The McLaren GT always looked an audacious plan; to make a continent crushing tourer from mid-engined, carbon-tubbed architecture would be a challenge given the restrictions those attributes place on practicality and refinement. Still, McLaren gave the idea a damn good go, even if there was always the suspicion that the GT remained, for better or for worse, just another Woking supercar - only now one that could take a golf bag.
Seemingly keen to bring that supercar character to the fore, Novitec has now released a range of upgrades for the McLaren GT. It's the usual fare - engine, exhaust, wheels, suspension and so on - though crucially none of it seems aimed at making the GT, well, any more of a GT.
Up to 707hp is available from the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with ECU tweaks, though in doing so the GT does lose some torque - 527lb ft plays 568 as standard. And nobody has ever made a car more GT-like by losing torque. The additional power shaves a couple of tenths from the 0-62mph time and extends the top speed by just about walking pace, to 207mph.
Power and speed do not necessarily dictate the character of a car, though. Conveniently, the rest of the GT modifications make the intent clearer, including 25mm lowering springs (never known to help ride, despite Novitec's claims to the contrary), wider, 325-section rear tyres (which surely won't benefit road noise) and a new exhaust for the full 707hp potential. And when have exhausts liberating more power also been beneficial to refinement? This is all fine, of course, because it will make the GT presumably more like what McLaren is best at, though certainly Novitec is not turning it into a Bentley.
Proof of which can arguably be found outside, with wind tunnel-honed carbon add-ons to "put even greater emphasis on the wedge shape of the mid-engine sports car." They include a new chin spoiler, intakes and rear spoiler; making the GT into something more closely resembling bedroom poster exotica. And, once more, probably none the worse for it. If maybe not in white...
So for those who want a little more edge to the one McLaren that was really not meant to be about edge, the Novitec modifications are available now. As are a host of secondhand GTs with which to work on - McLaren Glasgow has a pair on offer at £150k.
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