Photography by Ted Gushue
McLarens, like unicorns, are frustratingly few and far between. Roll up to an average Cars and Coffee on a Sunday and you’ll see the parking lot speckled with Cavallinos of all shades, Lamborghinis in various states of tasteful trim. But the odds of you running into a carbon concoction from the boys in Woking remain to this day, an occasion.
The legendary F1s they have at the McLaren Technology Center aren’t even allowed to be photographed by visitors (trust me, I tried), and the 675LT was practically sold out twice over before it even left the production facility. The cars are exceptional feats of design and engineering, but for me and many others, they simply don’t seem to exist on the road—until the 570 and the launch of the Sport Series.
Six countries, three days and 1,200 miles gives you an exceptional amount of time behind the wheel of a car to understand its place on the road, and in the case of the 570GT, its place in an extremely competitive marketplace. I can’t be the only one who raised an eyebrow when Woking entered the 911 Turbo segment—it was a bold move, typically reserved for the bigger boys with bigger budgets and bigger… well, everything. The 570GT immediately stood out among the Sub-$200k/above-200mph crew primarily because it looked like nothing else in the world for that kind of money, delivering P1-level looks packed with daily drivability at a geometrically reduced price.
We loaded six of them onto the English Channel, or “Chunnel” train after a cheeky drive down from the McLaren Technology Centre on our way to the continent. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to use a car train you’ll understand the scene—it’s a box stuffed to the gills with cars. On the train was what appeared to be an entire primary school’s worth of iPhone-wielding children, all of which stood, mouths agape, for the entire hour while we cruised to the continent. It was as if they had just stumbled into Batman’s garage—they’d never seen cars of this caliber in the metal before, and this just simply never would have happened with a gaggle of 911 Turbos.
To see their faces light up is unquestionably a big part of what for many I suspect makes supercar ownership so special. Yes we can all make the argument that these cars are performance machines designed for performance environments to be enjoyed at the peak of their perfor-. Blah blah blah. What I’m saying is, damnit, these cars are incredibly special to see in person. They inspire wonder, excitement, and intrigue.
What else can offer that level of static enjoyment for such a reasonable asking price? What else can hit 204mph on the road while handing out 204 smiles per minute on the train?
There’s very little about the mechanical and driving aspect of the 570GT that I could tell you that would be much different from the buff books with their facts and figures. It is, in my estimation, one of the most incredible modern cars I’ve ever had the luck to drive. The fit and finish is tremendous, the doors are typically bonkers, and the Bowers & Wilkins stereo packs a punch well above its weight class.
What I can offer you by way of review, is that no matter where in the world you are behind the wheel of this car, it brings joy to those who see it. It captures so much of the ethos that Petrolicious stands for—not just performance driving, but joie de vivre. Can you have an incredible experience in a 911 Turbo? Yes, unequivocally. Will it move the minds and hearts of budding petrolheads all around you? Perhaps not.
The 570GT does though, and in grand style.
