Over the past few years, McLaren has turned what seemed more like a side project off the back of its Formula One race team into a thriving supercar business. Its secret has been scalable architecture, like the carbon fiber chassis used as a base for all its cars and the 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that sees a wealth of different tunings based on the desired application.

What started out as the 12C has morphed into the 650S. We have the $1.15 million P1, and soon, we'll have what McLaren are calling the "Sport Series" -- a car designed to rival the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. McLaren is as serious about road cars as it is delivering Fernando Alonso his third F1 world championship, and over the next few years we can expect its list of models to expand further.

Seen here in its most undressed form to date, the Sport Series clearly boasts many similarities to its bigger brothers. The front design has that familiar look made famous by the P1, but here it seems a bit more subdued. The wing mirrors appear to be mounted more outwardly too.

In terms of specs, at this point we're guessing, but you can be sure the 3.6 V-8 will play a part, likely producing over 500 hp. The carbon fiber chassis will be used too, as will the 650S' seven speed dual clutch transmission. Pricing is expected to arrive at around $180,000 or so, which if true, will place it in direct competition with Audi's R8 V-10 Plus, a heavily-optioned 911 GT3 and Mercedes' AMG GT S.

With the Sport Series' heart and guts deriving from its far more expensive siblings, McLaren's entry into the baby supercar market is definitely one to watch. Expect to see it in the flesh at the New York auto show in April, and soon after, hopefully we'll be able to show you some sideways action of our own.