CAN you really call a car with a list price of almost £150,000 an “entry level” model? I suppose you can if all your other cars cost north of £200,000.

The McLaren 570S sits on the bottom rung of a stellar sports car line up which includes the 650S and 675LT as well as the stunning (and stunningly expensive) P1 (production of which is almost finished).

McLaren says it is the first of the company's new Sports Series which are supposed to be "a family of luxury high-performance sports cars" - not supercars.

It may be an entry level model but there’s nothing ordinary about the 570S. It still uses a tub that’s fashioned from carbon fibre, has a mid-engined layout and a power plant that punches out 562bhp. Oh, and it weighs less than a mid-sized family hatchback.

Performance? It can reach 62mph in a shade over three seconds, blitzes past 100mph in 6.3 seconds and passes a quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. Believe me, if you’re driving one of these precious little will be coming past.

The list price is £143,250 which pitches it against the likes of the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911 Turbo – two great cars but two manufacturers lacking McLaren’s Formula One cache (just don’t mention the 2015 season).

McLaren has always taken pride in the way its cars are built to be used as opposed to just driven.

The company brandishes figures which show that McLaren owners cover more miles per year than fellow Ferrari and Lamborghini drivers.

New on the 570S is – shock, horror – McLaren’s first glovebox and the doors have modest pockets so you can stash a bag of mints or your bulging wad. The latter have covers so your stuff doesn’t coming raining down when you open the doors because the Macca has doors that open up and outwards (like a proper 70s supercar).

Economies have been made by using aluminium for the bodywork (not carbon) and using conventional bits for the suspension rather than the insanely complex computer-controlled hydraulics of the 650S. That said, the car still allows a degree of fine tuning because there are three user-selectable suspension modes.

The extra development time has allowed McLaren to refine the 3.8-litre V8 engine (a third of the oily bits are new) and smooth out some of the cabin’s rough edges(specifically the touchscreen user interface).

McLaren engineers say this is the car they are most proud of – a startling admission from the guys who crafted the amazing P1. I t should come as no surprise to learn that the order book is already looking very congested indeed.

And this is only the beginning - other 'affordable' McLarens are on the way, including an even cheaper 540C.

When the full Sports Series family is complete by 2018, it is forecast to more than double the annual volume of McLaren Automotive to more than 4,000 cars per year.

The Sports Series is priced from £126,000 for the 540C Coupé rising to £143,250 for the 570S Coupé.

As Jolyon Nash, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing at McLaren Automotive, explained: ‘The start of production of the new Sports Series cars is a pivotal moment for McLaren Automotive.

"In our short history, we have produced a range of supercars and hypercars targeted at a core, enthusiast buyer.

" Since 2011, our sales have increased year-on-year with corresponding developments in revenues and profits.

"The Sports Series is targeted towards a new buyer and opens McLaren up to the sports car market that we have not served to date. The buyer of a Sports Series model will still experience the benchmark performance and driver engagement delivered by every McLaren model, but will also notice the increased usability and practicality that differentiates it from our existing cars.

"In addition, the Sports Series will make a significant contribution to the long-term sustainability of the company."