Buyer of depreciated McLaren 650S reveals the hidden costs of ownership 6-months into his purchase
- This 10-year-old McLaren 650S is well used
- Six months in the owner walks us through the costs
- He covers servicing, warranties, and parts
Published on Dec 18, 2024 at 4:09 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Dec 20, 2024 at 3:51 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
While buying a 10-year-old McLaren 650S might seem like a good way to make the supercar more affordable (relatively speaking), do the costs add up to make it even more expensive?
One UK supercar owner took to YouTube to run us through the expenses of the well-used and depreciated McLaren 650S six months in.
He covers servicing, warranties, and parts.
Does McLaren really deserve its poor reputation for being expensive to run and maintain?
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McLaren 650S costs
Aside from costs, Harry Metcalfe of Harry’s Garage seems pretty stoked about his purchase.
Up front the McLaren 650S is significantly cheaper to buy on the second-hand market than the 675 or 720.
However, that’s not the end of the story.
“Some of the service costs on a McLaren are really quite lumpy,” Metcalfe admitted.
Harry’s annual service for the car, including an oil change, a new windshield wiper, and a recalibration of the suspension sensor cost $1,300.
Not an insignificant amount, however, if we get granular and work that that’s $140 per hour of shop labor it’s actually pretty reasonable.
Other potential and ‘weird’ costs include the recommendation to replace the wheel bolts on the 650S every two years and replace its lithium 12V battery at the cost of around $2,500.
Common problems owners face include headlights falling out, cracks in the carbon fiber, and repainting punchy paint finishes.
Want more? These are the top five most expensive cars to maintain.
Keeping supercar costs under control
Metcalfe also expresses that going to a specialist shop rather than the dealer is a cheaper option.
He also opted for the Spyder version due to its more durable and rigid carbon-fiber tub.
While he liked bright shades, he settled on a practical paint finish in Amethyst Black.
Punchier colorways like Volcano Orange would be difficult to match in the event of a scratch – meaning historically cars have needed to be oversprayed.
Similarly, Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar cost seven figures, but service costs add up to much more.
Similarly, the Hermes Edition Pagani Huayra has hard-to-believe annual service costs.
London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
