McLaren GT on Grand Tour

McLaren will shortly begin the production of the most suitable sports car for everyday use in brand history. With the GT, the British company combines the new four-liter engine with the carbon fiber monocoque ‘MonoCell II’ of the Sports Series (540C, 570S, 570GT, 600LT) and a redesigned rear area, through which the overall chassis is called ‘MonoCell II-T’ (for Touring). This new are consists of a carbon cover attached to the monocoque behind the seats and above the engine, which is well insulated from below and offers an additional boot on top. The 570GT already pursued a basically similar concept, but without the big changes to the basic concept of the car. Thus the luggage compartment behind the seats could only be filled via the rear window, that swivelled to the side. For more everyday suitability, the GT was developed from the outset with a fully-fledged, electrically operated tailgate.

In contrast to the previously known and offered McLaren models, which are divided into the Sports Series, Super Series (720S) and Ultimate Series (Senna, Speedtail), the new McLaren GT ranks as a parallel model without classification into one of these series. In part, it picks up components from the individual cars, but is an independent product that is positioned against competitors such as the Aston Martin DB11, Porsche 911 (992) Carrera, Ferrari Portofino or the V8 version of the Bentley Continental GT. However, McLaren deliberately chose not to mount any rear seats, which would have been difficult with the mid-engine layout. The rear luggage compartment with 420 liters volume has been designed large enough to accomodate even a golf bag without any problems. At the front, as with the 570S and 720S, a further 150 liters are available. This can currently be seen on the Grand Tour, to which McLaren sent the new GT shortly before the production in Woking starts. Medie representatives and interested customers are invited to the local dealers to get to know all aspects of the car.

In terms of performance, the new McLaren GT segregates itself precisely between the Sports Series and the Super Series. The four-liter V8 biturbo engine produces 620 hp and delivers 630 newtonmeters of torque via the crankshaft and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to the rear wheels. This means you can accelerate from a standstill to 200 kph (124 mph) in nine seconds (0-100 km/h or 62 mph in 3.2 seconds) and then up to the topspeed of 326 kph (201 mph). Thanks to the exhaust system with flaps, the occupants can either listen to the V8 sound or come home almost whisper quietly early in the morning or very late in the evening. Compared to the sporty models, the chassis and the hydraulic steering are more comfortably tuned to make even long journeys as pleasant as possible. However, during our 720S tour last year (see link below) we couldn’t complain about a lack of comfort. Of course, as with all previous McLaren models since 2010, you’ll find the Active Dynamics Panel with the three different modes ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ for chassis and drivetrain.

Compared to the well-known McLaren models, the new design of the GT catches the eye. It is much clearer and more restrained than the 720S, for example. Only the air intakes on the sides could be perceived as a break in the lines. But even the partly sceptical author of this article had to admit clearly during the live observation that the first press pictures from May didn’t do justice to this car. Inside, of course, the GT offers enough equipment details to make your stay in the cockpit more enjoyable. The extensive list of options also includes amenities such as cashmere upholstery on the seats, a darkened panoramic glass roof and or dark-tinted rear side windows. In Germany the pricelist starts at 198,000 €.

Images: Matthias Kierse