McLaren 540C Coupé launched

Following the arrival earlier this month of the 570S Coupé, McLaren has revealed the second member of its Sports Series range. The new 540C Coupé, which has a £126,000 price tag, is intended to further expand the brand's appeal.

Like the 570S, power comes from a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 engine mated to a seven-speed sequential transmission. However, as its name implies, the 540C manages with 'just' 533 bhp (397 kW / 540 PS) and 540 Nm (398 lb/ft) of peak torque.

A 29 bhp (22 kW / 30 PS) shortfall versus the 570S certainly hasn't affected performance much. What's more, both versions share the same efficiency figures:

Model	540C Coupé	570S Coupé
0-62 mph (100 km/h)	3.5 secs	3.2 secs
0-124 mph (200 km/h)	10.5 secs	9.5 secs
Top speed	199 mph (320 km/h)	204 mph (328 km/h)
Combined cycle	25.5 mpg (11.1 l/100km)
CO2 emissions	258 g/km

A unique wheel design and some slightly modified aerodynamic appendages visually identify the 540C. Otherwise, a recalibrated adaptive damping system is the only other major difference compared to the 570S.

The 540C Coupé is available to order now, and customer deliveries are due to begin early next year.

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