► The super sporty cars of Geneva
► From a bonkers 2080bhp Arash
► To McLaren’s entry supercar 570S GT
McLaren 570GT
Having decided that trying to cram an extra pair of chairs in the back was utter madness, McLaren’s newest edition to its ‘budget’ Sports Series has eschewed the four-seater prerequisite of your typical grand tourer for a glass hatchback. But this isn’t just any glass hatchback; this is a side-opening McLaren glass hatchback accessing a leather-lined Touring Deck providing 220 litres of additional bag space. With comfort-tuned suspension, 2% slower steering, specially developed noise-cancelling Pirelli tyres and extra sound insulation, the 570GT rightfully claims to be the most luxurious and refined McLaren yet. The cost of all this pampering? An extra £10k (and 0.2sec 0-62mph) vs the 570S. But you’re worth it.
Need to know
What is it: McLaren’s bid to make a real daily driver
Engine & performance: 3.8 twin-turbo V8, 562bhp, 443lb ft, 3.4sec 0-62mph, 204mph top speed
Aimed at: Soft, southerners. Oh wait, McLaren’s based in Woking. Er, the motorway commute?
On sale: Now, prices start at £154,000
Techrules AT96 TREV
You weren’t expecting the first Chinese supercar to be conventional were you? The Techrules AT96 TREV is a Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle, which, a little like the original Jaguar C-X75 concept, means it uses a micro turbine to power a range-extender hybrid system. Spin the tiny aviation-fuelled jet engine at its optimum velocity – 96,000rpm – and the promise is high efficiency and high performance. Pre-charge the batteries with a plug, for example, and Techrules estimates a range of over 1200 miles (equivalent to 1569mpg…) while the six electric motors (two at the front, four at the rear) that actually turn the wheels theoretically deliver 1030bhp. Fantasy? Well, it’s been testing at Silverstone since February.
Need to know
What is it: Chinese experiment in crossbreeding a McLaren and an F35
Engine & performance: Micro turbine, six electric motors, 1030bhp, 2.5sec 0-62mph, 217mph
Aimed at: Next-gen early adopters who think Tesla’s old hat
On sale: By the end of the decade (or never, whichever is the sooner)
Pagani Huayra BC
It’s named after a bloke called Benny, but it’s no joke. The Huayra BC doesn’t just introduce a makeover that pushes Pagani back towards the Zonda (only the roof carries over from stock Huayra), it’s packed with engineering enhancement, including an all-new automated manual ’box with carbonfibre synchronisers, an electronic active diff and 25% lighter forged aluminium suspension. With a dry weight of 1218kg, a 750bhp Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo V12 and a Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R tyre option that delivers up to 2g lateral grip, it’s also set to be a playboy track star. The late Benny Caiola in question was Pagani’s first customer; no doubt he’d be thrilled about the Max Power-style shopping list stuck to the side.
Need to know
What is it: Road-legal Huayra evolution influenced by the Zonda R
Engine & performance: 6.0 twin-turbo V12, 750bhp, 737lb ft, sub 3.0sec 0-62mph, 220mph+
Aimed at: Overtaking LaFerrari at the first hairpin and Porsche 918 on the straight
On sale: Now, limited run of 20, €2.25m (plus tax)
Arash AF10 Hybrid
What’s even less likely than a 1030bhp turbine-powered range extender from Beijing? How about a 2080bhp hybrid V8 from Newmarket? The UK’s own Arash has added 1180bhp’s worth of quadruple electric motors to its carbon-tubbed AF10 supercar, and dinked the 550bhp 7.0-litre nat-asp V8 for a 900bhp 6.2-litre supercharged unit. It calls the combined result the Warp Drive and says it will do 200mph on electric power alone – although it’s the claimed 50-75mph in 1.8sec that’ll really bake your noodle, as the Oracle said to Neo in The Matrix. The only thing that’s stopping us from going ‘Whoa’ is the suspicion we’ve stumbled into an alternative reality. Unlocks via an Apple Watch. Obviously.
Need to know
What is it: A Corvette V8 that’s raided Maplin whilst wearing a Maserati MC12 fancy dress costume
Engine & performance: 2080bhp ‘Warp Drive’ (1x900bhp V8 with seven-speed gearbox, 4x295bhp electric motors each with two-speed gearbox), sub 3sec 0-62mph, 201mph+
Aimed at: Daydream believers
On sale: Now, £1.1m
Read more from the April 2016 issue of CAR magazine