Redefining The Rules Of Grand Touring? McLaren Unveils The McLaren GT

McLaren’s latest road car, the McLaren GT, has been unveiled. McLaren describes it as a step into new territory for the company, as “the first true McLaren Grand Tourer”, and “a unique new car for a new McLaren audience”. McLaren also promises that the McLaren GT “redefines the rules of Grand Touring” and is a “unique interpretation of a modern Grand Tourer”. As well as this, the car is lightweight, attractive-looking, and according to McLaren combines “competition levels of performance with continent-crossing capability”. Underling that this car represents a new chapter, McLaren adds that this Grand Tourer sits apart from its existing production car “product families”, of Sports Series, Super Series, Ultimate Series and Motorsport.

As with all McLarens, the McLaren GT car has a carbon fiber structure and this contributes to a 1530kg overall weight, which McLaren reckons is more than 130kg lighter than its closest core competitor and “literally hundreds of kilograms” lighter than other cars in the segment. It’s powered by a new 620PS 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged McLaren V8, providing 630Nm of torque, and the car accelerates from 0-200kph (124mph) in nine seconds as well as boasts a top speed of 326kph (that’s just north of 200mph). It all contributes to an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 405PS-per-tonne. McLaren had already promised that the GT would share DNA with the McLaren Speedtail, including innovative, luxurious, high quality materials throughout.

Yet as a Grand Tourer, this car is also about comfort, as it features a refined interior as well as a comfortable ride, aided by a new Proactive Damping Control suspension system. Braking and steering at lower speeds have been optimized for easy everyday use, while ride height and ground clearances are designed to ensure it can be used in urban areas. There also is 570 liters of stowage capacity that will provide “room for bags as well as golf clubs or skis” and the infotainment system is “McLaren’s most sophisticated to date”.

“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 McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt. “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.”

McLaren had already revealed the new car’s name as well as had issued some teaser shots prior to today’s full unveil, some of the car in camouflage livery and, more recently, a silhouetted shot of the car’s rear. It also released a pre-launch teaser video, again showing the car in silhouette. The McLaren GT also is the fourth new car under McLaren Automotive’s Track25 business plan that was announced last year. This stated that the company would invest £1.2bn in research and development to deliver 18 new cars or derivatives by the end of the year 2025. The three Track25 cars already launched are the Speedtail, 720S Spider and the 600LT Spider. You can order the McLaren GT now for delivery towards the end of 2019; it’s priced from £163,000 including taxes.

Images courtesy of McLaren