Review: McLaren 570GT

But this is McLaren, a company that calls a car capable of 0-60mph in three seconds, with a price tag of £150,000, a "sports car". They don't do soft.

So what you see here is a slightly less bonkers version of the 570S, and part of the Sports Series that also includes the 540C. A spider version will follow.

The GT is built, as the monicker suggests, for longer journeys, with higher comfort levels. So, complementing the space under the bonnet, you get 220 additional litres of luggage space on the leather-clad touring deck, accessed via the clever side-hinged glass hatch, manufactured to open kerb-side, no matter if you're driving on the left or the right side of the road. The deck itself has lightweight noise absorbing and damping materials, along with the bulkhead.

The heated seats are electrically adjustable in eight ways, there's an enhanced air-conditioning system to cope with the P1-style glass roof, and Pirelli has developed bespoke P Zero tyres for the GT, to reduce transmitted cabin noise by three decibels with the use of a special foam. The exhaust system is also quieter than that of the 570S Coupé, and the usual McLaren upwards-and-outwards dihedral doors are soft-closing. It's as if someone with a crashing hangover designed this car; anything to reduce noise.

The technology on board includes front and rear parking sensors, and the eight-speaker McLaren Audio Plus system as standard that's an option on the 570S (a 12-speaker Bowers and Wilkins system is an option).
"Luxury" and "Sport" interior customisation trim levels are available, while body-coloured door inserts further differentiate the GT from the Coupe.

From the front, there are no discernible styling changes to the GT version, but at the rear, the fixed spoiler sits 10mm taller to compensate for the loss of the 570S's flying buttresses.

On the move, there are two happy things to note: performance hasn't changed From that of the coupe, but the suspension has.

So you get the same 3.8-litre, mid-engined, twin-turbo V8 as the Coupé, driving the rear wheels via the 7-speed auto, producing 562bhp, 443lb ft and 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds, but the spring rate stiffness is reduced by 15 per cent at the front and 10 per cent at the rear. Happy days for those who found the 570S ride a tad crashy; the GT has a far more pleasant ride quality, while you still get to play around with the dampers via the Normal, Sport and Track settings, which also modify the engine response.

To help driver comfort over longer distances, the steering has a reduced ratio designed to "smooth out" drivers inputs. If you prefer your steering track-focused and pin sharp, you'll see this as a minus, but then you won't be buying the GT in the first place.

We'd say the GT, of which McLaren expects to sell 400-500, improves the breed in every direction; the experience is every bit as visceral as the 570S but with a far more refined ride, and what's not to like about the gimmicky but very lovely rear hatch and luggage tray? The GT version is no Bentley grand tourer; they benchmark against the Porsche 911 Turbo S. In other words, it's a road-biased serious sports car, but with a little more comfort.

But then, this review is written by a girl, so I guess you'll "pah" the whole caboodle and buy the coupe, like a proper driver would. Me, I prefer the comfort option.

Anyway, you can make up your mind at the Festival of Speed where the GT will be in action up the hill alongside the Sprint (track) version of the 570S, and something a little bit special. Watch this space...

Price: from £154,000