Overview

The McLaren GT might look like just another McLaren supercar and its constituent parts - a carbon chassis and mid-mounted twin-turbo V8 sound very familiar, but the company believes it’s created something very different. The clue is in the name: GT.

McLaren hopes this car’s huge luggage space and focus on refinement over lap times will open up the marque to a whole new audience, specifically those who might otherwise choose cars such as the Aston Martin DB11 and Ferrari GTC4Lusso, and perhaps even the much larger Bentley Continental GT.

What powers this Jekyll and Hyde car?

Not the 3.8-litre V8 from the rest of McLaren’s Sports Series, but the larger 4.0-litre twin-turbo unit taken from the Super Series.

That means more power – 620hp in fact, and 630Nm of torque, which combine to offer a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed over 203mph. One thing is for sure; however far away the destination you choose to take the GT to, you’ll get there quickly.

You also get the family familiar seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with its clickety-clack one-piece shifter mounted behind the wheel, its action instantly transporting you into the cockpit of a GT racer, rather than the grand tourer McLaren would like you to believe this car is.

Is it luxurious inside?

Yes, in a minimalist kind of way, the GT offers the most luxurious McLaren cockpit to date. It’s a different approach to the outlandishly opulent interior Bentley pursues, but no less pleasing.

The door still open up and out but they feature power closing motors to complete the motion, rather than you having to slam them down manually. Inside there’s a choice of leather upholstery options and fancy ambient lighting, plus an elegantly focussed layout to the restrained button count.

If space is the ultimate luxury then the GT’s 570-litres of boot space (split between front and rear, of course) puts this McLaren head and shoulders above its rivals too.

Does it handle like a McLaren?

It is without doubt the best driver’s car in this area of the automotive universe. Rivals are front engine and heavier, and even handy competitors like the Ferrari GTC4Lusso can’t hold much of a candle to the agile, mid-mounted McLaren GT.

It’s true that this car is nowhere near as wafty on the motorway as a Bentley Continental GT, but it does a fair job of isolating you from wind and tyre noise, with memory foam seats that support and soothe aching backs.

You can’t help compare it to some of Woking’s sharper models though and in that context the GT is quite a bit softer. Then again, they’d also be quite a bit harder to live with day-to-day.

Does the McLaren GT have enough to be the ultimate grand tourer? Read on to find out.