From the first off-road legal, production-ready McLaren, the MP4-12C that debuted in 2011, McLaren cars have been lab-precise and Formula 1-specific. Yet the GT represents a completely new segment offered by the company: a great machine for the tourism sector. A field where Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB11 and Ferrari GTC4Lusso and Superfast have played for years.
With new hand-stitched cashmere seat options and a beautiful range of Scottish-tanned leathers, the interior of this model is like a designer chair that makes you gasp at the price. The luggage compartment runs down the middle of the car’s interior and is covered in a special fabric that McLaren calls “SuperFabric,” which is resistant to tears, stains and moisture. In addition, an attractive bespoke luggage set can be purchased to match and fit your car.
Also, the car has a special glass roof that can change its appearance, between opaque and transparent. None of this would have been seen in a McLaren car from two years ago.
Its 4.0-liter V8 mid-engine has 612 hp, with 18 mpg combined fuel efficiency. It can reach 60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds, with a top speed of 326.
This GT comes with an entertainment system that works five times faster than that used in any previous McLaren Sports Series model. And it offers real-time traffic information and a mapping system as a novelty.
McLaren’s new strategy
The McLaren GT is the latest link in McLaren’s plan, which is scheduled to spend €1.58bn on design and research by 2024, resulting in 18 new models or model variants.
This GT is the fourth to arrive since McLaren announced the plan in 2018. And it will be the main engine to push the company towards 6,000 units sold by 2024, with the aim of attracting new buyers to the brand, including the type of consumer of “lifestyle”. Last year McLaren sold just under 5,000 cars worldwide.