A World Class Athlete in a Business Suit
McLaren is British manufacturer of high-performance sports cars. The 570 is part of their Sports Series, which is their most practical and attainable series. The 570S, which was released prior to the 570GT, is currently the lightest vehicle in its class and has the highest power to weight ratio. Think of it as a world class athlete. The 570GT is McLaren’s most refined, comfortable and practical vehicle to date allowing owners the ability to drive it daily on public roads and take it on long weekend getaways while still offering supercar performance. Think of the 570GT as a world class athlete in a business suit.
Compared to the 570S, the 570GT’s suspension was retuned to increase long distance comfort. The front spring rates were decreased 15 percent in the front and 10 percent in the rear. The electo-hydraulic steering ratio was also reduced two percent to deliver a smooth out driver inputs.
The 570GT is powered by the same 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 mid-engine used in the 570S. It produces 562 HP and 443lb. ft. torque. This power is delivered to the rear wheels 
via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Acceleration numbers are outstanding. According to McLaren, the 570GT can reach 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 204 mph. We found that under full throttle initial acceleration is delayed briefly since the car eases its revs up to 3,000 rpm before launching you forward. Downshifts feel more leisurely than expected in automatic mode, but are instantaneous in paddle-shift mode. In the corners, it handles like it’s on rails. Braking requires a firm push of the pedal. Carbon ceramics are optional.
Drivers have the ability to adjust handling and powertrain via 
controls on the lower center console on what McLaren calls the Active Dynamics Panel. To manually adjust these settings, you must first select the “Active” button. If you don’t do this, the car will always be in “Normal” mode regardless of knob position. The “H” knob on the left represents handling and adjusts things like the firmness of the dampers and traction control. The “P” knob on the right represents powertrain and adjusts throttle response, fuel delivery and even spark. The three modes for each are Normal, Sport and Track. The two are split because sometimes you may want a more comfortable ride but increased throttle response. The difference in feel between modes is noticeable. The different modes also change the instrument panel information that’s displayed.
Its chassis is the same MonoCell II carbon fiber unit found in the 570S. It’s extremely stiff and weighs just 165 lbs. contributing to a total dry vehicle weight of 2,976 lbs., which is approximately 121 lbs. more than the 570S.
Weight distribution is slightly rear biased at (F/R) 42%/58% to keep a little more weight on the rear wheels, since this vehicle has an open differential as opposed to a limited-slip differential. However, the 570GT does have brake-steer. Per our McLaren rep, brake-steer works as follows: When you’re cornering hard on the racetrack the inside wheel will blip the rear brake to rotate the mass. This gets the car around quicker and works as effectively as a limited-slip differential.
Total storage capacity in the 570GT is up to 13 cubic feet. The front
luggage area located under the hood provides 5 cubic feet of storage. An additional 8 cubic feet of storage space (not available on the 570S) is available behind the seats on a leather-trimmed (Nappa or Alcantara are optional) touring deck. This space can be accessed via the side opening rear glass hatch which opens curbside. McLaren also sells their own hand-made luggage designed to make maximum use of the available stowage behind the seats.
The parking brake is electric and the switch is located to the left of the steering wheel. Drivers not familiar with how it works can easily rip the switch out. You want to be careful to just pull slightly to activate it, and press slightly to disengage it.
The average sticker price out the door for the 570GT is in the $215,000 – $225,000 range. McLaren expects approximately 2,000 global sales per year between the 570S and 570GT.
