McLaren's latest offerings have been truly exotic in terms of performance and price. The track-focused Senna and the high-speed Speedtail are nothing short of astounding. Well, now the British brand has unveiled its "affordable" and comfortable grand touring car known simply as the GT. Not only is it supercar fast, but it's also spacious and truly cosseting for a mid-engined twin-turbo V8.
The GT actually shares a lot of its underpinnings and DNA with the sleek Speedtail, and its trying to get new customers to the brand who many not want a track machine or a crazy hypercar. The GT has been made for long, high-speed grand touring duties thanks to its airy cabin and cargo space. It also boasts lower weight and higher performance than the GT class currently possesses. Not to mention, the thing just looks gorgeous thanks to clean lines and a beautifully tapering greenhouse.
Of course, there's the famous, and ultra-rigid carbon fiber MoncCell II-T Monocoque structure the brand infuses in all its cars, and the GT comes in at a relatively light 3,373-lb curb weight. And power is anything but modest. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 churns out 620 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, and it's mated to a quick shifting 7-speed dual clutch transmission with requisite paddle shifters. If you were worried it's not fast enough, the 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds will have you thinking otherwise. While that's not as fast as the Ferrari 812 Superfast grand tourer (sub-3 seconds), it's more than enough to get your pulse racing.
Where the McLaren beats the Ferrari is cargo space. The Superfast has about 11.3 cubic feet of trunk space, while the GT boasts 14.83-cubic-feet in the luggage compartment behind the sleek rear power opening and closing rear glass tailgate. There's even an additional 5.3 cubic feet of space in the front boot for a total of 20.12 cubic feet. That's a few cubes larger than a Toyota Avalon, of all things. Not that they're in the same segment or price range.
The interior is still McLaren sporty but with more lush aesthetics and materials. Plush leather, rich carbon fiber, and real brushed aluminum trim are everywhere, and the styling is remarkably elegant. Big sport bucket seats mean ideal long-range comfort, and they're powered and heated. There's also additional support and padding for those longer drives grand touring cars are famous for.
The cabin also boasts the most advanced McLaren infotainment system ever made along with an optional 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system with a carbon fiber subwoofer and Kevlar midrange speakers and nifty electrochromic glass that changes the roof's transparency/opacity. Brilliantly exotic. Reminds us of the Ferrari Superamerica from decades ago.
The cabin gets a higher level of sound insulation than other McLarens in order to provide occupants with a comfortable and relatively quiet ride. Also, the suspension of the GT uses a modified version of the McLaren 720S’ Optimal Control Theory chassis that can adjust by reading road conditions ahead via sensors and respond in two milliseconds. Just in case you thought the GT might be too soft, owners can just dial in Track mode for a more aggressive experience.
Though you can't see the glorious deep-set twin turbo V8 engine under the glass, there is a very usable cargo shelf where you can lay your top-end golf clubs without worrying about smashing them. There are also tie down hooks on the perimeter so your stuff doesn't go flying around as you're hammering the GT into turns.
If you're so inclined and financially blessed, you can buy the new GT now for a bargain price of $210,000. That's a little more than the $195,000 570S and WAY cheaper than the $837,000 Senna. Check out the video of the stunning new GT below.
