What's the news?

And there was us thinking Audi and BMW were the ultimate niche fillers! McLaren has announced the final piece of its Pebble Beach puzzle - the 650S Sprint - a car more hard-core than the regular 650S but not quite as mad as the GT3 version.

The 650S Sprint follows on from the MP4-12C Sprint and is a stripped out, track ready version of the already pretty-devastating-around-the-track 650S. To differentiate the Sprint from the road car McLaren has fiddled with the Brake Steer settings and added a 'race set-up' for the ProActive Chassis Control. No exact word on what those changes are but considering the 12C Sprint featured retuned dampers and a 40mm ride-height drop that probably gives a good indication.

The twin-turbo V8 engine is relatively unchanged from the road-going version save for revised air intakes and a recalibration of the engine and transmission to "further enhance on-track drivability and driver engagement." No mention of any power hikes so we have to assume there are none.

The cabin features a FIA-approved roll cage bolted to the 650S's carbon fibre MonoCell and a carbon bucket seat with six-point harness. A fire extinguisher system has also been plumbed in, while the air conditioning has been retained to keep the well-heeled drivers cool. And well-heeled they will have to be as the 650S Sprint will cost €250,000 before local taxes.

Anything else?

The 650S will be unveiled in Pebble Beach alongside the P1 GTR and a pair of McLaren Special Operations (MSO) machines. The white over orange livery of the car to be unveiled is the inverse of the colour scheme used on the 650S GT3 car, which was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year.