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The once popular catchphrase for performance “There’s no replacement for displacement” has given way to a more-difficult-to-catchphrase phenomenon wherein smaller, turbocharged engines are replacing larger, naturally aspirated ones. Maybe “size doesn’t matter” is a good way to describe the trend, and either way, power figures are on the rise. So consider us surprised that the next-generation McLaren Super Series bucks the trend toward engine downsizing by replacing the current model’s 3.8-liter V-8 with a larger 4.0-liter unit.
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Granted, the move from 3.8 to 4.0 liters is not huge, and the new engine is turbocharged just as its predecessor was. Two twin-scroll turbos are employed, with McLaren promising improved throttle response and reduced lag from quicker-spooling turbos. The company isn’t yet releasing power and torque ratings—although it is quoting a zero-to-124-mph time of 7.8 seconds and a 10.3-second quarter-mile—and has yet even to show the new Super Series car itself. Nonetheless, we now know that buyers wanting to show off the supercar’s new engine, which takes the code name M840T, will want to spring for the engine-bay lighting (pictured at top), which casts the V-8 in a red glow when the car is unlocked.
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- McLaren MSO HS: This Upgraded 650S Is So Special, It’s Already Sold Out
- By Design: McLaren 570S Editions Offer That Bespoke Feeling at a Discount
- McLaren 650S: Full Info, Specs, Reviews, Pricing, Photos, and More
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The engine info is the latest drop in the drip feed of news the company has been releasing in the lead-up to the new car’s unveiling next month at the Geneva auto show. We’ve already learned that the car will use a new carbon-fiber monocoque that is said to shave 40 pounds compared with the 650S as well as give it a lower center of gravity and easier ingress and egress over slimmer doorsills. McLaren separately has revealed that, in addition to Comfort, Sport, and Track driving modes, the car will offer what is dubbed Variable Drift Control, in which the driver is able to fine-tune the degree of electronic stability control via a swipe motion on a touchscreen.
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We’ll have more on the new McLaren when it’s finally unveiled on March 7—and possibly some additional tidbits before then.
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