Last week, we talked about how McLaren would be revealing a new car. Well, it’s now here and it’s simply called the McLaren GT.
McLaren say that it’s positioned alongside the established Sports, Super and Ultimate Series cars and that’s fair enough. Those vehicles are mostly performance focused while this Grand Touring model is tailered to long-distance travel with just enough luggage room and comfort.
The McLaren GT is built around the MonoCell II-T monocoque. The T here stands for ‘Touring’ and the biggest difference here is a little structure at the top. This extends the carbon tub to give it space for a 420-litre luggage area below the tailgate.
Speaking of that tailgate, it has a soft close function and there’s the option of having it electrically powered.
According to McLaren, the GT’s 1530kg weight is actually much, much lighter than other cars in its class. The lightness also adds to its key advantage in dynamics. McLaren are giving the vehicle lightweight aluminium, double wishbone suspension with hydraulic dampers.
McLaren GT New Optimal Control Theory software was repurposed from the 720S to ‘read’ the suspension input and predict road conditions as they change.
Instead of electric power steering the McLaren GT comes with hydraulic steering which delivers optimal feel throughout any of the car’s three driving modes. At low speeds, the powered steering has additional assistance to make the car more manoeuvrable.
They’re fitting a 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine in here that outputs 620PS and 630Nm of torque. The M840TE engine is new to the McLaren family and for now will only be featured on this particular model. It is paired to a 7-speed SSG transmission.
The combination of luggage space and power does make it one of the few vehicles capable of transporting a golf bag at over 326km/h. With launch control turned on, the McLaren GT is able to fly from 0-100km/h in just 3.2 seconds.
To get all that power to the tarmac, McLaren have worked with Pirelli to develop unique P ZERO tyres specifically for the GT. These go on a staggered setup, with 21″ alloys at the rear and 20″ at the front with a couple of designs available.
