The McLaren 650S Spider is less of an automobile than it is equal parts Gerry Judah sculpture, Space Mountain thrill ride and carbon fiber engineering shrine. There is no need for a vehicle like this on planet Earth but thank the Car Gods its existence, for it brings great joy to those who glimpse and drive it. Lamborghini and Ferrari are fully entrenched in mainstream pop culture. McLaren is a lesser celebrity (no doubt you’ve crashed one playing Xbox) and a mystery to anyone one within 100 yards. If its shark shape doesn’t turn heads, the vacuum- cleaner-from-Hades exhaust note certainly does. Much like Michael Fassbender it’s famous, just not instantly placeable. Big brother P1’s price spiral begins at 1.3 million dollars. Rowan Atkinson recently sold his F1 for around 12 million bucks after crashing it twice (thank goodness for Carfax). This makes the 650S a bargain with fixed roof models starting at just 265 grand. The Monroney on the retractable roof Spider in my possession for four days reads $331,000. At that price, why not buy two? Those 96 hours were crammed with kids eagerly climbing in and out of the snug cockpit, rocket launches for friends and co- workers, and experiencing the staring and pointing George Clooney endures everyday. Prefer a low profile? This is not your car. McLaren claims scorching 0-60 runs of 2.9 seconds, velvety velocity hard for the brain to comprehend. My first launch was briefly underwhelming until the realization I was effortlessly crossing triple digits. This happens before “really officer, try it before you stuff me into the back of the cruiser” can be offered as an excuse. Astonishingly docile to pilot, the obscenely powerful 650S is at once predictable and terrifying. Performance settings range from grocery getter to full-on track star. Carbon ceramic disc brakes are standard. Legendary Formula 1 driver and engineer Bruce McLaren began building racing cars in the early 60s. The road car division happened in the mid 90s. Assembled in the UK just a short cab ride from Heathrow airport, this is a bespoke spaceship that takes around four months to build. Feel free to visit the factory as craftsmen install the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. What word would you use to describe 641 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque in a 3,236 pound motor car? Entertainment? Insanity? In the universal language of math, it translates to a 204 mile an hour top speed once channeled through a seven speed dual-clutch automatic to the rear wheels. Buying a 650S sight unseen? Know that it takes practice to enter and exit the high sill with any amount of grace. The optional rear-view camera is necessary, rearward visibility is awful. Spring for the front hydraulics package to keep the low- slung schnoz scuff free. Unusual ergonomics force climate control functions to the door panels. Finally, gulping premium fuel, the E.P.A. estimates fuel economy at 16 city, 22 highway. Like anyone cares. McLaren makes around 1,600 production cars annually so you may never see a 650S on the road. McLaren doesn’t yet have the mainstream cache of Ferrari or Lamborghini, but at this pace, the young company will be a household name in rapid fashion.