Two days ago, we brought you a series of spy shots that we believe it were images for an upcoming facelift for the MP4-12C. However, there is now rumbling that those were actually of a mule for the upcoming McLarenP13, which is rumored to arrive in 2014 as a competitor for the Porsche 911->ke282, the new Mercedes GT sports car and the Audi R8->ke1440.

According to a McLaren->ke284 spokesman, via a report from Auto Express , the mule is testing some mechanical parts from the new entry-level model, the P13. Our spy photographers were lucky enough to catch what looks to be the same car near Nurburgring->ke999, but unfortunately the weather did not permit much testing. Now the real question is whether this is the P13 mule or a revision to the 12C Spyder, what do you think?

Rumors suggest that the P13 sports car will be powered by a de-tuned version of the twin-turbo V-8 engine used in the 12C with an output kept close to 500 horsepower.

The model will be priced at about $200k and McLaren hopes to sell around 2,000 to 2,500 units per year globally.

Spy shots

Of course, if this is simply a mule, the model we see in these images has nothing to do with the production version. Rumors suggest that the production version P13 will be mostly inspired by the P1 supercar, but with a less aggressive body language.

Then again, if this is a revision for the 12C. We expect to see a revised front fascia that features new headlights and apron. The rest of the model looks identical to the current MP4-12C Spyder.

This means we are going to see the same headlights design, a less aggressive front bumper and of course less carbon fiber than seen on the P1.