Wheels Australia — August 2016

54 WheelsMag.com.au

Baby Mac lives up to the hype

McLaren 540C

ASKING how much

performance a supercar

needs sounds idiotic. The

obvious answer is “as

much as possible!”, but is

that really the case?

Drive most modern supercars

and you’ll quickly discover they’re

too fast to properly exploit on

public roads. In today’s age of

hidden speed cameras, opening

thetapsonyourfancysupercar

for just three seconds is enough

to shred your licence. It’s like

winning the Lotto, only to be told

youcan’tspendmorethan$1000.

Which is where the McLaren

540C comes in. The British firm’s

cheapest offering is also its least

powerful. And that’s exactly why

it might also be its best.

The 540C is powered by the

same brutally fast 3.8-litre twin-

turboV8asMcLaren’sother

models, but detuned to produce

397kW/540Nm. It also has the

same seven-speed transmission,

and the same carbonfibre chassis

FIRST
AUSSIE
DRIVE

(though with thinner and lower

sills for easier entry and egress).

Whilethebonesarefamiliar,

the 540C’s character couldn’t be

moredifferentfromitssiblings.

Where their turbos spool

aggressively, the 540C is more

docile and refined below 4000rpm.

The dual-clutch ’box plays a

part here, slipping smoothly and

swiftly between cogs to make the

540C as easy to drive in city traffic

as a Ford Fiesta.

The savageness is still there,

just higher in the rev range.

Prod the ‘Active’ button on the

centre console and twirl the

two selection dials (one for the

chassis, one for the drivetrain) to

their most aggressive settings and

there’senoughtwisttoburstthe

285/35R20 rears into wheelspin

ondamproadsatthetopofthird

gear.Wringitsneckandthe540C

is still capable of white-knuckle

thrills, yet in a fractionally slower,

more manageable way.

The whole dynamic package

is well judge

flat exhaust note. The hydraulic

steering is nicely weighted, the

chassis balanced, and the ride

is firm yet not unbearable. The

540C ditches the complex active

suspension of other McLarens

foramoreconventionalset-upof

adaptive dampers with front and

rear anti-roll bars.

It still has McLaren’s supercar

visuals, though. Only trainspotters

will notice the 540’s different

skirts, rear diffuser and front

splitter,orthatithassteelrather

than carbon-ceramic brakes inside

its 19/20-inch wheels.

Same with the cabin, betrayed

only by manually adjustable seats

and no reversing camera.

So is the 540C as much fun, or

as raw and exciting, as McLaren’s

more powerful, more expensive

offerings? Not even close. But it

still feels super, and because its

performance is more accessible, it

feels super more of the time.

ALEX INWOOD

Flat soundtrack; not as raw or exciting as other McLarens PLUS &

MINUS

That engine; everyday usability; your licence will feel safer

Model

Engine

Max power

Max torque

Transmission

Kerb weight

0-100km/h

Economy

Price

On sale

McLaren 540C

379 9cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin-turbo

397kW @ 7500rpm

540Nm @ 3500-6500rpm

7-speed dual-clutch

1350kg

3.5sec (claimed)

11.1L /10 0km ( EU)

$325,000

Now

McLaren’s growing model

range and number-heavy

nomenclature can seem

confusing, especially as they

tend to look alike.

Modern Macs are grouped

into: Sports Series, Super

Series and Ultimate Series.

The Sports Series (540C,

570S and soon-to-arrive 570

GT) are designed to be more

affordable, more comfortable

and focus more on driving

enjoyment than pure speed.

Things gets faster and more

expensive in Super Series

(650S and 675LT), while

Ultimate Series is reserved

for McLaren’s pinnacle of

performance (P1 and P1 GTR).

aside from the Bi br he