First Drive: 2017 McLaren 570GT

A few months back, I was fortunate enough to drive the 2017 McLaren 570GT during the International Motor Press Association’s annual Test Days event. The 570GT joins the 570S in the Sports Series range, delivering a friendlier driving experience thanks to added sound insulation, a quieter exhaust, a more forgiving chassis and drivetrain, along with a glass hatch that provides more storage space along the rear ledge.

But to call the 570GT “softer” would be a mistake, as it’s anything but. The 570GT and 570S both share the same carbon fiber chassis, the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 (which puts out 562 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque), the same seven-speed transmission. In 570GT form, 0-60 happens in a scant 3.3 seconds, on it’s way to a top speed of 204 miles per hour. It’s easily one of the fastest cars I’ve ever driven.

What impressed me about the 570GT was is its sheer dynamic bandwidth. Depending on your mood, it can play either the thrilling supercar or the calming, long-distance GT. Not many sports cars can pull that off.

They key to this is the 570GT’s Active Dynamics Panel in the center console. As in the 570S, there are three settings: Normal, Sport and Track. In Normal mode, the car emphasizes long-distance comfort, thanks to the car’s reduced spring rate stiffness (15% at the front and 10% at the rear) and reduced steering ratio (by 2%). But turn the Handling and Powertrain switches to Sport (or Race), and the 570GT instantly transforms into a raucous sports car, one that’s ready for whatever you throw its way.

While I would love to tell you about how the 570GT hugged the corners at 130MPH without breaking a sweat, I can’t do that, because our brief encounter with the McLaren was on public roads, not on a track where it’s performance chops could be properly evaluated. Still, I managed to find a few back roads where I could do some spirited testing, and the car handled like it was on rails!

At the end of the day, the McLaren 570GT checks off all the boxes for me. It delivers incredible performance, exceptional style (those dihedral doors draw crowds wherever you go), and its comfortable enough to drive on a daily basis if you so desire.

If you’ve got $200K burning a hole in your pocket, you can’t go wrong with the McLaren 570GT. Go test drive one and see for yourself!