a gear change happens, you can see how the McLaren pulls ahead by a few yards. In the end, if you want to win races, the twin-clutch gearbox is the only way to go.
It's a case of exotic American Muscle at it’s best with the Ford GT modified by Heffner Performance pushing out 700+ horsepower from it’s supercharged 5.4L V8. This is one of our favorite machines of all time because it's like showing the middle finger to the establishment.
But can a car from 2005 really compete with one from 2015? It's going to be an uphill battle, considering how many exotic materials went into the building of the MCLaren.
The 650S comes from the UK in bone-stock form, packing a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter that's been with us since the days of the MP12. Today's version delivers 641-hp according to the manufacturer.
Besides the weight, the Ford GT has to compensate for another major shortcoming – its gearbox. While it comes with a manual gearbox, the McLaren brings a 7-speed dual clutch unit that shifts with lightning speed and precision, almost talking driver error out of the equation.
Right, let's examine the race. At the start, the red-blooded Ford gets a head start. The cars have nearly identical power-to-weight ratios, but every time a gear change happens, you can see how the McLaren pulls ahead by a few yards. In the end, if you want to win races, the twin-clutch gearbox is the only way to go.