{"id":26528,"date":"2020-12-30T14:55:56","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26528"},"modified":"2020-12-30T14:55:56","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:55:56","slug":"payne-review-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-mclaren-gt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/payne-review-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-mclaren-gt","title":{"rendered":"Payne review: All I want for Christmas is a McLaren GT"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming out of M1 Concourse\u2019s Turn 6 Hairpin onto the back straight, the McLaren GT\u2019s twin-turbos hiss like a lit fuse. The mid-engine supercar explodes with astonishing speed down the 1,500-foot back straight, hitting 130 mph before massive, 14.4-inch front brake rotors bring it back to earth. Its carbon-fiber tub rotates effortlessly into Turn 7. Flat as a board. Begging me for more throttle up the hill into Turn 8.<\/p>\n

The GT tops the Christmas wish list I sent to Santa.<\/p>\n

Grand Touring cars like the McLaren are all the rage these days, from the Corvette\u00a0C8 to the all-new Porsche 911 and Mercedes AMG GT. They are hellions in tuxedos. Felt hammers that can destroy a club test track by day, then take your date to the theater at night.<\/p>\n

\"Side<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

With its $213,000 GT, McLaren has joined the party. Replacing the 570 as the Brit brand\u2019s \u201centry-level\u201d sports car, the GT is intended as a more sedate daily driver compared to the $300,000, 710-horse 720S rocketship or the insane, race-car-in-production-clothing, $1 million Senna. The GT certainly looks the part with more conservative styling, comfy seats\u00a0and loads of cargo room that rivals the Porsche or Corvette.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the GT has gained the moniker\u00a0\u201cthe McLaren Corvette\u201d for its strikingly similar styling around the fascia and side flanks.<\/p>\n

I had the good fortune to test the Corvette and Porsche this year, too, and it\u2019s fascinating how different their personalities are even as they exhibit jaw-dropping performance on the limit. They each know their place on the shelf, with McLaren separating itself as the exotic of the bunch by bringing mid-engine, Formula One technology to the supercar market.<\/p>\n

Sure, you can afford three Corvettes for the price of one McLaren GT, but the Big Mac is the best toy under the tree for GT performance.<\/p>\n

As my test around M1\u2019s club course suggests, the GT is not that much different than the 720S I tested there two years ago. Same fundamentals.<\/p>\n

The GT is carved from the familiar, firm carbon-fiber backbone in the outgoing 570 and 720 (a new carbon chassis is due soon for a hybrid that will split the GT and 720 in McLarens\u2019 lineup). Behind the driver\u2019s head sits the same nuclear reactor that powers the 720.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Down 100 horsepower to the 720S at 612 ponies, the twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 is the best engine I\u2019ve driven. Its torque curve is relentless, its lung capacity seemingly limitless as it\u00a0rockets past 100 mph. Consider the Corvette\u2019s more pedestrian, push-rod, 6.2-liter V-8.<\/p>\n

According to our pals at Car and Driver, both cars hit 60 mph in the same 2.8 seconds. Then the Englishman leaves the Yank behind.<\/p>\n

The GT covers the quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds at 133 mph \u2014 half-a-second and 10 mph ahead of the \u2019Vette. The McLaren reaches 150 mph a yawning 5 seconds quicker. Holy Donner and Blitzen.<\/p>\n

Of course, that\u2019s why you belong to clubs like Pontiac\u2019s M1 or Monticello in New York or VIR north of Raleigh\/Durham. So that you can push the envelope of production cars with racing capabilities.<\/p>\n

The magic of the McLaren GT and its Grand Touring peers is that you can also enjoy the drive there and back.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

I was impressed by the McLaren\u2019s bandwidth despite some obvious oversights.<\/p>\n

Most obvious is a lack of available convenience features like Apple CarPlay\/Android Auto apps and blind-spot assist \u2014 features customers take for granted on $30,000\u00a0cars today. They seem an odd oversight given the GT\u2019s promise as a daily driver.<\/p>\n

That said, no supercar I\u2019ve tested can compete with the Corvette C8\u2019s interior amenities. That may surprise since it\u2019s the cheapest of the breed at just $60,000\u00a0\u2014 but the Chevy has the advantage of General Motors\u2019 huge electronics toolbox, meaning it can grab a rear camera here (shared with Cadillac) or a 4G Wi-Fi system there (shared with GM’s other\u00a0brands).<\/p>\n

McLarens\u2019 interior focus is on its unique attributes: beauty and speed.<\/p>\n

Carbon-fiber tubs are inherently difficult for ingress given their high sills. But the McLaren enriches the experience every time with crowd-pleasing scissor doors \u2014 people really do say \u201coooh\u201d and \u201cahhh\u201d \u2014 that glide up and down effortlessly.<\/p>\n

\"Space<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Once inside, my 6-foot-5 frame fit easily with plenty of head and knee room. Only the footwell was tight for my size-15 boots. Plenty of glass \u2014 including a full panoramic roof offering nice visibility for a mid-engine car. The knee room is aided by a floating center console screen as opposed to the typical high console spine. The console is then given over entirely to performance.<\/p>\n

North of the simple\u00a0push-button shifter are two electronic knobs that hold the keys to the GT\u2019s enormous performance potential. They are activated by, well, an ACTIVATE button. One knob controls the suspension. The other the drivetrain.<\/p>\n

Each has three settings: Comfort, Sport\u00a0and Track.<\/p>\n

Each ratchets up the performance: Smooth, Fun\u00a0and Bonkers.<\/p>\n

I had so much fun playing with all the mode combinations \u2014 and their effect on the GT\u2019s road character and soundtrack \u2014 that I never fiddled with the infotainment system. The car is entertainment enough. There\u2019s even a Launch Control\u00a0button should you feel the need to test that 2.8 second, 0-60 claim.<\/p>\n

\"Doppelgangers.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Exiting stoplights is like transitioning to light speed in Hans Solo\u2019s Millennium Falcon. Straightaways are gulped. Turns carved.<\/p>\n

But for more utilitarian chores, the GT\u2019s cargo space was more than adequate. The rear hatch easily swallowed two tennis bags (or a golf bag). The frunk (front trunk) is the biggest I\u2019ve seen (bigger than even a Mustang Mach-E), swallowing a full-size suitcase for airport runs \u2014 not just a carry-on like the Porsche and \u2019Vette.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see the engine,\u201d said a supercar collector friend. But like Porsche, McLaren is modest about peekaboo engine displays. The GT will get plenty of looks, but Christmas shoppers with more dramatic tastes will want the insectoid, winged 720S.<\/p>\n

Still, drama can wear thin. A racing friend recently unwrapped a winged Porsche GT3, the brand\u2019s most capable track car. After a year of spine-rattling commutes, he traded it for a Targa.<\/p>\n

So\u00a0have the elves crank out a McLaren GT for me, Santa. A gift for my senses \u2014 but not at the expense of my backside.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

2021 McLaren GT<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: Rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger sports car<\/p>\n

Price: $213,195, including $3,195 destination charge<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0612 horsepower, 465 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 8-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 2.8 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 203 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 3,384 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA\u00a0\u2014 18 mpg city\/22 highway\/18 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Useful cargo space; turbo V-8 from the gods<\/p>\n

Lows: Cramped footwell; more standard tech features, please<\/p>\n

Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coming out of M1 Concourse\u2019s Turn 6 Hairpin onto the back straight, the McLaren GT\u2019s twin-turbos hiss like a lit fuse. The mid-engine supercar explodes with astonishing speed down the 1,500-foot back straight, hitting 130 mph before massive, 14.4-inch front brake rotors bring it back to earth. Its carbon-fiber tub rotates effortlessly into Turn 7. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26528"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26529,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26528\/revisions\/26529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}