Back into a McLaren, our Volcano Red GT

[DRZ]

Ah interesting. A lot of water collects under those bits when washing the car but I've not noticed any looseness there yet. The grille immediately adjacent to that on my car is looking slightly out of place but isn't (yet) showing any signs of looseness.

I've twice (!) had the black trim piece immediately in front of the passenger door glass come loose, preventing the passenger door from opening without risking some nasty damage. Popped out a third time on Sunday morning so I've just fixed it myself with some ultra strength automotive tape.

[Zanderman]

Really nice review and comprehensive sharing of your experience!

I am looking for a GT car that still has some sporting credentials and has some prestige and sexiness to it. My requirements for a car have changed from using it a few times a week for short journeys and fun to a lot of fairly tedious motorway miles every 2 weeks or so. I bought a S class to do those miles and as you might expect it is perfect for those kinds of miles but isnt very exciting or interesting. Perfect whilst I figure out my next move.

I recently got rid of my 992 C2S (which was a superb car) because it was just a bit to small and not that comfortable for me on those long journeys. I have been considering the usual - Bentley Continental (current model), S63 AMG coupe, M5 Comp etc. I also have looked at a couple of the Ferrari options but putting big miles on them seems like a bad idea…… I hadn’t even considered a McLaren, they are beautiful and exotic but you wouldn’t necessarily consider them along side the ones I was looking at.

My question is around your cars GT credentials, the sporting aspects I take as red but would you use it for motorway munching? How is it getting in and out of?(I am getting on with dodgy knees and far to fat for a standard McLaren/supercar (couldn’t get in or out of a regular super car without looking ridiculous!) Does the perceived quality issues surrounding Mclaren worry you? I need a reliable car but no idea if the quality thing is just noise….

I guess I am trying to see if it is more GT or sports car. It is way more exciting than the other options I am looking at but would be keen to get your views before I go and check one out.

Thanks!

[DRZ]

Zanderman said:

Really nice review and comprehensive sharing of your experience!

I am looking for a GT car that still has some sporting credentials and has some prestige and sexiness to it. My requirements for a car have changed from using it a few times a week for short journeys and fun to a lot of fairly tedious motorway miles every 2 weeks or so. I bought a S class to do those miles and as you might expect it is perfect for those kinds of miles but isnt very exciting or interesting. Perfect whilst I figure out my next move.

I recently got rid of my 992 C2S (which was a superb car) because it was just a bit to small and not that comfortable for me on those long journeys. I have been considering the usual - Bentley Continental (current model), S63 AMG coupe, M5 Comp etc. I also have looked at a couple of the Ferrari options but putting big miles on them seems like a bad idea…… I hadn’t even considered a McLaren, they are beautiful and exotic but you wouldn’t necessarily consider them along side the ones I was looking at.

My question is around your cars GT credentials, the sporting aspects I take as red but would you use it for motorway munching? How is it getting in and out of?(I am getting on with dodgy knees and far to fat for a standard McLaren/supercar (couldn’t get in or out of a regular super car without looking ridiculous!) Does the perceived quality issues surrounding Mclaren worry you? I need a reliable car but no idea if the quality thing is just noise….

I guess I am trying to see if it is more GT or sports car. It is way more exciting than the other options I am looking at but would be keen to get your views before I go and check one out.

Thanks!

Hi Zanderman,

Hopefully I can provide some perspective in addition to Jerry's reply as I too own an McLaren GT - my thread is here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

As you might know, the GT's carbon tub is virtually the same as the 720S, so is very "supercar". The suspension is very similar to 720S but without the cross-linked hydraulic bits which very slightly affects the ride quality over particularly poor surfaces and definitely affects the car's ultimate ability when pressing on. The steering is slackened off a bit as well, meaning it leans toward the GT side of things but is still pretty phenomenal when all is said and done!

It has supercar entry challenges like most. The shape of the doors makes it slightly more difficult to get into than a 720S and thus definitely a lot more difficult to get into and out of than a Continental or a DB11. I'm 37, not even remotely slim and have all the flexibility of rigor mortis and I find it totally fine to get in and out of. For reference, I really struggle to get into or out of an Exige at all, let alone gracefully.

Compared to an S Class (I owned a W220 many years ago), you're going to find the GT to be small, loud, compromised on luggage space (less than most mid engined cars but still...) and one or two notches less comfortable on UK roads but 10000% more exciting, more dynamic, more interesting etc etc. If you want a car you can park out in public anywhere at any time without worrying about it then maybe look elsewhere as they do attract a fair bit of attention.

Quality is largely an internet-overblown issue - I've had minor bits happen with mine. Corrosion still remains an issue as does some other bits they really ought to have sorted by now however my dealer experience has been genuinely great, leagues ahead of any Mercedes dealership experience for example. Yes, people have problems. From what I can see, you're just as likely to have "an issue" with your Ferrari, Lambo, Aston etc as you are with McLaren. What happens when you have that problem and how you feel about it is down to you, your dealer and how you buy and run the car at the end of the day.

Go test drive one and let us know what you think

[JerryEXE]

Zanderman said:

Really nice review and comprehensive sharing of your experience!

I am looking for a GT car that still has some sporting credentials and has some prestige and sexiness to it. My requirements for a car have changed from using it a few times a week for short journeys and fun to a lot of fairly tedious motorway miles every 2 weeks or so. I bought a S class to do those miles and as you might expect it is perfect for those kinds of miles but isnt very exciting or interesting. Perfect whilst I figure out my next move.

I recently got rid of my 992 C2S (which was a superb car) because it was just a bit to small and not that comfortable for me on those long journeys. I have been considering the usual - Bentley Continental (current model), S63 AMG coupe, M5 Comp etc. I also have looked at a couple of the Ferrari options but putting big miles on them seems like a bad idea…… I hadn’t even considered a McLaren, they are beautiful and exotic but you wouldn’t necessarily consider them along side the ones I was looking at.

My question is around your cars GT credentials, the sporting aspects I take as red but would you use it for motorway munching? How is it getting in and out of?(I am getting on with dodgy knees and far to fat for a standard McLaren/supercar (couldn’t get in or out of a regular super car without looking ridiculous!) Does the perceived quality issues surrounding Mclaren worry you? I need a reliable car but no idea if the quality thing is just noise….

I guess I am trying to see if it is more GT or sports car. It is way more exciting than the other options I am looking at but would be keen to get your views before I go and check one out.

Thanks!

Good day, glad you like the thread so far. Looks like DRZ has comprehensively answered your questions in his response above (his Reader’s Car thread is definitely worth a read). I found myself agreeing with all of it but especially this paragraph …

“Compared to an S Class (I owned a W220 many years ago), you're going to find the GT to be small, loud, compromised on luggage space (less than most mid engined cars but still...) and one or two notches less comfortable on UK roads but 10000% more exciting, more dynamic, more interesting etc etc.”

I’ve done a lot of motorway miles in ours and it copes but it is not the perfect motorway cruiser. After the recent experience with the diesel Audi A6 courtesy car I do find myself asking “if I had to do 500 motorway miles in a day, which would I take?” and the honest answer would probably be the A6 (or any other large, comfy saloon). Of course, it’s never just motorway miles and you have to consider how you’d be driving before and after said miles and adding that into the question always flips the answer back to the GT.

With regards to reliability (and potentially being put off), this is our 4th McLaren … the first was a lemon (but still better than the 458 I looked at to replace it, controversial comment there which I await the trolling for ), the second good, the third almost faultless and this one the same as the third. In fact our Kia has been back for more warranty work than the GT (and the less said the better about the Cayenne that preceded the Kia). The internet seems to blow most McLaren issues out of all proportion so take most non owner comments with a pinch of salt.

As DRZ said, take a test drive and see what you think.

[Zanderman]

Thanks for the response chaps, I think it may be a second car which is what I am trying to get away from. Very complicated ‘problem’ I am trying to solve by the looks! Either way I will go and have a look at one I think. It is such a stunning car!

[davek_964]

Zanderman said:

Thanks for the response chaps, I think it may be a second car which is what I am trying to get away from. Very complicated ‘problem’ I am trying to solve by the looks! Either way I will go and have a look at one I think. It is such a stunning car!

Never driven a GT, but :

I bought my 650 Spider almost 3 years ago. I didn't buy it as a weekend car, but didn't intend to use it as a daily either - my intention was about 50% usage, which matched the cars it replaced.
The reality is that it has been 95% usage. One of the positive points about the McLaren's is that they really are very easy to drive 'normally'. About a year ago, I even bought another car to try and reduce the amount I was using the McLaren - it failed, and it simply means I have two other cars I rarely use instead of just one!

Mine is incredibly comfortable and I've always found it entirely happy around town and motorways. There are obviously compromises with luggage space, and on short journeys the fuel economy isn't great. But on the last motorway run I did, mine managed 32mpg which is pretty reasonable.

Definitely worth you driving one. Mine is absolutely the best daily I've had - and the GT should be even more so.

[Zanderman]

Keep looking at these online, just beautiful. Might be my favourite looking McLaren……..

I was offered a new RR over the weekend and despite all the reasons to buy it I just wasn’t excited by it. Spending £130k on a car in my view it should make your bits fizz and the RR just didn’t. I will go and check out the GT, I have a feeling it might!

[RSbandit]

Spending more than £70k on a bloated SUV type car seems ridiculous to me …in reality all u need is a Discovery or Q7 at the 50-60k mark and put the rest into something that makes ur plums tingle …Urus , DBX, RSQ8, X5M etc yours all day.

[JerryEXE]

DRZ said:

I've twice (!) had the black trim piece immediately in front of the passenger door glass come loose, preventing the passenger door from opening without risking some nasty damage. Popped out a third time on Sunday morning so I've just fixed it myself with some ultra strength automotive tape.

It appears that “They all do that, sir” . Driver side for me though.



A few minutes with a similar tape and, hopefully, it’s fixed.

[DRZ]

Oh dear

I used some spare 3M VHB tape which was less than 1mm thick the first time. That didn't do the trick, so I used some slightly thicker tape next time and absolutely coated the inside of it in tape (having thoroughly washed and IPA'd the surfaces). Still came off! Currently it is reaffixed using a gopro mounting pad which is 3M VHB but approaching 1.5-2mm thick and that has lasted a record time so far (600 miles).

I am absolutely determined to fix it before it ends up damaging the PPF and/or the paint when the door is opened.

[JerryEXE]

I’ve also used 3M VHB, think it’s the 1.1 mm stuff. I used a lot so fingers crossed that it holds.

[JerryEXE]

Good job I’ve got plenty of 3M VHB as I found the rear plate peeling off when washing the car earlier. The current weather probably not helping anything attached with double sided tape.

More disappointingly, I also noticed that the door opening “button” is catching the door frame when pushed in and has worn through the paint …



You cannot really see it with the door closed so I shall live with that until the next required dealer visit.

[DRZ]

I had a look at mine earlier on today and it is worn in exactly the same way. In fact, I cannot see how this couldn't happen with the way it is designed, the recess it goes into looks like it slightly narrows toward the back, although having said that the passenger side is not worn in the same way... I guess it hardly gets used in comparison.

I'll mention it when it goes in for a service and see what they say.

[JerryEXE]

I cannot believe it’s almost 12 months since I last updated this. It’s booked into McBristol later this week for its second annual service and to have the minor gripes I mentioned earlier attended to. I’m embarrassed to say that it’s only covered about 1300 miles since the last service … I really must try harder this year.

The miles covered have, occasionally, been done very economically



and it has been used for the B&Q run when Mrs Jerry was using the other car (try doing this in anything else in the Mc range )



Finally, the volcano red continues to be the thing people seem to comment on most, very difficult to capture but this hopefully shows off some of the sparkle …



I need to take a leaf out of DRZ’s book and come up with something a little more interesting to post about going forward.

[Bispal]

JerryEXE said:

The miles covered have, occasionally, been done very economically



and it has been used for the B&Q run when Mrs Jerry was using the other car (try doing this in anything else in the Mc range )

My 675LT on a trip 2 weeks ago from outer London - Severn Crossing, and as you can see there were no 50mph average speed sections.....

[JerryEXE]

Bispal said:

My 675LT on a trip 2 weeks ago from outer London - Severn Crossing, and as you can see there were no 50mph average speed sections.....

Now that is impressive!

[justin220]

Loving the B&Q run!

[Nuttbelle]

1,300 miles is criminal Jerry

[JerryEXE]

Nuttbelle said:

1,300 miles is criminal Jerry

Oh, I’m very aware of that. Probably cost me about £20 per mile this last year . I will try harder going forward.

I suspect you’ve put more miles on the Tecnica already?

[Nuttbelle]

JerryEXE said:

Oh, I’m very aware of that. Probably cost me about £20 per mile this last year . I will try harder going forward.

I suspect you’ve put more miles on the Tecnica already?

Nearly, 1,000 miles in 5 weeks but I had to get the running in period out of the way so I can enjoy the screaming V10 now