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2016 McLaren 540C Priced in Canada, Highly Unlikely to Be Sold in the US

Other than the P1 hypercar, 675LT berserker track monster and more mundane 650S/625C, McLaren Automotive now has a base model in its range in the guise of the 570S. Whereas the 570S Sports Series will be imported in the U. S. of A., its less powerful brother has slim chances of following suit.
McLaren 540C 9 photos
Photo: McLaren
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Though it will be homologated for the United States, the people who want the 2016 McLaren 540C over the 570S will have to cross the border and acquire one from Pfaff Automotive Partners - the exclusive McLaren distributor in Canada. While the 570S and its 562 horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 are priced at $219,750, the 540C and its slightly less powerful (533 HP) twin-turbo V8 engine are priced at $196,500.

The $23,250 difference isn’t a good enough reason to not import the 540C in the States as well. According to common sense, the American buyer isn’t interested in the less powerful Macca because the pricing difference between the 540C and the 570S is too little to matter in this vehicle segment. Nevertheless, what’s in store for those buyers that prefer the bottom-of-the-range 540C?

Other than the less powerful tune of the M838T E motor and 540C badges here and there, there’s not much that separates the two siblings. The MonoCell II carbon fiber chassis, 7-speed seamless shift gearbox (SSG) and the overall design inside and out are virtually the same. A small difference is that the Corsa rubber boots on the 570S aren’t mirrored by the 540C’s Pirelli P Zero tires.

0 to 62 mph (100 km/h)? That’ll be 3.5 seconds, thank you! Last but not least, the active dampers of the 540C are more focused on “day-to-day road driving.” McLaren informs that orders for the Sports Series are being taken now, with first Canadian deliveries slated for November.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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