McLaren 570GT: Escapology
MCLAREN 570GT
ESCAPOLOGY
Words: Alessandro Marrone
Photography: Jay Tomei
Personally as soon as I read “GT” I am already in love, sort of. Its meaning is so powerful that my mind is invaded by an unspecified number of images. With this I do not mean to deny the fact that I feel comfortable with a car with outstanding performance, those two-seaters that do not care if you arrive at the destination with shaked bones, but we must admit that not in every situations, the answer to all our questions is identified with a specific drive with a knife between your teeth. Here the movie of an ideal road trip begins to develop in my head, alternating between breathtaking scenery and the most diverse colors, without a logical thread – from autumn yellow piles of trees to the white of the snow that blends with a clear sky. At the center of this image the right car, the one that is ready to accompany me along that stretch of road that has been carefully studied days before, maybe after having spent hours on Google Maps, or even on classic paper road maps, those that once opened completely will never come back as before. The finger flows along those twisted lines that seem too small to contain all those fantastic emotions that a trip like this is able to offer. Yet it is just like that and a GT is the ideal tool to appreciate and satisfy the journey, the most beautiful part that lies behind a destination.
In my wardrobe there is a red sweatshirt with a white horizontal stripe, in the middle there is the logo of a famous cigarette company, the same that has been together with Formula 1 McLaren team in the golden years. I wore it when I was much lower than the slender silhouette of the 570GT at my disposal and I keep it jealously, reliving the memories of my first steps towards the world of motoring. Over the years many things have changed and McLaren has given birth to one of the most iconic supercars ever, Gordon Murray’s child, the F1. Then, a few years later, the MP4-12C marked the return to production (in larger scale) of road going cars, passing through the 650S, the various hardcore versions, such as the 675LT and the current 720S. The Sport Series, launched in 2016, instead aims to broaden the circle of customers bringing with it supercar performance and a wider usability, in addition of course of a lower cost starting from less than € 200,000, with the 540C. I was able to drive the 570S for quite a while and I literally fell in love with it, I could not find a fault except the fact that I wasn’t able to leave it permanently in my garage, but the 570GT promises to be the ideal partner, making the road trip as its main objective and not afraid to face those that are actually the most traditional grand tourers like Aston Martin, Bentley or Maserati. It does this by maintaining the same characteristics as the 570S, with the only aesthetic exception of the rear glass which allows access to an extra load compartment, exactly above the engine. I just put a backpack there to be honest, the main trunk on the front is already full of the photographer’s equipment, the fuel tank is full and the fact of fitting summer tires is not a problem, because it will help to make the driving dynamic as it should be on a McLaren (just a couple of weeks after this test, McLaren unveiled the range of new specific winter tires developed with Pirelli, ed).
ESCAPE.
I feel at home again, finally. Sat-nav set according to the detailed roadmap that will guide us where we will be able to vent the most animal side of this battling GT. The V8 remains unchanged compared to the 570S, a twin-turbo 3.8 with 570 horses, the weight increases slightly by virtue of the crystal surface that however makes the line of the rear more harmonious, also providing a lip-spoiler that integrates perfectly with the same tail of the car. The car in my hands is equipped with the sports carbon package and then we have carbon fiber for the front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, side vents and of course in the cockpit, enriched with bucket-seats that intend to delete the dynamic differences between this and a 570S as much as possible. After a few minutes I’m back in tune with the spearhead of the Sport Series, I do not waste time and I engage the manual adjustment of the chassis, going to move the selectors in Sport, both for the gearbox and for traction control. Unless you get off from one to jump on the other, to really feel some steering differences between the S and the GT is virtually impossible, while talking about the suspension is something more understandable. The 570GT has a more civilized setting, with suspension 10% softer at the rear and 15% at the front and it is precisely here that I realize that I have to deal with an extremely similar car, which in reality is very different . Of course the 570GT maintains the same desire to shatter the sound barrier, its progression is something scary to which it is really difficult to get used, ceramic brakes are so powerful hence able to handle any impaired conditions and the white silhouette begins to dance in tiptoe from one bend to another, while the road climbs towards those mountains that in case of snow will be off limits for us.
We are not going to give up here, forgetting to be behind the wheel of a travel lover, in fact if you do not continuously compare the two models of the Sport Series, nothing would make you think you’re asking too much to the frame, even on a road of this kind. Taking advantage of the total lack of traffic and the familiarity with the asphalt snake under its wheels, we move the game into Track mode. The paddles at the wheel allow you to climb or downshift gears depending on how you intervene on them, pressing or pushing towards you, in this way even with the logo upside down and in the middle of a slide you do not lose precious moments and you are able to launch yourself towards the next hairpin. The V8, which many criticize for its sound – or lack of – sings gloriously. It is hungry for revs and although the road is not wide enough to always reach the limiter, insisting on low gears makes easier to keep the 600Nm of torque alive. The journey seems to have gone into the background, but in reality the miles are grinded without rest and without the slightest uncertainty, with a sky that seems to hold back its desire to overturn on us all the bad mood that is accumulating behind those threatening clouds . Every now and then a shy ray of sunshine tries to make its way and kiss the pearly white of the bodywork, but there is no time and no intention to stop and admire the landscape, not in the middle of these encyclopedia of curves bounded by sharp rocks on one side and from the representation of the word “Game Over” on the opposite one.
The escape continues after a quick packed lunch with a view – yes, on the side of the road and right in front of the McLaren. Impossible not to spend your time admiring it, at least in the rare moments when you are forced to stay away from the driving seat. Probably you’ll see more 570GT specimens with a luxurious leather interior, rather than such Spartan seats, but I find that this kind of configuration is the one that would choose those who needed some extra baggage with ‘em, without giving up the extraordinary dynamics and feel of a proper supercar. The GT combines the ability to drive it in auto and without haste to the fact of representing a moment to enjoy with all five senses. The doors keep opening up, the look is exotic and you will not find a grand tourer that does not weigh at least twice its 1,350kg. It will not replace your SUV or your super sedan, but for the simple fact that it is significantly more special and deserves every possible attention every time you take the key and go out for a ride. Or more than a simple drive, it will be a real escape, like those without destination, those that begin with the idea of cruising a road and then another and another one. After many hours and some fuel stops there will be nothing left to do but drive again and again in the opposite direction from where you started. The secret of a GT lies not only in the qualities it can offer, but in the ability to improve something already as important and intimate as a journey. A piece of our life that will be part of a precise memory of our shelf of experiences, in this case traveled in the most special way possible.
Now a good amount of miles have gone by, surprising me once again for the anything but oppressive fuel consumption. The 570GT will never have the practicality of a five-seater with a trunk to be gorged with useful, superfluous and useless things, but has that spark that no other GT will ever have. It knows how to go as fast as the supercar it is, and thanks to the two luggage compartments it will not force you to leave nothing essential at home. Once again I take the wrong turn, not so much because I am interested in knowing what lies after that hill, but because I am not yet ready to put an end to this wonderful trip. Actually this journey won’t end, not even when it will be time to park or say goodbye to the key of the GT, because in the precise moment I gave life to all of this, an experience has taken off and it only waits to be continued. Maybe on some even more demanding road, with glimpses that are able to force me to stop and admire the immensity of what exists around us. And the 570 to frame a picture that I will never forget, just like these days in its company. After all, I just needed a good excuse to stay away from the office without having to explain too much to my colleagues.
MCLAREN 570GT (2016-)
Layout – mid-rear engine, rear wheel drive
Engine – V8 cylinder – 3.799cc – twin-turbo
Transmission – 7-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 570 hp @ 7.400rpm
600 Nm @ 5.000rpm
Weight – 1.350 kg
Acceleration – 3,4 sec.
Top Speed – 328 kph
Price – from € 200.500