Friday 5th May 2017

McLaren 570GT: PH Fleet

Turns out Dan may be giving the McLaren back sooner than he intended

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It was interesting driving the 570GT ahead of the launch of the 720S. I was fully aware of the numbers for the new Super Series and the technology underpinning the car. But at no point in driving 'my' Sports Series with its mere 570hp have I ever considered it lacking in firepower. Indeed, as per my recent blog, the McLaren seems to be very good at generating expletives from the passenger seat.

What's better than a McLaren in Wales?

Not that I've been doing too much of that lately, I have to confess. See, I was interested with running this car to get a taste of what life is really like with something this potent and exotic. Does being the centre of attention become less of a novelty and more of a nuisance? Do you ever reach a point where you chill out about parking and suchlike and just treat it as a normal car? Do you ever stop gazing out of the window at it?

One aspect of supercar ownership I've had to contend with already though is mileage anxiety. Not in terms of how far it'll go on a tank of fuel - plenty far enough at an impressive 28mpg motorway cruise as it goes. More to do with keeping the mileage down, especially given the terms of the loan when I picked it up were "six months or 8,000 miles, whichever comes first". Given the odometer was showing just over 1,700 before my first week with the car was out and it's now at 2,289 before I've even had the car a month, things don't look great for this being a long-term relationship. And that includes pretty much two weeks with it parked up while I desperately tried to find other cars to use for the runs up and down the M1. Because one thing's for sure, I want every mile in this car to count.

Wales with these two as well!

In a way this is a pity because the whole point of this test was to see if the GT can do what McLaren claims and be the kind of car you CAN use every day. And when I have done boring drives it's really rather good. The refinement is decent enough, the amazing visibility is soothing and I find the style and functionality of the minimalist cockpit really rather nice. The stereo is fabulous too - as I've said previously if you're buying one the GT Upgrade pack is £5K very well spent.

It would be a pity to use up that allowance on drives like this though. Especially having found out what it's like on proper roads. The trip up to Anglesey to drive the 911 GT3 was a perfect example too. A coffee stop on the M6 gave me time to sketch out a scratch route across North Wales via Bala, Ffestiniog and Capel Curig; with the weather on my side and the roads clear the stage was set for a fantastic drive.

You'll notice recurring themes whenever I talk about this car but visibility, steering feel and control weights remain core to what makes it such a thrilling machine to be in. It is obviously seriously fast too but these qualities make it enjoyable while keeping things sensible, answering one of my biggest issues with the equivalently pitched R8.

Yes, you really can enjoy it at normal speeds!

The engine is laggy but in a way I consider exciting, not tiresome. Throttle response is crisp, the engine gains revs quickly (with the boost not far behind) and it's always exciting when it really takes off. OK, so the GT sounds more impressive from the outside than it does within. But there's not much to complain about in performance.

I suspect the stability control systems are working harder than you might think though; without a diff it's using the brakes to control power distribution and after a 'spirited drive' it's the rears that smell hotter and tick loudly with the heat. There are nips and tucks going on long before you see an intervention light on the dash too, suggesting a background level of support is always there. Overall (and as I've said of McLarens before) it feels to me like a very, very potent Lotus in terms of its fast road demeanour and I mean that as a compliment to both brands.

Niggles? It's a bigger car than you'd think and when you're using all the road the 'tha-DUM, tha-DUM, tha-DUM' of cats' eyes thumps through the structure pretty harshly, the 'rattly damper' sensation I've felt on all McLarens also detracting from the refinement. You get the odd shudder through the steering column too, though overall the structure is very stiff.

So Dan, about that mileage limit...

There's an intermittent rattle from somewhere in the engine bay that's driving me nuts too, details like this and a blob of overspray on the roof seam seemingly trifling but the kind of quality control McLaren really needs to stay on top of when asking a decent premium over the equivalent products from Audi and Porsche. More on that to follow - if you've been watching our social media updates from the last couple of days in Wales you'll have a taste of what's to come!

Before that I have an appointment at Silverstone and attendance of a Pure McLaren track day. My experience of life as an owner may turn out to be fleeting if I keep racking up the miles at this rate. But I intend for it to be as action packed as possible!

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FACT SHEET
Car: McLaren 570GT
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: April
Mileage: 2,289 (or over a quarter or my 'allowance')
List price new: £178,735 (Basic list price of £155,755, plus Elite Ice Silver paint £3,490, Super-Lightweight Forged wheels in Stealth £3,490 + £1,110, red brake calipers £900, Rocket Red badge set, Vehicle Tracking System £630, Sports Exhaust £3,240, Luxury Design 2 package in Saddle Tan and Carbon Black from By McLaren Designer Interiors £2,520, Carbon Fibre Interior Pack £2,500, GT Upgrade Pack £5,020, first aid kit and warning triangle £60)
Last month at a glance: Enjoying that new supercar smell while it lasts

Previous updates:
The joy of specs
Taking delivery
Videoblog

[SturdyHSV]

Article said:

It's a bigger car than you'd think and when you're using all the road the 'tha-DUM, tha-DUM, tha-DUM' of cats' eyes thumps through the structure pretty harshly, the 'rattly damper' sensation I've felt on all McLarens also detracting from the refinement. You get the odd shudder through the steering column too, though overall the structure is very stiff.

OK, this thing again. This was mentioned in the previous McLaren article as if it's something we've all heard about, but I'm sure I've not come across the phrase 'rattly damper' other than these last 2 reviews.

Can you elaborate on what this means? Apologies if I missed the response when I asked in the other thread, it seemed to get buried amongst other responses

[V8 FOU]

"Without a diff"? Really? Are you sure? I thought the only cars without a diff were welded up diff E36 drift slags.

I'm sure Mclaren could afford a diff on a hundred and something pound car?

[Ex Boy Racer]

Whilst i accept that your range anxiety has been put on you, the whole modern thing about not putting miles on expensive cars is crazy.
When I handed my 458 back with 18k miles, the dealer couldn't believe the miles I had done. Seemed a raesonable mileage in 2 years to me...
Thing is, what's the point of having a nice car if you don't use it? Every mile is a moment of pleasure - why use the 'daily' instead? Ok, if the weather is terrible, or if it's a long, boring motorway journey I get it. Otherwise...
I have put over 2000 miles on my new Aston Martin in 6 weeks and don't regret it. When I see 5 year old cars for sale with 2000 miles on the clock I just wonder why the original owners bought them.
People talk about losing value, but I guarantee the cost per mile goes down the more cars are used - even including depreciation.
Use your cars people!!!

[Dan Trent]

SturdyHSV said:

OK, this thing again. This was mentioned in the previous McLaren article as if it's something we've all heard about, but I'm sure I've not come across the phrase 'rattly damper' other than these last 2 reviews.

Can you elaborate on what this means? Apologies if I missed the response when I asked in the other thread, it seemed to get buried amongst other responses

Best analogy I can give you is it feels like a loose headset on a pushbike ... those who know what that feels like will know what I mean but it's like a chatter in the strut when you are rattling over broken surfaces. Of which there are plenty in my neck of the woods. This is also when you get the odd bit of feedback through the steering column, again something I've experienced in other McLarens. I'm actually on a day with McLaren today and there are some technical folk here so I'll try and get a more scientific answer in due course!

In simple terms though it's an NVH issue over nasty surfaces.

Cheers,

Dan

[griffdude]

Ex Boy Racer said:

Whilst i accept that your range anxiety has been put on you, the whole modern thing about not putting miles on expensive cars is crazy.
When I handed my 458 back with 18k miles, the dealer couldn't believe the miles I had done. Seemed a raesonable mileage in 2 years to me...
Thing is, what's the point of having a nice car if you don't use it? Every mile is a moment of pleasure - why use the 'daily' instead? Ok, if the weather is terrible, or if it's a long, boring motorway journey I get it. Otherwise...
I have put over 2000 miles on my new Aston Martin in 6 weeks and don't regret it. When I see 5 year old cars for sale with 2000 miles on the clock I just wonder why the original owners bought them.
People talk about losing value, but I guarantee the cost per mile goes down the more cars are used - even including depreciation.
Use your cars people!!!

Good post!!

In my experience, vehicles are far more reliable with regular use as opposed to being sat whilst the running gear very slowly declines.

[Dan Trent]

V8 FOU said:

"Without a diff"? Really? Are you sure? I thought the only cars without a diff were welded up diff E36 drift slags.

I'm sure Mclaren could afford a diff on a hundred and something pound car?

Apologies, I'm kind of abbreviating on the assumption most would understand the car has a differential - what I'm saying is it doesn't have a locking differential, be that mechanical or an electronically controlled one like Ferrari uses. Something McLaren (and Lotus, with the exception of some of the recent Evora and Exiges) traditionally avoid from a philosophical point of view.

Cheers,

Dan

[Glosole]

Must admit everything you say in this article could on a more buget level be directed at my Lotus Evora S. Do I pile on the miles as love driving it or keep it for those special drives welcome to my world. Just goes to show that yes you can use these modern cars everyday but realy we need a couple of more sensible cars in the fleet to do all the boring stuff or its like eating Christmas dinner every day ?

[anonymous-user]

er, =>> MileageCorrection.com ;-)

[Dan Trent]

Took the GT to a Pure McLaren track day at Silverstone yesterday - full story in next update but here's a quick onboard video to give you a sense of it. 168mph down Hangar Straight isn't too shabby, given its intended role is more towards road usage!

Dan

[only1ian]

That color is strikingly similar to my 1999 Alfa GTV Novela Blue.... who knew I was so on style trend 18 years ago (yikes)

Edited by only1ian on Sunday 7th May 14:21

[anonymous-user]

Dan Trent said:

Took the GT to a Pure McLaren track day at Silverstone yesterday - full story in next update but here's a quick onboard video to give you a sense of it. 168mph down Hangar Straight isn't too shabby, given its intended role is more towards road usage!

Dan

Slightly disappointed you didn't do the trackday with your MTB on the roof rack..... ;-) #everydayuseability