First McLaren 570S rolls off the assembly line in England

Production of the McLaren 570S is underway at the company’s facility in Woking, England. Introduced at the 2015 New York Auto Show earlier this year, the 570S is the first of McLaren’s “Sport Series” of less-expensive models meant to grow the carmaker’s sales volumes.

McLaren says the first 570S has already been delivered to a retailer in the U.K., but not handed over to a customer. It claims dealers are already holding over 1,000 orders globally for the new supercar. Once 570S production ramps up, McLaren will add a 540C coupe model that won’t be sold in the U.S., followed by another body style in 2016.

To hit a somewhat lower price point without compromising performance, McLaren essentially scaled down components used for the “Super Series” 650S and the P1 hybrid hypercar for the 570S. It uses a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, which develops 562 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. As with the other McLaren road cars, it’s nestled in the middle of a carbon-fiber chassis.

Sending power to the ground through a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission, the V8 will propel the 570S from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, 0 to 124 mph in 9.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 204 mph. So while it may be the baby of the McLaren range, the 570S is still a bona fide supercar.

McLaren may be launching its new Sport Series with just one model, but as with the Super Series, it plans to grow it into a full model line with multiple variants. In addition to the less-powerful 540C coupe, McLaren said another body style will be offered in the near future. The company hasn’t confirmed anything, but rumor has it a convertible and “Grand Touring” fastback are both under consideration.

The 570S will play an important role in McLaren’s effort to transition from boutique carmaker to full-on Ferrari and Porsche competitor. By 2018, when the Sports Series lineup will be fully fleshed out, McLaren expects to double its annual sales volume to 4,000 cars per year.