RE: Half-price McLaren 570GT | Spotted

RE: Half-price McLaren 570GT | Spotted

Thursday 17th December 2020

Half-price McLaren 570GT | Spotted

A 6,000-mile car for well under half the price of our old long termer? Yes, please...



Three years before its first proper attempt at a grand tourer, those wanting to do lots of miles in a McLaren were best served by the 570GT. It added enough practicality and comfort to make it a more usable, but no less entertaining, take on the 570S. So on the money did it feel out of the box, that it arguably made life for the subsequent GT quite a lot harder. The latter couldn't get away with the same grand touring foibles because it was no longer a sports car.

We're talking about relatively small issues like an infotainment system with a frustrating sat nav, a vent fan whir that's audible in all modes and surprisingly firm seats. But in a grand tourer - even one as dramatic as the GT - those things can become annoyances, while in a sports car, they're more easily forgiven. It helps if the sports car in question is as beautifully balanced and as thunderously fast as the 570S, because with such a wonderful underpinnings, there was sufficient rope to wind back the damping a bit.

Indeed, the former PH Fleet 570GT is recalled with fondness, even if its parking sensors did annoy us in traffic and a 2,095mm width made it less drivable in the city. This was a £178k car with options, but the all-round experience it offered, not to mention the capability of a twin-turbo 3.8 V8, made it feel authentically supercar-ish despite the Sports Series ranking. On the right road, it was every bit as exhilarating as a 570S. Matt said he'd own one in a heartbeat.


Thanks to depreciation (and its unforgiving impact on McLarens), the 570GT no longer requires £178k. See the car we've pulled out of the classifieds here, a 6,000-mile example with a good selection of optional extras, including the front suspension lifting system that's practically mandatory on a 570GT. It's up for just £83,744, which is well under half price what our longtermer cost including options, about £79k less than a new GT and, somewhat surprisingly given the badge on its nose, cheaper than almost all of the similarly aged, sub-10k Audi R8s in the classifieds.

And don't forget, McLaren's incoming all-new High-Performance Hybrid model introduces an electrified car that's expected to supersede the Sports Series category, meaning there will be no like-for-like successor to the 570S. That makes the GT version, with its added layer of amenability but no lack of loveliness, quite the prospect. And sure, you could have something like a last generation Porsche 911 GTS of about the same year with about the same miles for a similar amount. But it wouldn't look and go like a supercar.


MCLAREN 570GT | SPECIFICATION

Engine: 3,799c, V8, twin,turbo
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 570@7,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 443@5,000-6,500rpm
MPG: 26
CO2: 249g/km
First registered: 2017
Recorded mileage: 6,000 miles
Price new: £155,755 starting
Yours for: £83,744

See the original advert here



Author
Discussion

Gorbyrev

Original Poster:

1,169 posts

167 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
Lovely thing, yes please!

Numeric

1,478 posts

164 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
Well I couldn't really tell a lot of difference between this and a new offering, possibly an indictment of the Woking styling team, but good news for a second hand buyer.

No performance figures but I guess stunning for us mortals.

OK - so this is a very dangerous car as it starts to tempt people like me who are pretty maxed on an M2 budget - but could just could - I mean how much would it cost me to run, could I stick on 8,000 miles a year for a few years or is that utterly unrealistic and how much would the warranty cost me?

cib24

1,126 posts

166 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
Numeric said:
Well I couldn't really tell a lot of difference between this and a new offering, possibly an indictment of the Woking styling team, but good news for a second hand buyer.

No performance figures but I guess stunning for us mortals.

OK - so this is a very dangerous car as it starts to tempt people like me who are pretty maxed on an M2 budget - but could just could - I mean how much would it cost me to run, could I stick on 8,000 miles a year for a few years or is that utterly unrealistic and how much would the warranty cost me?
It wouldn't work for someone nearly maxed out. The running costs and additional depreciation might hurt too much.

I found this online with a quick search. Warranty would be over £3k per year before any service costs. I saw a thread last year that said an oil and filter change was over £1,300, and the 4th or 5th year service is the big one which this car is due soon, and costs over £5k.

I'm sure some independents can do a bit cheaper but the point being these things cost you thousands per year just to have, even used.

Phil Dicky

7,193 posts

276 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
As a daily it would make sense to use Thorney I would have thought.

British Beef

2,465 posts

178 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all

The big question is how will the value of these these hold up in another 3 years?

For the badge, looks, performance, and compared to alternatives these cannot get much cheaper.

So I would actually say for someone that wants a depreciation proof car and keeps 5k a year slush fund, these would be a great purchase.


I still think Mclaren should offer a simpler cheaper version from new with a manual gearbox, that would be something special!!

cerb4.5lee

36,064 posts

193 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
I never understood why McLaren went in this direction with this model. I'm sure it is a lovely car, but if you wanted a true GT I'm not sure why you would go for this. Maybe the depreciation reflects that too.

bennno

13,491 posts

282 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Let’s see a Honda, or a McLaren.

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

209 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
The most resolved looking McLaren other than the P1 to my eyes, a lovely looking thing. The fact it's less than the equivalent R8 is bonkers but then, I can drive 10 miles and get an Audi R8 serviced by a main agent and there are umpteen local specialists who can look after it as well.

The McLaren? Not so easy but then when were supercars easy?

bennno

13,491 posts

282 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
cerb4.5lee said:
I never understood why McLaren went in this direction with this model. I'm sure it is a lovely car, but if you wanted a true GT I'm not sure why you would go for this. Maybe the depreciation reflects that too.
Looks better than a 570S with glass rear window, cheaper than a 570S to buy, steel disks less of a worry than carbon ones on 570S.

I’d buy one.

Sandpit Steve

12,182 posts

87 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
That’s rather lovely, and slowly edging towards affordability.

Yes, it’s going to cost more to run than an R8, but it’s a lot more car than an R8, and it’s unlikely to depreciate an awful lot more than it has done already. The Sports Series are more reliable than the Super series too, with the engine turned down a little and without all the complex hydraulic gubbins of the more expensive cars.

EK993

1,950 posts

264 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
Numeric said:
Well I couldn't really tell a lot of difference between this and a new offering, possibly an indictment of the Woking styling team, but good news for a second hand buyer.
That’s because it’s from the current shape Sports Series that has been in production since 2015, so it looks the same as a 2020 model. The new shape Sports Series has just been announced, the model is called Artura and goes into production in 2021.

will_

6,033 posts

216 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I wonder if you could even get a bid from the trade on a new NSX? They must hemorrhage cash when it comes to trying to get out of one.

They are "exclusive" for a reason.

richinlondon

703 posts

135 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
got to say it, that's £15.71 per mile, ouch.

AmosMoses

4,049 posts

178 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
McLaren for me, the boot on the Honda is tiny and gets really hot after a spirited drive. The 570GT has got to be a sweet spot for a daily with this level of performance. The only thing that could tempt me away would be an R8 V10 Plus, magic engine and just as usable.

wab172uk

2,005 posts

240 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
That's a big hit in depreciation. But at that price it surely now makes a case for itself.

However for me, if I wanted a more GT car, then the Porsche makes more sense.

Running costs and service costs, and any repair costs on the McLaren makes in unviable unless you are pretty well off to start with. I think McLaren have priced the running costs on second hand car's out of the market, as they become too expensive to run compared to their rivals. Being expensive, only works when pushing out the latest toy. Not so good when trying to flog second hand stock.

Numeric

1,478 posts

164 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
cib24 said:
Numeric said:
Well I couldn't really tell a lot of difference between this and a new offering, possibly an indictment of the Woking styling team, but good news for a second hand buyer.

No performance figures but I guess stunning for us mortals.

OK - so this is a very dangerous car as it starts to tempt people like me who are pretty maxed on an M2 budget - but could just could - I mean how much would it cost me to run, could I stick on 8,000 miles a year for a few years or is that utterly unrealistic and how much would the warranty cost me?
It wouldn't work for someone nearly maxed out. The running costs and additional depreciation might hurt too much.

I found this online with a quick search. Warranty would be over £3k per year before any service costs. I saw a thread last year that said an oil and filter change was over £1,300, and the 4th or 5th year service is the big one which this car is due soon, and costs over £5k.

I'm sure some independents can do a bit cheaper but the point being these things cost you thousands per year just to have, even used.
Thank you - I needed a good long soak in the cold shower of fiscal reality... I had started to do man maths

Slowlygettingit

758 posts

54 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
Hmmmm....is a temptress.
Maybe with some nicer alloys and a totally different interior. I thought geriatric magnolia was Hondas USP for the more mature buyer.....

Sway

31,003 posts

207 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
Absolutely cracking.

A mate has the "crap" 540C - and utterly adores it. It's not like he's not had the experience or knowledge to enjoy 'better' junior (and senior) supercars.

I'd have one in a heartbeat. Incredibly useful.

Iamnotkloot

1,688 posts

160 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
My favourite looking Mac of their recent offerings (i.e. not including the F1) - seems more ascetically resolved than the others, although I imagine a 720 (or any Longtail) is on another level of performance.

Even at this price, I'd still be worried about depreciation though.

Sway

31,003 posts

207 months

Thursday 17th December 2020
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Perception and reality are two different things though.

Yes, the 12C had issues. The early 650Ss did too. Mostly niggly infotainment things that took a while to solve. Let's not forget, it was their first car as a manufacturer - to have been as good as they were is an incredible achievement from a standing start, and they've only gotten better.

But, fundamentally they're a relatively simple car.

Thorney are well respected for servicing and mods, and offer a cheaper warranty.

The Mclaren perception is as though all the issues with IMS/RMS suddenly made everyone think Porsche were all a pile of ste, or the well known total fires on 458s meant that all Ferraris were going to be grief.

Everything I've seen or heard from owners is that a Mac is significantly easier and better to do actual miles in than the competition which have "character" which means they really don't like being used too much.