What's all this about?
We knew a McLaren grand tourer was on the way - indeed, we saw a camouflaged prototype testing while we were out sampling the SEAT Tarraco in the UK for the first time recently - but now we know the name of this grand tourer. And it has been called... the GT. Yes.
That's not very imaginative! But I take it this thing is quick?
Well, yes, it is, because it uses a derivation of McLaren's M840T engine (now called the M840TE), which is said to be bespoke to the GT, but which still punches out hypercar numbers. Such as 620hp and 630Nm, the torque delivered from 5,500rpm-6,500rpm and with fully 600Nm (well, 599, really, but who's counting 1Nm?) of it on tap from 3,000-7,250rpm. With all this flowed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed SSG transmission, and with the GT's MonoCell II-T (that's T for Touring) carbon-fibre chassis ensuring the car weight a scanty 1,530kg (power-to-weight: 405hp-per-tonne), performance is of the 'scorching' variety. The GT will hit 62mph from rest in 3.2 seconds, it can attain double that speed from zero in just nine seconds and the top speed is 203mph. Not on the M1, obviously, but on a road where such a thing is legal. Active handling modes, Proactive Damping Control suspension, Pirelli P Zero tyres on 20-inch front, 21-inch rear (these being the biggest wheels ever fitted to a Macca) alloys and high-performance brakes are all part of the dynamic package.
It looks good, doesn't it?
It most certainly does, the McLaren GT having a longer shape than most of the Super and Sports series models it shares a stable with. At nearly 4.7 metres tip to tail, it allows for plenty of cargo space onboard - there's 420 litres underneath the full-length rear hatch and another 150 litres available under the front lid of the car. Inside, it is only a two-seater, but the cabin has exquisite-looking fixtures and fittings, and McLaren promises the sort of impeccable ride comfort and refinement you'd expect of a GT. It still has dihedral doors, of course, but these mask openings that are larger and possessed of lower sills, to make getting in and out of the Macca easier and more graceful. McLaren talking of ground clearance of 110mm (or 130mm, with a vehicle lift function that also improves the front-end approach angle from 10 to 13 degrees to aid its passage over speed 0bumps and so on) is unusual, although chat about an electrochromatic roof panel, a 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system and a configurable 12.3-inch TFT screen is more in the company's exotic, prestige comfort zone.
Go on, then; how much?
Each McLaren GT will cost from £163,000 and orders are being taken now, with deliveries expected to commence at the end of the year. Further details can be found at cars.mclaren.com/new-mclaren-gt.
Anything else to add?
"The new McLaren GT combines competition levels of performance with continent-crossing capability, wrapped in a beautiful body and true to McLaren's ethos of designing superlight cars with a clear weight advantage over rivals," said Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive. "Designed for distance, it provides the comfort and space expected of a grand tourer, but with a level of agility never experienced before in this segment. In short, this is a car that redefines the notion of a grand tourer in a way that only a McLaren could."
Matt Robinson - 15 May 2019