The 570s coupé is first model in Mclaren sports series. Text & photos by Glen Watson
The 570s coupé is first model in Mclaren sports series. Text & photos by Glen Watson
THE MCLAREN Sports Series includes the 570S Coupé and the slightly less-expensive 540C Coupé, completing a three-tier model strategy for McLaren alongside the Super Series and Ultimate Series.
The highest power output and lightest car in the sports car segment by almost 150kg means a class-leading power-to-weight ratio of 434PS per tonne. This is quite evident while zipping around the waterfront of Hong Kong Island between Central and Wanchai recently. These are the same roads that will be used for the Formula E races later in the year, but hopefully they will be in even better condition.
But a few bumps in the road are fine because unlike a supercar, this is a proper sports car. The sporty design is matched with an extremely comfortable interior, and seats that are welcoming, too. You could easily drive for hours and not feel the need to stretch the legs and loosen up the back stiffness. This car looks great, and fits like a bespoke suit – which is only natural since it is also hand made.
The 570S Coupé demonstrates five key characteristics – aerodynamics and design, minimised weight, craftsmanship, day-to-day usability and driving involvement. It has all the modcons (some optional) that you expect in a luxury coupé, plus an impressive-sounding twin turbo V8 engine, and a top speed of 328 km/h (204 mph).
The McLaren 570S Coupé is the first – and most powerful – model in the Sports Series. Following its global debut at the New York International Auto Show in April 2015, the new model range marks the entry of McLaren into the luxury sports car market – introducing race-derived technologies and supercar performance in a package which is very much a pure McLaren.
Lightweight construction, including the use of a carbon-fibre chassis, recognisable design values and a comprehensive specification list ensures a class-leading offering, and as uncompromised as is expected from a McLaren.
The 570S Coupé is available for delivery now in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia, while the 540C Coupé follows in Q2 2016.
The Sports Series is the most usable and attainable model to wear a McLaren badge to date, but it retains the core design and dynamic focus that ensures it is still worthy of the iconic name. Weighing as little as 1,313kg (2,895lbs) – thanks in part to the carbon-fibre MonoCell II chassis – the Sports Series is almost 150kg lighter than its closest rival.
Power is provided by an evolution of the 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine with 30 percent new components. This ensures electrifying performance.
At the same time, the interior is more tailored around day-to-day usability, with optimised access, greater stowage space and more refinement.
The Sports Series is a showcase of modern craftsmanship, with each model hand-finished at the state-of-the- art McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, England. A suite of new optional content and a By McLaren designer range of interiors highlight the levels of customisation available.
“The Sports Series is aimed at a new audience for McLaren,” explains McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt. “It is the first time we’ve competed in the sports car as opposed to the supercar market. As with all McLaren models, we have prioritised performance, driving engagement and exhilaration. It is a totally driver-focused car, with excellent ergonomics and visibility, and a class-leading driving position. This is also the most day-to-day usable, practical and attainable McLaren we’ve ever made. It is a dramatic and beautiful sports car.”
McLaren Chef Test Driver Chris Goodwin adds: “For the Sports Series we wanted to offer a real sports car feel. Ultimately, it means a car that feels nimble, agile and it must also possess a lightness and directness of response to a driver’s inputs. Certainly for us, a sports car really needs to engage the driver, at any speed.”
These models complete the range alongside the Ultimate Series, comprising the McLaren P1 and McLaren P1 GTR, and the Super Series, which is the core McLaren range featuring the 650S, available as a Coupé and Spider, and the 675LT.
As with every McLaren model for road or track since 1981, the Sports Series has been designed and engineered by a team of experts at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) alongside the Formula 1 team operations, and every car is hand built in the state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre (MPC) alongside the current range.
With no compromises, the Sports Series is the perfect entry point into the world of McLaren.
www.hongkong.mclaren.com
