2016 McLaren 570GT Review - Brutally Quick

Driven: 2016 McLaren 570GT Review

We got the opportunity of a lifetime to go and test the new McLaren 570GT Sport Series car. Take a read below to see what we think.

What’s the McLaren 570GT all About?

The McLaren 570GT is, of course, the Grand Tourer of the Sport Series cars from McLaren. So what does this mean? In short, the car is basically made a little bit softer and a little bit more road-friendly than the 570S. As intimated with the name GT, the car is built for long-distance travelling rather than its razor-sharp track performance characteristics.

The looks of the 570GT are just incredible. When you stand at the side of the car the roof comes up to your hip. It is super low to the ground and is beautifully crafted to shape the air around the car top and bottom. It is a masterpiece.

Here’s the information around the power drivetrain for the car; the 570GT uses a 3.8 litre V8 twin-turbo engine that puts out 562 bhp, 600 Nm of torque, and can do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. The supercar will top out at 204 mph on a straight, and uses a 7-speed, dual-clutch gearbox that shifts instantly. So this thing is ready for business!

How Does it Drive?

Getting behind the wheel of the 570GT for the first time was a sensational feeling. It’s a supercar that’s fast enough and dramatic enough to impress racing drivers, but it is easily controlled and polite enough for the UK roads.

Getting into the car you sit super low to the ground and you get to use those butterfly doors, which makes you feel like a millionaire. Firing the car up you hit the start button and boom – that 3.8 L V8 engine fires up with nothing but the sound of rage screaming out the back of the car. I was excited without even driving a mile.

To get the car going you simply put your foot on the brake and press the D button to put the car in to drive. Then you’re off. I left the 7-speed automatic gearbox in auto to get used to the car initially, so we were literally on go-kart controls.

Now, it is worth explaining that the car comes with three different drive modes for both the drivetrain and the handling sides of the car. These modes are normal, sports and track. As you can imagine it wasn’t long before we had the car in sports mode. This is my favourite setting of the car, everything felt more lively, sharper, and raring to go. The moment you ask the car for some performance and put your right foot down to the floor, the thing shot forward with incredible speed that felt like it was only possible with a wealth of computers, technology, and science behind it. It certainly opened my eyes up to see what is possible with some very clever technology.

We only had a short test on the road so we couldn’t test the car to the extreme. But you certainly got the feeling that the aerodynamics were having a big effect on how the car performed. In the corners, the car felt super sticky on the Pirelli P Zero tyres, but the active downforce was certainly hugely aiding the grip of the car.

The McLaren 570GT is fitted with carbon-ceramic brakes with a very professional and accurate feel on the pedal. The brake pedal is rock hard and does give clear information to the driver. For us “normal” everyday kind of drivers it might take a little time to get used to the powerful carbon-ceramic brakes. However, once you are used to them, you can slam on the brakes and my God… this car brakes like no one’s business!

The drama that this car creates is a lot to do with its incredible exhaust sound. And the beautiful thing about the 570GT is that whilst it’s not overly loud in the cabin you can drop the windows when you want to and let all that sound come in. Of course, we had the windows down for the entire test. What a noise this thing makes.

What’s it Like Inside?

Inside, the McLaren 570GT is one beautiful looking car. You can see in the pictures that the entire car was wrapped in luxury. Take a look at the leather trimming that was all over the dash and it stretches the entire interior of the car. It gave an awesome feel of luxury to this super performance car.

The driver’s instruments are fully digitised; the HD screens show you nice animations and graphics and they refresh quicker than physical dials too. Which all helps to give a futuristic and premium driver experience.

The Experience

The experience you get from the 570GT is one that seduces and excites the driver without the need to try and kill you at every turn. The looks of the car inside and out will leave everyone you pass in awe and the way the car shifts is a constant treat that you will struggle to tire of for sure.

Verdict

This McLaren 570GT is slightly softer than the 570S and although it does seem like an odd thing to opt for ‘having a slightly less sharp’ supercar. When using it on the UK roads all of the GT touches I think make the car seem a lot more liveable and help you get more enjoyment out of the car more of the time. Let’s be honest, this car is brutally quick anyway and you will pass little that beats it in top trumps.