McLaren GT Unleashed! Practical And Beastly

• McLaren GT is the fourth new model under the company’s Track25 business plan.
• Gets a beefy new 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8.
• Suspension system based on 720S ‘Optimal Control Theory’ chassis.
• Will rival the likes of the Aston Martin DB11, Bentley Continental GT.
• Prices start at £163,000 ( Rs 1.46 crore) in the UK.

British supercar marque, McLaren, has had a long and illustrious reputation building great sports cars. They’re fast, loud, responsive and look like works of art. But unlike Aston Martin or Ferrari, the company hasn’t had a proper crack at a grand touring car as the 570GT was really a sports car with some extra luggage space carved out of its swoopy rear. But all that changed on May 15 when the carmaker finally took the covers off the new McLaren GT.

The McLaren GT is the fourth new model introduced under the McLaren Track25 business plan set out by CEO Mike Flewitt last year. The GT will sit alongside the existing Sports, Super and Ultimate Series as an independent car and is expected to provide a mix of supercar performance and long distance comfort. The GT shares its DNA with the highly anticipated McLaren Speedtail, which is the spiritual successor of the all-time classic McLaren F1.

Like all current McLarens, the GT is built around the carbon fiber MonoCell II-T Monocoque structure. Special engine mounts have been used  to reduce chassis noise and improve comfort. The McLaren GT gets a double wishbone suspension setup, which is similar to the McLaren 720S’ Optimal Control Theory chassis. This system uses signals from sensors to read, predict, and adapt the dampers accordingly within a timeframe of just two milliseconds. The GT gets three steering modes - Comfort, Sport, and Track. And weighing in at just 1,530kgs, it is light for its segment.

To compensate for the added weight, McLaren has made no compromise in power. It puts out 620PS of power from its M840TE 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 with 630Nm of torque. This combo gives the GT a well balanced power-to-weight ratio of 405PS-per-tonne. Mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch SSG transmission, the GT propels from 0-100 kmph in just 3.2 seconds and tops out at 326 kmph.

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On the outside, the McLaren GT retains the traditional hammerhead nose and the muscular rear aero philosophy. The rear fenders form side air intakes for its high temperature radiators. The GT has the biggest alloy wheels to ever be fitted in a McLaren, measuring 21-inches at the rear and 20-inches at the front, and wears Pirelli’s bespoke P-Zero tyres. The alloys come in 7- or 15-spoke designs.

Inside the cabin, McLaren has stayed true to the Grand Tourer name with well padded, electrically adjustable and heated seats. The interior also features McLaren’s most sophisticated infotainment system to date. The infotainment system operates similar to a smartphone in which the driver uses the 7-inch central touchscreen to access  various vehicle functions like satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, media streaming, voice activation as well as heating and ventilation controls. The driver gets a 12.3-inch TFT screen for the instrument cluster.

The new McLaren GT is available to order now from McLaren retailers worldwide, with customer deliveries set to commence towards the end of 2019. It is priced from £163,000 ( Rs 1.46 crore) in the UK and will compete with the Aston Martin DB11 and the Bentley Continental GT. Unfortunately though, if you are planning to get one, you would need to import one privately as the legendary British brand is yet to commence operations in the country.