Discussion
Currently on the lookout for a 650s Spider I am interested in an Aurora Blue one currently for sale at Rikon in London. Does anyone know any history on this car? Apart from not having the sports exhaust it seems to tick all most of the boxes for me. The only thing I am unsure on is a leather or Alcantara interior. If anyone knows of any low mileage good spec ones for sale please let me know.
marT350T said:
Currently on the lookout for a 650s Spider I am interested in an Aurora Blue one currently for sale at Rikon in London. Does anyone know any history on this car? Apart from not having the sports exhaust it seems to tick all most of the boxes for me. The only thing I am unsure on is a leather or Alcantara interior. If anyone knows of any low mileage good spec ones for sale please let me know.
I wanted leather when I was looking for my 650spider, however the car with the only colour and spec I desired had alcantara and because of that I almost never bought it.Now...i will not ever have a mac without it.
Holds you in place like glue, never feels hot, never feels cold and supremly comfy to sit in.
Don't believe the nonsense it looks grubby and dirty after 5 mins...i have over 30k on mines now and it still looks brand new.
Its all down to personal choice though.
Best of luck with your search..you will love it when you get one.
Leather outer with alcantara centre is the best seat option for a 650S spider IMHO.
Leather does wear better on the high contact side bolsters and alcantara centre stops you sliding around.
If i had to make a straight choice I would go alcantara rather than Leather but either way is not a deal breaker
Leather does wear better on the high contact side bolsters and alcantara centre stops you sliding around.
If i had to make a straight choice I would go alcantara rather than Leather but either way is not a deal breaker
marT350T said:
Thanks for the reply, I think I am just unsure as I have always had leather interiors.
Can you enlighten me running on costs and repairs , I have been reading £3k for a battery and some other ridiculous prices but servicing costs don't seem to bad.
Have been in your shoes with the same thoughts, and due to a lot of the negative posts about McLaren, I almost didn't buy.Can you enlighten me running on costs and repairs , I have been reading £3k for a battery and some other ridiculous prices but servicing costs don't seem to bad.
Certainly, the reliability issue is in no way unfounded with the spread of owners posting problems; however, its best if you take actual owners accounts rather than posters 'whose friend had one' etc.
I can only give you my experience.
My 650 spider has been pretty near bang on reliable; with no issues that have caused any bother apart from an airbrake failure that has raised its head a few times, and even then that is just a 'pure theatre' issue.
I also had concerns over the battery and associated replacement cost and was one of about 15 question I asked Scott the service manager at Glasgow before buying.
My car now resides outside. The charger is still in the sealed bag from new; i have never once used it.
I use the car as regular as I can ( can sit for 6 + days though) and the battery is usually showing 100%, but it has sat for nearly 3 weeks when we were on a family holiday and even after that it was at 90%...a nice drive quickly sorted that out. ( i do not have the tracker activated )
Big expense is the warranty; even after considering self warranty I am extending again this year at £3800, as it gives comfort that its nearly comprehensive.
Service next week is a smidge under £1000 and it turns 5 years old at the end of October.
Apart from previously extending warranty and service costs, I have had no other expenses apart from cosmetic stuff I decided to undertake.
Maybe lucky, or maybe these cars like being used instead of under a cover in the garage; certainly the more miles, the more chance of niggles raising their heads and being rectified.
I will always have a McLaren kicking about now.
Regards to earlier WW post about bolster wear, again, best judge a car with 30k miles; no signs of any wear whatsoever on alcantara bolster...leather piping has minor signs of wear though which is only highlighted as it is orange. The steering wheel also looks like a 2k miles car.
I initially wanted alcantara - but am glad I ended up with leather. It seems I don't drive hard enough that I need the extra grip from alcantara seats.
Some of the consumables - including the battery as you state - can be a bit eye watering. From the few posts I've seen about people needing a new battery, it seems to be the electronics that come as part of the battery rather than the battery itself that fails - but that still means you need a £2.5k battery, complete with its electronics.
Ceramic brakes are also not cheap - but at least you shouldn't need them very often unless you track the car.
As already mentioned, if you have a warranty, most non consumables are taken care of by that. I've had my car for a year, and it's required a few things - but the only cost I've had (apart from vanity stuff I've had done) is a £1k service, and 4 tyres. Even the 4 tyres were very reasonable - Costco had an offer on, and I paid £650 for 4 Michelin.
As already mentioned, the cars can have niggles and it does seem luck of the draw if you get one that is problem free or not. Having said that - mine couldn't go more than a few days without some problem showing itself when I bought it (usually electrical niggles) - but it's been problem free since the end of last year (although lockdown meant it wasn't used for 4 months). I suspect these cars don't like sitting around waiting to be sold for months.
I bought my car at 7k miles and it's now about to roll over 13k miles. That's massively more than I usually put on any single car - and it includes 4 months not being able to drive it (it was stuck elsewhere during lockdown).
Some of the consumables - including the battery as you state - can be a bit eye watering. From the few posts I've seen about people needing a new battery, it seems to be the electronics that come as part of the battery rather than the battery itself that fails - but that still means you need a £2.5k battery, complete with its electronics.
Ceramic brakes are also not cheap - but at least you shouldn't need them very often unless you track the car.
As already mentioned, if you have a warranty, most non consumables are taken care of by that. I've had my car for a year, and it's required a few things - but the only cost I've had (apart from vanity stuff I've had done) is a £1k service, and 4 tyres. Even the 4 tyres were very reasonable - Costco had an offer on, and I paid £650 for 4 Michelin.
As already mentioned, the cars can have niggles and it does seem luck of the draw if you get one that is problem free or not. Having said that - mine couldn't go more than a few days without some problem showing itself when I bought it (usually electrical niggles) - but it's been problem free since the end of last year (although lockdown meant it wasn't used for 4 months). I suspect these cars don't like sitting around waiting to be sold for months.
I bought my car at 7k miles and it's now about to roll over 13k miles. That's massively more than I usually put on any single car - and it includes 4 months not being able to drive it (it was stuck elsewhere during lockdown).
Leather+alcantara for me but also would not have been a deal-breaker. That particular one doesn't seem to have color-matched stitching?
Mine is used usually during the weekend and as such goes on the trickle charge in the garage. Its in warranty - the only issue has been the lift mechanism's fluid supply coming loose during a service - not sure how that happened......
Mine is used usually during the weekend and as such goes on the trickle charge in the garage. Its in warranty - the only issue has been the lift mechanism's fluid supply coming loose during a service - not sure how that happened......
Edited by 12pack on Wednesday 12th August 11:16
Thanks for all the reply's, it does give me some confidence listening to actual owners comments rather than internet gossip .
I was initially after a v10 R8 but after going for a ride in a 650s spider it totally changed my mind, as said, the spiders retractable rear window is a great Idea.
I was initially after a v10 R8 but after going for a ride in a 650s spider it totally changed my mind, as said, the spiders retractable rear window is a great Idea.
A bit like the OP i will be in the market for a 650s shortly.
Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Rock Studly said:
A bit like the OP i will be in the market for a 650s shortly.
Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Good policy to have as you end up missing out on great cars if you are over fussy on spec. Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
With regards to exhausts that really is personal as a rear box change is not really making much difference although if it has been decatted or had other mods then tread carefully. In any event the Mac Sports exhaust is quiet compared to many other Supercars and if you like drama then it would need replacing for an MSO or aftermarket
I would say quite the reverse on boy racers as with a noisy exhaust it won’t have been tracked and probably only raced around Kensington!!
Rock Studly said:
A bit like the OP i will be in the market for a 650s shortly.
Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Ah nose lift,that is another thing on my list, definitely a must.Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Rocketreid said:
Rock Studly said:
A bit like the OP i will be in the market for a 650s shortly.
Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Good policy to have as you end up missing out on great cars if you are over fussy on spec. Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
With regards to exhausts that really is personal as a rear box change is not really making much difference although if it has been decatted or had other mods then tread carefully. In any event the Mac Sports exhaust is quiet compared to many other Supercars and if you like drama then it would need replacing for an MSO or aftermarket
I would say quite the reverse on boy racers as with a noisy exhaust it won’t have been tracked and probably only raced around Kensington!!
My last car had a level 2 capristo and after about 30mins I found it tiresome and really needed to be in the mood for it with the roof down.
As usual, everyone has different preferences and thats just mines.
marT350T said:
Thanks for the reply, I think I am just unsure as I have always had leather interiors.
Can you enlighten me running on costs and repairs , I have been reading £3k for a battery and some other ridiculous prices but servicing costs don't seem to bad.
The Ctek charger that comes with the 12C/ 650S & other McLarens is now 10 year+ old tech. CTek have a new charger that lots of owners have switched too, it's a lot more intelligent and seems to give fewer battery issues. CTEK LITHIUM XS CHARGER AND CONDITIONER about £90.Can you enlighten me running on costs and repairs , I have been reading £3k for a battery and some other ridiculous prices but servicing costs don't seem to bad.
My old 12C over 30 months and 14k miles cost me £1k for each service, £880 for a set of tyres all round and £3,500 for a warranty renewal. That was it, any niggles were covered under warranty. I didn't pay for a single repair or anything else. I was also lucky and my depreciation was minimal.
My 675LT has likewise cost me nothing in 6 months and 4k miles. It has a warranty and I changed the tyres, £900 all round for MPS4S instead of the Trofeos. I have just arranged the service and its going to be under £900. Nothing has gone wrong and I have twice been offered what I paid for it.
The truth is if you use them (like any car they don't like sitting too much) and get the warranty the ownership expenses are actually relatively cheap. A good tip is to buy a car that is known to club members and has been looked after and cossetted that way you know you are getting a good one.
Bispal said:
The truth is if you use them (like any car they don't like sitting too much) and get the warranty the ownership expenses are actually relatively cheap. A good tip is to buy a car that is known to club members and has been looked after and cossetted that way you know you are getting a good one.
So does any one know such a car for sale?
So does any one know such a car for sale?
Rock Studly said:
A bit like the OP i will be in the market for a 650s shortly.
Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
I've had a 650 Spider for 3.5 years and 8,000 plus miles, it's been very reliable and like others that have actually owned them, costs have been reasonable. Great cars and a fantastic drive, much underated due to far to many keyboard warriers who talked them down without actually owning them. Similarly i have a list of must haves and nice to haves. The must haves are nose lift, sports exhaust and stereo upgrade. I am not so bothered about carbon fibre or whether its anthracite or leather - colour and the must haves are more important.
Nose lifts cannot be retro fitted and stereo upgrades - from reading previous posts - are not a piece of cake. That leaves sports exhausts which can be changed but how do people feel about after market systems. What does it do to the value of the car and the warranty. Would you buy a Mclaren with a Larini, Novitec etc. system fitted or would you mark it down? I know when i was younger i assumed that all cars with aftermarket exhaust systems were for boy racers and had been ragged but this is a Mclaren - do the same thoughts apply?
Just a comment on your "must haves" be careful with that list as from my experience, nose lift is a must have, but after that, the rest is very personal preference. Having had both with and without the Meridien sound upgrade I'm not that convinced it's such a big thing, certainly wouldn't put me off a car, as standard is pretty good. Unlike Aston Martin Vantage whose 700W premium is just fantastic. Also don't get hung up on the memory/heated seats, they sit about 25mm higher than ones without and the reality is you just never use the heating if the centre is Alcantara, also memory is not used if your the only driver
Do go for the right colour, absolutely crucial, you'll be looking at it for a long time, mine is Volcano Red and just in my opinion amazing to look at. Do get the carbon interior upgrade around the centre Iris, rather than the Aluminium one, just looks so much better. Other than that external carbon is nice but of course can always be added later, as can wheels etc.
Sorry not for sale just now, another club trip around Italy to do in September with the car, sure it will be fantastic.
Gassing Station | McLaren | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff