LONDON: British supercar company McLaren has surprised everyone by unveiling its most practical and luxurious model to date ahead of next week's Geneva Motor show.
McLaren had been expected to take the wraps off a convertible version of its new "entry-level" Porsche 911 challenging super sports car, the 570S. But instead, on Wednesday the company offered the first glimpse of the 570GT, a car designed to offer extreme comfort as well as extreme performance and one, McLaren claims is genuinely suitable for everyday use.
Like the S model, the GT has a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 in its middle that can output 562bhp, and this translates into a 0-100kph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 328kph.
However, this is where the two cars start to move in different directions. The new GT has a panoramic glass roof as standard to let more light into the cabin. It also has a swooping glass rear panel that swings open for extra storage capacity. This newly created space plus the front luggage compartment under the hood give the car a very impressive 370 litres of storage, that's 80 more than you get in a Ford Fiesta hatchback.
As well as creating a second luggage compartment, the new glass rear also helps to cut cabin noise. Further efforts to keep the turbocharged roar of the engine from interrupting a conversation or hands-free phone call include bespoke tyres, developed with Pirelli that reduce road roar and a new air conditioning system with a ‘lo' setting that tries to keep the noise of the fan to a minimum.
Standard interior features include electrically operated and heated leather seats, an eight-speaker audio system and a touchscreen infotainment system complete with navigation and telephony controls. While practicality considerations include front and rear parking sensors, an electric steering column that can move to help the driver get in and out and wider opening doors that close more quietly.
Even the suspension and steering have been tweaked so that they are biased towards road rather than track driving and for absorbing bumps rather than amplifying them.
The new 570GT will go on sale immediately after its reveal on March 1 and will cost from £154,000 (RM903,000).
