2020 McLaren GT

Base Price: $213,000

Specs: Twin Turbo V8

612 hp / 465 Torque

0-60: 3.1 Seconds

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Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi

Pictures/Video: Yousef Alvi and McLaren

This is the McLaren GT.  It’s purpose is within its name.  It’s a GT car…the type of car that I absolutely adore.  Oh sure, I love a hardcore sports car as much as anyone else, but a punishing ride, ear bleeding noise and lack of practicality can be tiresome after a while.  A proper GT car (to me) combines the performance of a sports car but with the civility of a luxury car.  You can take it to your favorite mountain pass and not miss a beat, then quietly and comfortably cruise home.  

This particular McLaren is the brand’s first foray into that GT realm.  They took the underpinnings from the 720s and reengineered it to fit this category.  It is made to go against the likes of the Aston Martin DB11, Porsche 911 Turbo and to a lesser extent but equally as luxurious and quick…the BMW M8.  

Let’s go ahead and break it down:

The Great:  

I don’t care how.  McLaren’s suspension engineers need to win a ‘not there’ Nobel Prize in Engineering.  No other car on the road (beside the 720s) rides like this GT.  Somehow combining both stellar road manners and sheer face melting road holding ability into one cohesive package.  

The steering feel is so good that I want to distill that feeling, bottle it up, make a body wash out of it, so I can slather myself with it every morning. It’s the best steering on the road today.  It’s PERFECTLY weighted and delivers telepathic levels of feel and nuance.  It’s just perfect. 

The Good:

That engine is a beast.  The M840TE is a detuned variant found in the 720s.  There are some quibbles to be found (which you can see below) but overall it’s still explosive.  Engage Launch Control and it physically be painful if you re not ready.  Also I got 25 mpg on the highway!

The interior is bright, airy and filled with creamy quilted leather.  The ambient lighting system is subtle and looks splendid at night.  

Whoever fixed the AC on the GT….I want to hug you.  The previous McLaren’s I have reviewed had A/C units that were more of a suggestion rather than a physical unit.  They would weakly pump out lukewarm air at any setting and sitting under those glass canopies, you tend to roast quickly in anything above 80 degrees outside.  This GT unit works just plain wonderful in contrast. First, the glass roof is now coated in photovoltaic cells that with a quick hit of a button can block out the sun, let some in or completely let it in. That and along with the upgraded AC…within a few minutes the cabin is inundated in luxurious, sexy, cooled air.  

The Bad:  

As I said before, the M840TE engine, is a detuned variant found in the 720s.  Different turbos, compression and tuning give it a different personality.  If you have never driven a 720s then ignorance is bliss.  You will be rewarded with an experience that is like nothing else! But if you have driven a 720s then the GT feels a bit neutered.  There is turbo lag present that is not found in the 720s and it feels reined in rather than the unhinged experience in the 720s.  Let me put it another way.  The 720s is tsunami of noise, power and felonies…the GT on the other hand feels it has line of coding in the background keeping it at bay.  

On the styling front…yes it looks like a C8 but I don’t care about that.  It’s the same way the NSX looks like a R8.  If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…then well there you go.  To me, it’s just a bit underwhelming.  The front end looks a bit off to me (looks like it has cheekbones that were botox’d to death), the headlights protrude out in a rather ungainly fashion and it’s just missing that ‘wowzers’ factor to me. 

The Ugly:

Our particular GT was a bit of a problem child.  More than likely since this is a first year production vehicle and factoring in the mileage read at 5000 when I got it. It’s understandable, especially considering 5000 hard miles in a press car is more like 500,000 in real world mileage. These poor things get beat up…a lot. Regardless a few items of note:

• The seatbelt, on the driver’s side, rubbed against the seat in such a loud fashion that I literally went insane after 10 minutes

• Warning lights on the dashboard were abound in random fashion

• Knocking noise from the rear 

  • Weirdly enough same noise was in the 720s

• Brakes still engage at the firewall 

• Seat controls are maddeningly frustrating to use

• Seats themselves could offer more padding and thigh support

  • Also, this is a GT car, I want ventilated seats damnit

• Idles so roughly that it feels like the engine mounts are made out of cement

• Road, wind and tire noise are not just prevalent…it can be overwhelming at times.

The Overall:

If this was called anything but a GT then it would be great.  Maybe 720Lite.  Or McLaren 710.  Because that is what it is, it still has some of the characteristics that makes a 720s so damn special.  From it’s perfect steering, sublime ride and magnetic handling, to its ferocious acceleration…it’s all there.  

But unfortunately it lacks the civility that makes a GT car…well a GT car.  It’s too loud, rough and raw to be truly considered one BUT it’s loud, rough and raw to be a great entry level supercar.  

I guess it all boils down to expectations.  If you want 720s levels of performance but with a better interior, AC and a bit more practicality and not pay 720s levels of pricing.  This is your answer.