Car Review UK

Menu
  • Home
  • Road Tests – Road test reviews.
        • 4×4
        • Commercial
        • Coupe
        • Executive
        • Hatchback
        • Saloon
        • Sports
        • SUV
        • Volvo XC40 – recharged and readyJanuary 11, 2021
        • Nissan Juke – two-tone chartbusterJanuary 4, 2021
        • Fiat Panda – the happy hybridDecember 30, 2020
        • MG HS – a money-saving secretDecember 24, 2020
      • All Road Test Reviews
    • Close
  • Articles – News & First Drives
    • News
          • The Renault lollipop – licking pollutionOctober 12, 2020
          • Volkswagen California – life’s a beachOctober 12, 2020
          • Ford Fiesta ST – fine tuningOctober 5, 2020
          • Ton-up treat for Mazda fansSeptember 28, 2020
    • First Drives
          • Kia e-Niro – efficiency to the maxSeptember 29, 2020
          • Kia Soul EV – our friend’s electricMarch 3, 2020
          • Porsche 718 Spyder – interstellar overdriveNovember 20, 2019
          • Disco dances to a new beatOctober 21, 2019
    • Close
  • Brands – Manufacturers
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Aston Martin
    • Audi
    • Bentley
    • BMW
    • Chevrolet
    • Chrysler
    • Citroen
    • Dacia
    • Daihatsu
    • Dodge
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Ford
    • Great Wall
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Infiniti
    • Isuzu
    • Jaguar
    • Jeep
    • Kia
    • Land Rover
    • Lexus
    • Maserati
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • MG
    • Mini
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Peugeot
    • Porsche
    • Proton
    • Renault
    • Rolls-Royce
    • SAAB
    • SEAT
    • Skoda
    • Smart
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Toyota
    • Vauxhall
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
    • Close
  • Music – Driving Tunes
        • Leon Russell – Delta LadyNovember 14, 2016
        • Juliette & The Licks – Long Road Out of HereMarch 19, 2016
        • Blossoms – At Most A KissMarch 7, 2016
        • Escondido – ApartmentFebruary 27, 2016
      • All Music Picks
    • Close
  • Contact

Featured · McLaren · News

McLaren proves a budget beater

  • by Mike Torpey
  • April 21, 2015

It is being described as the ‘budget McLaren’ but the second model in the racing brand’s new Sports Series will still set you back a princely £126,000 for starters.

The 540C Coupe, revealed at this week’s Shanghai Motor Show, joins stablemate the recently revealed 570S Coupé in the Sports Series as McLaren presents its race-derived DNA to a new audience.

It brings the number of new McLarens launched already this year to four, and though the order book is now open, the 540C won’t actually arrive until early next year.

Billed as a pure McLaren and a pure sports car sharing its DNA with the models in the Super Series and Ultimate Series, the coupe has a lightweight carbon fibre chassis and mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine.

McLaren 540C

McLaren 540C Coupe

Power is delivered through the rear wheels via a seven-speed gearbox and acceleration is 0-62 in 3.5 seconds with a potential top speed of 199mph. The Combined fuel return is 25.5mpg and CO2 are 258g/km.

A revised aerodynamic package and a dedicated wheel design mark out the 540C Coupe against the more powerful 570S.

Aero blades below the front bumper channel clean air through the lower bodywork and over the sculpted bonnet, flanked by large LED headlamps.

At the rear, the diffuser sits between the twin exhausts which exit below the rear bumper and an integrated spoiler at the trailing edge of the rear deck provides more downforce.

McLaren 540C

Inside the McLaren 540C Coupe

Stylish touches see the 540C fitted with cast alloy wheels, available with silver or stealth finish, 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear.

And the car retains the Formula 1-derived Brake Steer system, designed to aid cornering through braking force to the inside rear wheel for later braking into corners, and more instant power on exit.

Adaptive dampers use the familiar McLaren ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ handling settings.

Inside, the cabin is leather-clad while a ‘floating’ centre console features a seven-inch touchscreen with incorporated air-con, as first seen on the McLaren P1, to minimise switchgear in the cabin.

McLaren 540C Coupe

Face of the McLaren 540C Coupe

 

Tags: 540CMcLarenSports Series

— Mike Torpey

Mike Torpey is freelance Motoring Editor of the Liverpool Echo, past Racing Editor and also a travel/golf writer, music reviewer and rock music nut. Tweet @michaeltorpey1

  • Previous story Turbo spins for new Lexus RX
  • Next story Kasey Anderson – Don’t Look Back

    Explore More

  • McLaren 570S Coupe launches Sports Series March 31, 2015
  • CarFest ready to rock ‘n roll July 2, 2015
  • McLaren GT – long distance dynamite June 22, 2019
  • McLaren Senna a Chinese firecracker April 23, 2018
  • Menu
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Aston Martin
    • Audi
    • Bentley
    • BMW
    • Chevrolet
    • Chrysler
    • Citroen
    • Dacia
    • Dodge
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Ford
    • Great Wall
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Infiniti
    • Isuzu
    • Jaguar
    • Jeep
    • Kia
    • Land Rover
    • Lexus
    • Maserati
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • MG
    • Mini
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Peugeot
    • Porsche
    • Proton
    • Renault
    • Rolls-Royce
    • SAAB
    • SEAT
    • Skoda
    • Smart
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Toyota
    • Vauxhall
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
  • Recent

    • Volvo XC40 – recharged and readyJanuary 11, 2021
    • Nissan Juke – two-tone chartbusterJanuary 4, 2021
    • Fiat Panda – the happy hybridDecember 30, 2020
    • MG HS – a money-saving secretDecember 24, 2020
    • Bentley Flying Spur – force of natureDecember 3, 2020
    • Peugeot 208 – a genuine Euro starNovember 30, 2020
    • 4×4
    • Commercial
    • Coupe
    • Executive
    • Hatchback
    • Saloon
    • Sports
    • SUV
  • More

    All First Drive Reviews All Road Test Reviews All News Features Click MUSIC for all our previous picks
  • Search

  • Home
  • Featured
  • McLaren proves a budget beater
          • Home
          • Driven
          • News
          • Sitemap & Archive
          • Contact

          Copyright © 2014-15 CarReviewUK | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy