New McLaren model due in 2015

The British supercar company has announced that the newest addition to the family will be called the Sports Series.

McLaren chose to break the news with a very cryptic video that describes the car's upcoming launch in mid-2015 as a 'black swan moment' because a Black Swan is the symbol of a moment 'that challenges beliefs and turns thinking upside down.'

The company could be accused of hyperbole but McLaren is making a big deal about the car because it needs to be a big deal if it is to succeed as a serious competitor to the Porsche 911 Turbo. It will have to be spectacular.

Solid details about what to expect from the Sports Series are few and far between other than it will use the same 3.8-liter V8 that powers all of the company's existing supercars -- the 650s and the P1 -- and like its bigger brothers, it will use a mid-engine layout for perfect weight distribution.

However, that engine is expected to have less horsepower and the car itself will be smaller and more compact but its chassis will be built from carbon fiber to ensure McLaren's trademark handling and ride characteristics aren't diluted.

McLaren promises that the Sports Series will bring the company's supercar and Formula 1 credentials to the sports car segment for the first time. And if that is true, then there may be one or two prospective Porsche customers that will be reaching for the phone to put their orders on hold.