Sporty soul, comfort and careful design in which nothing is left to chance. McLaren GT was born from the premise of wanting to offer a car capable of evoking the best of the Gran Turismo of the past, without sacrificing either performance or the ability to make the driver feel at ease even when tackling longer journeys. The result is enclosed in the 4.7 meters long of the GT that we have known today in the course of a long test drive from Geneva to Bologna. An unusual route for a supercar but not for this McLaren. Let’s find out why.
The GT shares the scheme and the floor of the 720S, with the front hood shorter and the passenger compartment moved forward. The vents in front of the rear wheel arches as well as the nose and other body elements recall the McLaren logo in the shapes, once again underlining the great stylistic attention. The engine is centrally located but not in sight. In fact, above the engine we find one of the two storage compartments, a space of 420 liters which makes the Woking supercar unique in its segment. The lucky owner has the option of housing the golf club bag or even a pair of skis. For both options there is no risk of overheating due to the work of the engine thanks to the presence of some vents that allow the air to circulate around the V8. In addition to the rear compartment, there is also one under the front hood which instead boasts a capacity of 150 liters.
To push McLaren GT is precisely an eight-cylinder that knows how to be sly and gloomy when the march is relaxed but also to make a loud voice if you want to sink your foot on the accelerator and get the revs of this 4.0 biturbo unit up. The maximum power output is 620 hp and 630 Nm of maximum torque that allow you to reach a declared maximum speed of 326 km / h and cover the sprint from 0 to 100 km / h in just 3.2 seconds, taking just nine to burn the 0-200. All combined with the 7-speed double-clutch asthmatic gearbox with launch control and rigorously rear-wheel drive.
Getting into the passenger compartment means entering an environment in which leather and Alcantara triumph. The driver is faced with a clean design steering wheel, no buttons or selectors but sculpted spokes that maximize concentration on driving, without frills. Behind the steering wheel is an enveloping 12.3-inch high-definition digital dashboard while in the center of the dashboard stands the floating display of the infotainment system, a 7 ”screen through which multimedia functions can be used. The large front windshield with thin pillars offers excellent visibility while the soundproofing of the passenger compartment offers the possibility of a journey with muffled tones if you do not ask for something more from the V8. In case you want to hear him sing, you can use the three driving modes available, Confort, Sport and Track. The steering is really precise and direct and even when cornering you have the feeling of always being in total control.
“Each shape has a very specific function”. Robert Melville, head of design at McLaren, was able to best describe what is the soul of the GT. A car with which the Woking house has been able to combine two pivotal souls of sports cars, while always remaining faithful to its stylistic philosophy. Run across the more than 570 km that separate the outskirts of Geneva and Bologna allowed us to find ourselves in different situations, from the fast-flowing roads to the back roads that took us to the Mont Blanc tunnel: a mixed route that highlighted how the nature of the GT is precisely that of an elegant traveler who brings a dowry a heart ready to scratch. The ergonomics of the seats, even in full sporty style, do not tire and let the kilometers go by in the utmost pleasure. The heart of a racer, therefore, dressed as an elegant traveler. For those wishing to drive and test its skills, McLaren GT has a price list which starts at 203,000 euros.
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