Back into a McLaren, our Volcano Red GT
Discussion
The last thread which I created about our McLaren ownership (650S coupe) ended with this …
In fact, it took almost 18 months for me to organise a Caterham test drive (many thanks to Williams Automobiles) and then a subsequent visit to McLaren Bristol (our “local” dealer) which has resulted in us becoming the new owners of this 2021 Volcano Red GT …
Why the GT? I guess the answer to this one is that I forced myself to be brutally honest, listen to Mrs Jerry and then buy the car that best fits our usage profile rather than the car that everyone else would choose. A 650S was ruled out simply because we’d already done that and it was time to try something different, a 600LT was also ruled out as I’ll maybe do 1 or 2 track days a year (if at all) and long distance comfort has become more appealing than track ability and a 720S simply because finding a decent spec and colour at the correct price really is quite a challenge. Hence, we’ve bought the least loved(?), most marmite McLaren, at peak prices heading into winter with a fuel crisis ongoing …. Oh dear
The sales team at McLaren Bristol (mainly Ashley but also Ross) were very easy to deal with and if my relationship with the rest of the dealership follows the same path then I’ll be happy. Collection day had some nice touches …
Due to other commitments, the car hasn’t left the garage since it was brought home last week and I’d like to put some more miles on it before making too many comparisons. At this point I’ll just say it feels more modern, more comfortable and more luxurious than the 650S whilst remaining brutally fast. More detailed thoughts will follow and if anyone has questions then please fire away.
JerryDXB said:
I made a head over heart decision, dropped the price and finally had a bid which I accepted. This is what the equivalent of approx £70k looks like in Dirhams ...
It’s the first and only car that I’ve sold which I felt sad doing so but it is the correct thing to do at this point in time. I didn’t make it to 50k km, the car was showing just over 48k when I passed it on to its new owner yesterday ... which means I’ve driven over 92k km in McLarens since the 12C launch!
3 cars, 9 years, 92k km, Pure events at Silverstone and Spa, numerous track days at Yas and the Dubai Autodrome and some great local drives and events .... priceless memories.
I need to do some serious thinking about what next (when we return to the UK soon). Mrs Jerry is already saying it would be nice to have another McLaren (which is always a good thing) whereas I’m still thinking self assembly Caterham (420R) ... Watch this space!
… not long after that, we returned to the UK and almost immediately went into COVID lockdown. All thoughts of sports car ownership (whether McLaren, Caterham or anything in between) paled into insignificance compared to everything else that was going on and hence, other than a brief trip to McLaren Birmingham during one of the gaps between lockdowns to view a VY 650S spider, nothing was done to put a 2nd car in the garage.It’s the first and only car that I’ve sold which I felt sad doing so but it is the correct thing to do at this point in time. I didn’t make it to 50k km, the car was showing just over 48k when I passed it on to its new owner yesterday ... which means I’ve driven over 92k km in McLarens since the 12C launch!
3 cars, 9 years, 92k km, Pure events at Silverstone and Spa, numerous track days at Yas and the Dubai Autodrome and some great local drives and events .... priceless memories.
I need to do some serious thinking about what next (when we return to the UK soon). Mrs Jerry is already saying it would be nice to have another McLaren (which is always a good thing) whereas I’m still thinking self assembly Caterham (420R) ... Watch this space!
In fact, it took almost 18 months for me to organise a Caterham test drive (many thanks to Williams Automobiles) and then a subsequent visit to McLaren Bristol (our “local” dealer) which has resulted in us becoming the new owners of this 2021 Volcano Red GT …
Why the GT? I guess the answer to this one is that I forced myself to be brutally honest, listen to Mrs Jerry and then buy the car that best fits our usage profile rather than the car that everyone else would choose. A 650S was ruled out simply because we’d already done that and it was time to try something different, a 600LT was also ruled out as I’ll maybe do 1 or 2 track days a year (if at all) and long distance comfort has become more appealing than track ability and a 720S simply because finding a decent spec and colour at the correct price really is quite a challenge. Hence, we’ve bought the least loved(?), most marmite McLaren, at peak prices heading into winter with a fuel crisis ongoing …. Oh dear
The sales team at McLaren Bristol (mainly Ashley but also Ross) were very easy to deal with and if my relationship with the rest of the dealership follows the same path then I’ll be happy. Collection day had some nice touches …
Due to other commitments, the car hasn’t left the garage since it was brought home last week and I’d like to put some more miles on it before making too many comparisons. At this point I’ll just say it feels more modern, more comfortable and more luxurious than the 650S whilst remaining brutally fast. More detailed thoughts will follow and if anyone has questions then please fire away.
cgt2 said:
Honestly don't know why the GT gets bad press. It's a lovely balanced car which has all the performance you could want and feels very well built too. Great colour choice too.
Harry’s garage did a nice test on one which spiked my interest. Need to see a couple in the flesh to know if I like the design, I’m a 12c person when it come to design. Good morning all, many thanks for the positive comments. It appears that the colour is universally approved of … it was definitely one of the factors that sealed the deal. It had a Gtechniq ceramic coating done prior to collection and looks absolutely stunning in direct sunlight. There seem to be many more silver and grey GTs out there than the more “interesting” colours so this was a good result for us.
The general public seem to approve and the attention the car received on the trip home on a slow and congested, Friday afternoon, southbound M5 was something I had forgotten happens. I guess that I’ll have to get used to this.
The general public seem to approve and the attention the car received on the trip home on a slow and congested, Friday afternoon, southbound M5 was something I had forgotten happens. I guess that I’ll have to get used to this.
justin220 said:
I really liked the GT when I test drove it. I couldn't beleive how different it was from my 540C.
The best part for me was the active exhaust, it sounded so much better than Mine.
I likened it to the Lotus Evora in comparison to my 540 being like an Exige / Elise
Looks great in VR
You are right about the exhaust. This car has the standard exhaust rather than the sports exhaust (which, before experiencing, I would have said was a must have option) and I cannot see why you’d want/need anything else in this type of car. Discreet in comfort and non-active modes and then sounds great when driving a little harder in active/sport mode with the valves open.The best part for me was the active exhaust, it sounded so much better than Mine.
I likened it to the Lotus Evora in comparison to my 540 being like an Exige / Elise
Looks great in VR
It also sounds much more turbocharged than the 650S ever did with the whooshes and whistles being very apparent. Maybe not for everyone but something I like a lot.
djangoW said:
"other than a brief trip to McLaren Birmingham during one of the gaps between lockdowns to view a VY 650S spider, nothing was done "
Thank you SO MUCH for NOT buying that VY 650S . as its mine now and am enjoying it hugely!
Nice one, glad to hear you are enjoying it.Thank you SO MUCH for NOT buying that VY 650S . as its mine now and am enjoying it hugely!
The 650S remains great value for money (relatively speaking) and Volcano Yellow is definitely the best colour for them (but I could be biased
).I have the same car (GT) in the same colour.
Had it six months, 3000 miles, hasn't missed a beat, gets great reception everywhere, super comfortable, crazy fast, but then gives over 30 mpg on a bimble round the Cotswolds.
In the flesh, in Volcano red, it's absolutely stunning.
Absolutely the right McLaren for me, can't fault it.
Had it six months, 3000 miles, hasn't missed a beat, gets great reception everywhere, super comfortable, crazy fast, but then gives over 30 mpg on a bimble round the Cotswolds.
In the flesh, in Volcano red, it's absolutely stunning.
Absolutely the right McLaren for me, can't fault it.
Edited by T70RPM on Wednesday 6th October 13:20
T70RPM said:
I have the same car (GT) in the same colour.
Had it six months, 3000 miles, hasn't missed a beat, gets great reception everywhere, super comfortable, crazy fast, but then gives over 30 mpg on a bimble round the Cotswolds.
In the flesh, in Volcano red, it's absolutely stunning.
Absolutely the right McLaren for me, can't fault it.
You have very good taste Had it six months, 3000 miles, hasn't missed a beat, gets great reception everywhere, super comfortable, crazy fast, but then gives over 30 mpg on a bimble round the Cotswolds.
In the flesh, in Volcano red, it's absolutely stunning.
Absolutely the right McLaren for me, can't fault it.
Edited by T70RPM on Wednesday 6th October 13:20
I still haven’t had the opportunity to put many miles on the car but did get caught in the rain earlier in the week which left the car looking fairly dirty. Gave it a clean earlier today (the Gtechniq coating makes this so easy) and hence will take the opportunity to post some clean pics …
I’m really loving the Volcano Red.
A few thoughts on the initial miles … the car is a very nice place to be (a combination of leather and alcantara) and, like all McLarens, is brutally fast. It feels easier/more effortless to drive quickly than the 650S and I remember the 650S being more raw. The induction and exhaust noises are addictive, torque seems never ending and the gearbox software seems to be greatly improved (I’ve not yet felt the need to pull a paddle as the car just seems to know which gear to be in at all times and it seems more eager to downshift in auto than the 650S ever did). I reckon I must have gotten used to the very soft brake pedal in our family car as the GT brakes (standard iron discs) do not fill me with confidence and seem to require an almighty shove (albeit they work when you do so). I remember saying this the first time I drove a 12C so I’ll likely get used to it and maybe they’ll improve as I put more miles on it (still below the recommended 650 miles for running in the engine and brakes at this stage).
Other thoughts, whoever decided to put the reverse camera display behind the steering wheel needs a good slap, having the vehicle lift operating by a single button on the right stalk is a good idea and the upgraded B&W stereo doesn’t seem to like the old USB stick I used in the 650S (I’ll get a new one to try before I say there’s an issue).
More to follow.
I’m really loving the Volcano Red.
A few thoughts on the initial miles … the car is a very nice place to be (a combination of leather and alcantara) and, like all McLarens, is brutally fast. It feels easier/more effortless to drive quickly than the 650S and I remember the 650S being more raw. The induction and exhaust noises are addictive, torque seems never ending and the gearbox software seems to be greatly improved (I’ve not yet felt the need to pull a paddle as the car just seems to know which gear to be in at all times and it seems more eager to downshift in auto than the 650S ever did). I reckon I must have gotten used to the very soft brake pedal in our family car as the GT brakes (standard iron discs) do not fill me with confidence and seem to require an almighty shove (albeit they work when you do so). I remember saying this the first time I drove a 12C so I’ll likely get used to it and maybe they’ll improve as I put more miles on it (still below the recommended 650 miles for running in the engine and brakes at this stage).
Other thoughts, whoever decided to put the reverse camera display behind the steering wheel needs a good slap, having the vehicle lift operating by a single button on the right stalk is a good idea and the upgraded B&W stereo doesn’t seem to like the old USB stick I used in the 650S (I’ll get a new one to try before I say there’s an issue).
More to follow.
I forgot to mention in my first post that Rybrook make very good espresso which is served in nice branded cups. I do like branded espresso cups so insisted that they threw a set in as part of the deal. Initially I don’t think they thought I was serious … but I was … and these turned up today …
Well done to Ashley for humouring me!
Well done to Ashley for humouring me!
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