Geneva show: McLaren goes soft with 570GT

UPDATED: 29/02/2016 BRITISH supercar-builder McLaren has revealed its most usable and refined supercar yet, the 570GT, that will make its debut at next week’s Geneva motor show before arriving in Australia in the fourth quarter of the year.

The third model to be revealed as part of McLaren’s entry level Sport Series range, the 570GT shares the same underpinnings as its 570S and 540C siblings – which all sit below the 650S, 675LT and P1 on the pecking order – and will carry a price tag of $406,800 before on-road costs when it eventually arrives.

According to McLaren, the 570GT is its “most refined and road-biased McLaren yet” and is “designed with a focus on day-to-day usability and long-distance comfort”.

Although the 570GT is built on the same carbon-fibre chassis and has the same MonoCell II technology as the 570S, McLaren’s latest supercar features a distinct silhouette thanks to a new body style aimed at increasing practicality.

McLaren has fitted its latest supercar with a new storage compartment over the mid-mounted engine, dubbed the Touring Deck, and is accessed via a new glass hatch that features lightweight noise-absorbing materials to decrease noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels.

The side-opening hatch is specially made on both right- and left-hand-drive 570GTs to open on the kerbside and is lined with leather and framed with carbon-fibre for increased torsional rigidity.

The new stowage compartment contains 220 litres of space which, when combined with the 150 litres from the front luggage area, gives the 570GT a class-leading 370 litres of storage room.

McLaren’s Sport Series vehicles feature lower and narrower door sills to aid with getting in and out of the cars, but the 570GT takes this a step further by including tweaked doors which open in a more upward arc.

McLaren has also fitted a fixed-glass panoramic roof as standard on the 570GT with an 18 per cent tint and a special film to absorb solar radiation and unwanted road noise.

The British supercar-builder has even gone so far as to modify the air-conditioning system for less in-cabin fan noise.

Standard equipment on the 570GT includes leather upholstery, electronically adjustable and heated seats, front and rear parking sensors and an eight-speaker Audio Plus sound system – optional on the 570S.

As an option, McLaren offer a 12-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system that has been specifically tuned to compliment the interior acoustics of the 570GT.

Mechanically, the 570GTs suspension has been softened by reducing spring-rate stiffness by 15 per cent at the front and 10 per cent at the rear. McLaren has also made steering at cruising speeds smoother by reducing the steering ratio in the electro-hydraulic system by two per cent.

While the front of the 570GT is identical to the 570S, McLaren has raised the fixed rear spoiler by 10mm to aid with the different aerodynamic profile.

Power comes courtesy of the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 found inside all of McLaren’s current models and in the 570GT is tuned to 419kW of power and 600Nm of torque.

Zero to 100km/h takes just 3.4 seconds – 0.2 seconds off the pace of the 570S – and the 1350kg supercar will continue on to a top speed of 328km/h.

According to a local McLaren spokesperson, demand for the new model is high, with many customers attracted to both the 570S and 570GT.

“We’ve seen significant interest from customers who wish to purchase the McLaren 570S and its variant, the McLaren 570GT,” the spokesperson said.

“This is a genuine sportscar offering true McLaren performance.”