2020 McLaren GT unveiled, rivals Aston Martin DB11 and Bentley Continental GT

Aditya Chatterjee Published: May 16, 2019, 01:18 PM IST

McLaren's racing heritage has always helped the British brand churn out some of the most exotic designs with the right dose of performances. Take a look at any of the offerings from its Super Series (570S Spider), Sports Series (720S Spider) or even the Ultimate Series consisting of the P1, Senna and the Speedtail. And now the brand has unveiled its latest offering in the form of the 2020 McLaren GT which is said to be a spiritual successor of the 570GT. This grand tourer from McLaren will lock its gorgeous horns against the liked of other super exotic offerings liked the Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB11 and also the Ferrari Portofino. The GT is the fourth new model introduced in the McLaren Track25 business plan announced last year. The deliveries of the 2020 McLaren GT has been confirmed to begin later this year. The UK pricing has been announced at £163,000 (UK) which is approximately Rs 1.46 Crore, excluding import duty and taxes.

The new McLaren GT gets a carbon fibre structure that offers a combination of strength and rigidity along with improved driving dynamics with the lightest-in-class kerbweight. At 1,530kg, the GT is 130kg lighter than one of its staunch rivals and 100kg less than other cars in the segment. With 620PS from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the power-to-weight ratio of the superlight new McLaren GT is 405PS-per-tonne. The Grand Tourer incorporates a carbon fibre rear upper structure that adds minimal weight but allows the creation of a 420-litre luggage area below the front-hinged, full-length glazed tailgate. The tailgate has a soft-close function as standard and can be optioned as electrically powered. McLaren states that the low height of the engine and positioning of the exhaust system has allowed the volume, shape and usability of the luggage bay to be optimised. Inside, the GT gets streamlined, electrically adjusted and heated seats which are claimed to be optimised for long-distance comfort, with the perfect amount of padding and shoulder and back support in combination with superb lateral control. Also, it gets a 12-speaker, Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system featuring carbon fibre sub-bass woofers and Kevlar mid-range drive units. The Nappa leather trim that features as standard can be upgraded to softgrain luxury leather or Alcantara®, depending on which vehicle specification is chosen.

The infotainment system developed for the new McLaren GT is the company's most sophisticated to date. Among the fastest-operating in any car, it also features industry-standard Here navigation mapping and real-time traffic information. The driver interface operates in a similar way to a smartphone and the seven-inch central touchscreen is used to select from vehicle functions such as satellite navigation, Bluetooth telephony, media streaming and voice activation.At almost 4.7m, the new McLaren is longer than any of the cars in the McLaren Sports or Super Series. The front and rear overhangs extend further than is traditional for McLaren, but the 10-degree approach angle at the front (13-degree with vehicle lift engaged) means the new McLaren GT can cope with the most aggressive traffic calming measures. In combination with underbody clearance of 110mm (130mm with vehicle lift) this ensures the car is eminently usable in all urban situations; not only is it competitive with all rivals, but in 'lift' mode it is the equal of mainstream sedans.

Powering the GT is a new 620PS 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged engine, designated M840TE. Further expanding the family of McLaren V8 engines, it is bespoke to the new McLaren GT and has a distinct exhaust sound which are the traits of a true Grand Tourer. Torque of 630Nm is produced between 5,500rpm and 6,500rpm, with more than 95 per cent of this available from 3,000rpm to 7,250rpm. The new engine is mated to a 7-speed SSG transmission. In terms of performance, with a launch control function, the GT does 0 to 100kmph in 3.2s while it can touch 200kmph in 9 seconds, with a maximum speed of 326kmph.

The suspension is a lightweight aluminium, double wishbone design paired with hydraulic dampers to deliver Proactive Damping Control. It gets the most sophisticated iteration yet of the Optimal Control Theory software algorithm developed for the 720S, the suspension uses inputs from sensors to sense the road, interpreting what will likely happen next and reacting predictively in just two milliseconds. Overall, body movement is tailored for occupant comfort and vertical load and contact patch variation are optimised to enhance grip levels, but each of the three active dynamics handling modes Comfort, Sport and Track has its own distinct set of parameters to reflect the selected preference, for example, a particularly compliant ride in Comfort mode. McLaren and its technical partner, Pirelli, have developed a bespoke P ZERO tyre for the new McLaren GT . The 21-inch alloy rear wheels, which are the largest ever fitted to a McLaren, are paired with 20-inch at the front and available in 7- or 15-spoke designs.