any other moving aero elements.
Vinnels is proud of the ‘tendon’ doors,
and not just because they look special.
The tendon is that uppermost body-
colored panel that carries the mirror. It
looks free-floating from the main door
panel. It divides the airflow, forcing cool
air to swerve down into the radiators
and up through the lift-killing flying
buttresses that wrap the rear of the cabin.
Dynamically, he says, “It has a faster
steering ratio than the 650 S and stiff tires.
It’s an easy car to throw around. There
are three chassis modes, using adaptive
dampers, and three powertrain modes,
which include altering the sound and
response. The range from Comfort to
Track settings is wider than the 650 S.”
But in the end, it’s got to be a car that
can also give you a high-voltage jolt of
driving sensation. And, claims McLaren’s
chief development driver Chris Goodwin,
at times it can feel even better than the
firm’s faster cars. The tires are narrower
and there’s no downforce so the grip is
less, but at lower, more road-friendly
cornering speeds, the car talks to you
more. And above that, says Mark Vinnels,
“It’s a true McLaren as a track car.
We’ve gone after every 10 th.” He pauses
and gets back to the emotion. “But it’s
stunning-looking and people will buy it
for that, too.”
But are people stunned? At the launch,
many opine that the 570 S isn’t different
enough from the 650 S. That line of think-
ing probably doesn’t stem so much from
the fact Porsche is an SUV company
with a sideline in 911 s, but from a glance
at Ferrari’s range: a 2 + 2 front-engined
convertible, through a mid-engined
supercar to front-engined V 12 s. Instead,
McLaren’s machines—across a 10 -fold
price multiple—all use a related carbon
tub, related twin-turbo V 8 , and a two-seat
mid-engined layout. Surely, if this is what
people have against the 570 S, they really
are subjecting a donated pedigree equine
to a forensic oral examination. McLaren
is giving us supercar technology and per-
formance at top-end sports-car price. If
the 570 S looks too much like a supercar
for you, that can only be because it is
much like a supercar.
McLaren 570s
NEW METAL‘Don’t imagine the
570S is not a McLaren.
It’s born to perform’
The interior is all-new, with
a less bulky central console.The gauges are all TFT, too
WWW.topgear.com.ph TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES 17