New McLaren 625C for Asian market revealed

British sportscar manufacturer McLaren has revealed a toned-down version of the 650S for its increasingly lucrative Asian market.

Produced in response to "customer demand in the Asian market", the 625C is powered by McLaren’s familiar 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

However, while power in the standard 650S is 641bhp and maximum torque measured at 500lb ft, the 625C has 616bhp and 450lb ft – the same as the now-discontinued 12C.

Nevertheless, McLaren says the 625C – the C stands for Club – can reach 62mph in 3.1 seconds, and has a top speed of 207mph/331kph, the same top speed as the 650S. CO2 emissions from the model also remain the same as its higher-powered sibling, at 275g/km, while the 625C is capable of returning a claimed 24.2mpg/8.5kpl on the combined cycle.

The 625C is fitted with new dampers and a revised suspension setup – including softer spring rates at the rear – giving it what McLaren calls “the most refined ride” of any of its models. Also changed are the brakes, which are cast-iron discs instead of the carbonfibre-ceramic units found on the 650S. Those changes are designed to give the 625C better every day usability and comfort.

McLaren’s ProActive Chassis Control system, which offers driving modes for both normal and track use, is unchanged.

It’s little surprise that McLaren should invest so heavily in the Asian market: in 2013, the region contributed 20 per cent of the firm’s global sales. Buoyed by its entry into China in September last year, McLaren expects Asia to secure more than a third of its total sales in 2014.

Both coupé and Spider versions of the 625C will go on sale, and the model will initially launch in Hong Kong. It will be rolled out to other Asian markets in the coming months.