Car India – May 2019

MCLaren 570S

heOddsarelOngButthatdOesn’t
changethefactthatit happened.smilingalready
(becauseif slidingaboardamclarenlikea modern,
road-legalgroupCracerdoesn’tmakeyousmile,it’s
probablytimetogiveup),islideunderthe570’sfeather-light
door,intoitsnear-perfectcockpit(intothefabulouslittlepocket
onthefrontoftheseatgoesmyphone—iPhonestorage,Colin
Chapman-style)andgotoleavethelay-byalsooccupiedbya
brand-new 911 andanr8 —onlytohavetopausefora flying
fireball-orangelexusrCf(that’sthe£61k,thatis,rs 55lakh,
476-PsV8coupéthat’snottheveryprettyone,shouldyounot
speakfluentlexus).
We’reclearlyheadedthesamewayandforthesamestretchof
testing,undulatingruralB-road.throughthe60-km/hlimithe’s
bang-on;lovethat.andwhenit’sdone,hedoesn’thesitate—
downthroughgears,rearsquatsand...bang,hisbigV8getsbusy
bendingthephysics.themclaren,stillinfifth,bogssobadly
whenijumponthethrottlepedal,ifearit mightbebroken;the
sameunsettlinglackofanydrivewhatsoeverthattoyota’sle
mansdriversarehavingyearsofcounsellingtogetover.
thelexusstealsa lead.themclaren,perhapsbewilderedby
myveryun-mclarenlackofintelligenceorprecision,patiently
waitsformetoclickdowntosomethingliketherightgear.What

happensnextisa graphicdemonstrationofthedifference

betweena fastcaranda supercar;betweenoneconceivedtobe a

carfirstandfastsecondandoneengineeredfromthetyresupto

bea fastcar.

Withthebestpartof 500 Ps, thelexusisquick:0-100km/h

in4.5secondsand 270 km/hwhereconditionspermit.Butthe

mclaren(ahem,drivenproperly...)reelsintherClikeanf 1

frontrunnerlappinga Williams—with 570 Pspushingjust1,452

kg(totherCf’s 1,765kg...),thespaceandtimebetweenthe two

carssimplycollapsesbeforemyeyes.

Butit’swhathappensnextthat’sreallyinteresting.Weboth

knowtheroadandhe’strying,but,ascontestsgo,it’saboutas

fairasasopwithCamelfendingoffanX-Wing.heldbackby an

excessofmass,a lackoffeedback,andthetruththat,

unfortunately,he’ssittinginthewrongpartofthecar—fartoo

highandbehindhisengineratherthanaheadofit —hemust

brakeforeverycurveandfeedthemachinein,managingthe

changeofdirectionwiththekidglovesofa bombdiffuser.By

contrast,ifeelsuperhuman.icanchangedirectionorgainand

losespeedina heartbeatandwithsuchbewilderingaccuracyand

confidencethatiwouldneverevergetboredinthisthing.

(thoughi’malreadyboredoftheoptionalsportsexhaust’sblare:

don’tdoit.)in the 570 s you’re hard-wired in and it’s the

As the driven snow

80 car india May 2019 http://www.carindia.in

Shootout Porsche 911 v Audi R8 v McLaren 570S