9 Things to Know About the 2018 McLaren 570GT

The McLaren 570GT is about as exotic as they come, but there’s more to this British supercar than just its breathtaking appearance.

For instance, it’s more comfortable than the model on which it’s based, and it even comes standard with carbon ceramic brakes. If you weren’t aware of these details, keep reading because below are nine things worth knowing about this exotic machine.

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With bright orange paint, crazy-looking dihedral doors and exotic styling, it’s no wonder the 570GT tested here got major looks from the public at large. If you’re a well-heeled wallflower or would rather not be the center of attention, DO NOT BUY THIS CAR. It draws bigger crowds than a Federal Reserve branch handing out free bundles of $100 bills. Seriously, no other vehicle I’ve had the pleasure of testing has attracted as many people as this one. Whether I was filling the tank, at a park or just idling in a cul-de-sac, passersby couldn’t help but come over and check it out. It really is the ultimate conversation piece.

Compared to the 570S Coupe it’s based on, the 570GT is slightly softer and more civilized. The car’s spring rates have been lowered 15 percent up front and 10 percent ‘round back. Engineers also retuned the electro-hydraulic power steering system by reducing its ratio 2 percent. The car is also fitted with a quieter exhaust system so it’s more comfortable on long-distance trips.

Of course, if all-out performance matters you can always opt for the Sport Pack, a $5,950 option. This upgrade basically gives you the same steering and suspension tuning as the 570S Coupe, which is a surprisingly livable combination in its own right, nowhere as starchy as you might expect.

In addition to the small front trunk, which gives you about 5.3 cubic feet (150 L) of luggage space, McLaren engineers added a leather-lined “touring deck,” basically a supplemental storage area behind the seats and above the engine. This cubby, which is accessible by a hinged glass panel mounted to a lightweight carbon fiber frame gives you nearly 8 additional cubic feet (220 L) of carrying capacity, enough for a small rollaboard or a couple duffel bags. The only real downside to this arrangement is the reach; you have to lean far over the car’s bodywork to load your baggage, which is awkward, can be tough on the spine and risks scratching the car’s beautiful paint.

This McLaren features standard Nappa leather trimmings inside including on the headliner, a luxurious touch. Its pair of seats is also electrically adjustable and heated for added comfort in all seasons. The steering column is power operated as well. An eight-speaker sound system is standard fare, an arrangement that’s actually optional in the 570S Coupe. True audiophiles can also get a specially tuned 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system in the GT, which includes a 14-channel 1,280-Watt amplifier. Engineers even improved the dual-zone climate-control system to help it cope with the added solar load of the 570GT’s glass hatch.

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Like practically every other vehicle these days the 570GT comes with an infotainment system. McLaren’s latest effort is called IRIS and it’s standard equipment. Hardly the fastest or most intuitive of its breed, IRIS is nonetheless a decent bit of kit that features a seven-inch display in an unusual portrait configuration. Satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity and navigation are baked right in, pretty much everything you’d expect. It’s all controlled by an unusual mix of touchscreen icons as well as physical buttons located near the bottom of the center stack. Confusing as it may seem, this combination actually works quite nicely once you figure it out.

Like the USS Enterprise from the venerable Star Trek franchise, this car is capable of faster-than-light travel. Seriously. McLaren’s official zero-to-62 mile an hour (100 km/h) figure is 3.4 seconds, very similar to the much larger and heavier Mercedes-AMG S 63 sedan, but there’s no way it takes that long. The car feels half a second fleeter, its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 warping the fabric of spacetime with 562 horsepower (570 ps if you prefer metric figures). The speed is absolutely brutal, a take-no-prisoners assault on mind, body and soul that will leave you gasping for breath every time you go wide-open with the accelerator.

But for all the performance it offers, this McLaren isn’t particularly melodic. Sadly, it sounds more like a landscaper’s leaf blower than a fire-breathing thrill machine with eight cylinders’ worth of fury. The noise it produces is distinct, though uninspiring.

The engine is also quite loud and vibratory at idle, buzzing the entire vehicle while sitting parked. Torque maxes out at 443 pound-feet but this powerplant is quite soft at lower rpm, requiring at least 3,500 posted on the tachometer before it catches its breath, but then it rockets you toward the horizon with the fury of nuclear explosion.

Carbon ceramic brakes are a common option on numerous high-performance cars from the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio to Aston Martin’s Vantage. On track, they provide nearly limitless stopping power, the ability to absorb more heat than the earth’s mantle, though in everyday use their usefulness is suspect, especially when cost is factored in since they can easily add 10 grand to a car’s price tag.

Paradoxically, carbon ceramic binders are standard equipment on the 570GT with iron rotors as the option, one of the more surprising things about this oh-so-exotic McLaren supercar.

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