The phrase ‘Grand Tourer’ has been applied, with varying degrees of accuracy, to all sorts of cars over the past hundred years or so.
Ostensibly used to refer to models that combine driving satisfaction with trans-continental practicality, in reality the letters G and T have been glued to the boot lid of pretty much every type of car imaginable.
Now McLaren, one of Britain’s finest carmakers, have given us their interpretation.
The Woking-based outfit has taken their 570S sports car and made it more palatable for long-distance driving. That meant adding a boot and gently recalibrating the car’s physiology to reflect its new purpose.
Tweaked suspension improves the ride over dubious road surfaces, the steering has been further optimised for road use, and the cabin has been insulated against road and engine noise.
What did you think when you first saw the picture on this page? Well, whatever feeling you get from McLaren’s design language is likely to stick with you.
If you like something more angular, test drive the R8. If you’ve been secretly hankering after a 911 since before you passed your test, call your Porsche dealership before it’s too late. For everyone else, the McLaren is an exceptionally good-looking machine, and one that turns heads wherever it goes.
Whether it counts as a supercar or not is a question that McLaren like to answer with “no”, and they could be right – it isn’t as gauche as some of the expensive Italian cars, nor is it as fragile and uncomfortable.
The 570GT, as with the 570S and in fact any of the McLaren models, is not for posers.
The 570GT’s party piece is its boot. Situated just behind the occupant’s heads and accessible through a side-opening hatch on the roof, it’s just about big enough for a few days’ worth of luggage for two people.
Combined with the compartment under the bonnet of the car, which is also found in the 570S, there’s about as much combined cargo space as a family hatchback – albeit split in two.
The cabin itself feels roomy and the dihedral doors open wider than those of the 570S, making it relatively easy to get in and out of this very low-slung car.
It is, however, still a performance-orientated machine. There’s no room for large bags and you’ll have trouble getting in and out unless you’re able-bodied.
And that boot lid only opens to one side, which you can choose based on which side of the road you’ll usually be driving on. Which means that you’ll be unloading your bags into traffic if you drive to, say, anywhere apart from the UK.
The 570GT’s gently stirred cocktail of grip and power will hurl you, your passenger and your overnight bags towards the horizon at supercar pace, hitting 62mph in 3.4 seconds and continuing happily to over 200mph.
The quietened V8 from the 570S still bellows loudly enough to scare livestock and draw scowls from locals, yet the upgraded cabin insulation protects occupants from road and wind noise and makes the GT feel very car-like. Exceptionally likeable from the driver’s seat, this is an enjoyable machine to drive fast and an easy one to drive far.
McLaren offers a frightening array of interior options, from demure leathers to clear flirtations with poor taste. Their latest model is a clear contender for an improved infotainment system, however – Macca’s proprietary Android-based touchscreen packs about as much punch as the off-brand tablet that it is, and will occasionally drop the ball entirely when basic functions are asked of it.
The 570S and GT sit firmly in McLaren’s ‘sport’ category, below the ‘super’ and ‘ultra’ models in the Woking firm’s large and growing stable.
A convertible will arrive soon, whereupon the entry-level McLaren choice will be between the GT’s boot and the convertible’s roof-down fun – a formula that works incredibly well elsewhere in the range.
The 911 Turbo does, to be fair, have back seats. Whether you prefer the McLaren’s V8 or Porsche’s flat six is really a personal thing, as there isn’t much of a monetary difference between the two models.
Perhaps the most compelling rival is the Audi R8, with its beautiful V10 wail. If you have £150,000 to spend on a car, I’d suggest taking each one for a test drive.
Despite the increased boot capacity, the 570GT is unlikely to be any household’s primary vehicle. Most buyers will be looking for weekend wheels to complement a more conventional upmarket family workhorse, such as a Range Rover.
Many people looking at the 570GT will have owned a McLaren before and will be looking to upgrade to something with just enough boot space for those satchels, that picnic hamper or maybe those duffel bags full of used fifties.
The asking price is, realistically, out of reach to most British motorists. But if you’re one of the lucky few who can splash this amount of cash then it’s a very attractive car.
THE FACTS
Model: McLaren 570GT
Price: From £154,000
Engine: Turbocharged V8 producing 564bhp
Performance: 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, top speed 204mph
Economy: 26mpg combined
CO2 rating: 249g/km
