McLaren marks entry into Grand Touring with the GT

Ever since the first MP4-12C rolled out of the McLaren Technology Centre in 2010, the newly resurrected McLaren Automotive has firmly positioned itself at the forefront of the supercar scene. Embedding itself in almost every category, right from the, dare I say ‘entry level’ upon which lies the 540C, to the ultimate in Hybrid hypercars. I refer, of course, to the P1.

However, within the company’s extensive and formidable arsenal, lies no trace of a focused GT car. The closest it has come is the still very much performance-based 570 GT, with a comfort-oriented McLaren still absent from the current range. A void that’s now been filled with the arrival of this: the new McLaren GT, the company’s first foray into Grand Touring. McLaren has made its intentions abundantly clear, stating that the car "is poised to redefine the rules of the Grand tourer segment by introducing renowned McLaren engineering and dynamic attributes alongside high-quality materials and exceptional comfort.”

The GT establishes a brand-new category for McLaren, one that sits alongside the sports and super series, and is powered by a 4.0-litre twin- turbo V8, which uncharacteristically sits in the middle of the car, developing 620hp and 630 NM of torque. 0-100 is dealt with in 3.1sec, while top speed is 326kph. The powertrain lies with the car’s carbon MonoCell II T chassis, and has been altered to allow for an additional 5.3 cubic feet of space, giving the clearest indication that this is first and foremost a GT car.

The GT’s interior is broadly similar to that of the 720S but, according to McLaren, has been fitted with soft-grain leather, six-colour ambient lighting and trim pieces designed to “look like a piece of satin metal.”

Deliveries are expected to commence this autumn with the cars costing around 145,000 GBP. The GT is the fourth from the 18 new models McLaren plans to bring out by 2025, and it won't be the sole grand tourer in this future line-up, leaving us to wonder what the stainless glass doors of the factory in Woking will produce next.

HAMIR THAPAR