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Spewing 592 horsepower, this engine is Mount St. Helens
peaky. The maximum 457 pound-feet of torque is achieved
at 5500 rpm; the curve’s climb to that point is steep. This
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sports-car engine. It’s hardly alive until it’s being thrashed.
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Though the 600 LT’s exhaust outlets are at the driver’s ear,
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a shudder in the car even before you touch the accelerator.
There’s not much in the way of seat padding. In fact,
there’s not much in the way of seats. The 600 LT’s buckets are
narrow and hardly upholstered. Welterweight deputy editor
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bushing. Me, your fake-humble narrator?
My hind end is built for the bench seat of a
pickup. I sat atop the 600 LT’s seat. Who
knew that a torture chamber could fea-
ture so much Alcantara?
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ture as the 600 LT’s, but while it retains
the 9 3.0-mm cylinder bores, the engine
stroke grows from 69. 9 to 73.5 millime-
ters. McLaren equips this 4.0-liter with
low-inertia turbos; when combined with its higher
compression ratio (compared with other 4.0-liters), it
produces a more tractable driving experience.
That in mind, this is still a relatively short-stroke
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still plenty racy, with 612 horsepower at 7500 rpm and
465 pound-feet of torque cresting at 5500 rpm.
The GT’s exhaust system exits at the back of the
car and therefore lacks the thermal spectacle of the
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Like all modern transmissions, the seven-speed
in both cars aims to keep engine speeds down duringMcLaren 600LT Plus Makes every curve and corner
interesting, shoots flames. Minus Wound a bit too tight for
street use, unforgiving seats. Equals A fire-breathing
beast that really deserves to be on a track.
McLaren GT Plus Capable without being punishing,
just as quick as the 600LT. Minus Kind of looks like a
$59,995 Corvette. Equals McLaren successfully softens
its approach without diluting its brand.