Design As a design, the GT is clearly a McLaren yet it’s more subtle and restrained than some. At 4.7 metres, it is also longer than any Woking stablemate apart from the Speedtail and sits slightly higher off the ground in deference to its grand touring purpose. Key to the McLaren GT’s grand touring credentials is the spacious rear luggage bay, accessed by a full-length glazed tailgate. There’s room for two sets of skis or a bag full of golf clubs back there, with all contents protected from the sun’s rays with a sound and solar film interlayer.

Capacity is 420 litres with a further 120 litres in the front compartment, providing more total luggage space than a Ford Focus. Driver and passenger have room to stretch out in sybaritic luxury; the cockpit is trimmed in softgrain leather (cashmere is an alternative), and there are cupholders, door pockets and stowage space aplenty. Infotainment is relayed via a clear central touchscreen and there’s not a trace of walnut veneer in sight.

Driver and passenger are protected by McLaren’s immensely strong carbon-fibre monocoque, entitled Monocell II-T. Driver safety aids include Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Dynamic Electronic Stability Control (DESC) and Traction Control System (TCS).
Performance It’s not just what the McLaren GT does, it’s the way that it does it. The 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 develops 612bhp and 630Nm of torque, powering the rear wheels via a 7-speed seamless shift gearbox. Top speed is 206mph and 0-62mph takes an eye-blink 3.2 seconds. But McLaren’s engineers have also worked overtime to ensure that its supercar performance is both refined and exhilarating. 95% of the peak torque output is available between 3,000 and 7,250rpm, so you can kick back and relax if you want to while still making swift progress.

Great attention has been paid to suppression of noise, vibration and harshness; the light yet immensely strong carbon-fibre MonoCell II-T chassis means a supple ride is compatible with razor-sharp handling. So the McLaren GT can still thrill at high speed, but it’s effortless and easy to drive in town too. It’s everything a grand tourer should be.
Technology Central to the McLaren GT’s remarkable combination of supple ride and precise handling is Adaptive Damping with Proactive Damping Control, which actively scans the road to prepare the dampers for any incoming surface irregularities. For larger ramps and bumps, a hydraulic lift system for the suspension can raise the ride height to 130mm. Inside, the heart of the McLaren GT’s cockpit is the McLaren Infotainment System II (MIS II) that combines a central portrait-format 7” touchscreen with a 12.3” driver TFT display. Navigation, voice control commands, Bluetooth connectivity, media player and DAB/AM/FM radio are controlled via this system.

Full LED headlights have automatic headlamp levelling and come on automatically when it’s raining or getting dark, while other thoughtful touches include a soft-close function for the spectacular dihedral doors and glazed tailgate. The seats, in Nappa leather are manually adjustable; McLaren’s aim with the GT was to keep weight to a minimum without compromising on luxury, and the addition of weighty electric seat adjusters would have run counter to the McLaren’s refreshing, rule-breaking ‘less is more’ ethos.
Reviews “This is a wonderfully capable car with expertly-judged dynamics, just as you’d expect from a McLaren. It’s striking to look and exciting just to be around, which is exactly what you’re looking for from a car of this type. It sits firmly on the supercar-end of the scale, given its performance and the spirited driving experience it brings. However, treat the GT as a grand tourer which has been designed to exploit the twisty roads which usually form the bookends of a long journey, and it starts to make a lot more sense indeed.”
Express and Star

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