On 08 February 2020, McLaren Automotive revealed their new McLaren GT at an exclusive event in Johannesburg, South Africa with our local CEO in attendance. The luxury, high-performance sports car and supercar manufacturer has surpassed all expectations by challenging the conventions of the Grand Tourer category with a compelling blend of beautiful design, high-quality innovative materials, true supercar performance and McLaren driving dynamics and engagement.

“We are extremely proud to unveil the new McLaren GT in Johannesburg. Our goal with the GT was to offer a McLaren alternative in the Grand Touring category and extend the appeal of our brand to a new audience. The result is a car with the best power-to-weight ratio in class but also enhanced luggage capacity and high levels of everyday usability. I am confident that this sophisticated vehicle will appeal to both our existing and new customers in the market” says Brett Soso, Managing Director of Middle East, Africa & Latin America for McLaren Automotive.

The launch was a prestigious event that seemed to target the McLaren at the business executive who enjoys a premium lifestyle. The storage space is surprisingly large and includes a 150l front storage compartment and 420 litre rear storage compartment that can fit an entire bag of golf clubs. Furthermore, this is a new McLaren for a new audience and provides an alternative to existing products in an expanding market segment. It also features a core carbon fibre structure that possesses exceptional strength and rigidity while enabling unparalleled driving dynamics and lightest-in-class kerb weight.

Our CEO, Nicole Capper at 1.77m tall fitted quite comfortably in the driver’s seat. Not only that but she also found the climb in and out of the vehicle easier than usual with the new classy leather design. Technology and modern craftsmanship share equal prominence in the car, with the finest high-quality materials, complemented by the company’s most sophisticated infotainment system to date. It is among the fastest-operating in any car and features real-time traffic information accessible through the seven-inch central touchscreen.

The vehicle colour selection for the event was a crisp white with an elegant muted black interior which once again suited the executive feel of the launch. Ambient refinement was a priority for the new McLaren GT from the beginning. Its 10-degree approach angle allows the car to cope with the most aggressive traffic calming measures and speedbumps. In combination with underbody clearance of 110mm (130mm) with vehicle lift, this ensures the vehicle is usable in all urban situations, not only is it competitive with all rivals but in ‘lift’ mode it is the equal of mainstream sedans.

We have not experienced the drive of the vehicle ourselves but have been promised that it is incredibly and remarkably smooth compared to previous McLaren models.

At as little as 1,530kg (DIN), the McLaren GT is more than 130kg lighter than its heaviest competitor and with 620PS from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the power-to-weight ratio is a remarkable 405PS-per-tonne. The torque of 630Nm is produced between 5,500rpm and 6,500rpm, with more than 95% of this available from 3,000rpm to 7,250rpm. The new engine is mated to a 7-speed SSG transmission to deliver linear, seamless and relentless acceleration.

In essence, the new model delivers classic Grand Tourer attributes of competition levels of performance and continent-crossing capability, yet is lighter, faster, more engaging and more usable. It is optimised for daily use with outstanding ride comfort, segment-leading cabin refinement and total stowage capacity of 570 litres. It also has true supercar performance for the Grand Touring segment: 0-200km/h in 9.0 seconds and a top speed of 326km/h and is the fourth model launched under the Track25 business plan.

Written by Nicole Capper for Luxuria Lifestyle South Africa