Car and Driver - USA (2020-05)

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around-town and highway journeys. The GT’s extra dis-
placement and less stressed turbos give it a noticeable
edge over its brother during part-throttle operation.
And the V-8 doesn’t handicap the GT at the track, either.
“It’s so quick, it almost hurts,” Quiroga reported
back after acceleration runs in the GT. With launch con-
trol engaged, the technique for getting the best times is
to let the logic circuits channel Don Garlits.
While the GT has 20 more horsepower than the
600 LT, it weighs 3464 pounds, 332 more than the tested
Spider. So the GT’s power-to-weight ratio is a bit worse
than its brother’s. But yeow. The GT knocks itself to 60
mph in a ridiculous 2. 8 seconds and gets through the
quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds at 133 mph. That’s right on
top of the 600 LT Spider’s performance, the
\YRQVßR_R[PRORV[TaUR4AμZ]USNaR_ trap speed, which can be credited to the small power advantage. “This car barks its tires shifting into second,” Oldham gushed. “That’s so awe- some. It’s not something you get with an all-wheel-drive car like the Lamborghini Huracán Evo.” For context, the 631 -hp $ 331 , 469 Huracán Evo coupe we tested last year made it to 60 in 2 .5 seconds and con- sumed the quarter-mile in 10.4 seconds at 135 mph. The Lambo may not spin its tires going into second, but its V- 10 engine sings with the clear tenor of Luciano Pavarotti. The 600 LT’s initial bite into a corner is astonishing. The Alcantara-covered steer- V[TdURRY O_\NQPNa UVTUQR¼[VaV\[ SRRQ- back. It feels so natural, it could trigger an existential breakdown for a Porsche chas- sis engineer. The GT can’t quite match that sensation, but it’s close. And amazingly, the GT shadowed the 600 LT on the skidpad, pulling 1.01 g’s to its Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R–shod brother’s 1.11 g’s. Both cars wear carbon-ceramic brake rotors (standard on the 600 LT and optional \[aUR4AObaaURQVßR_R[PRORadRR[aUR two is tangible. The GT’s brakes are easier a\Z\QbYNaRN[Q\ßR_b]RV\]RQNYSRRY
Design-wise, the GT is restrained.
There’s some C8 Corvette in its face and

Vehicle Type

Base/As Tested

Engine

Displacement

Power, hp @ rpm

Torque, lb-ft @ rpm

Transmission

Dimensions

Wheelbase

L/W/H

Curb Weight

Rollout, 1 ft

60 mph

100 mph

130 mph

150 mph

170 mph

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph

1/4-Mile @ mph

Top Speed

Braking, 70–0 mph

Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad

EPA Fuel Economy

Comb/City/Hwy

test RESULTS

the numbers

side scoops. But it attracted more atten-

tion than the 600 LT. It’s prettier, less

intimidating, and less cartoonish.

Inside, the GT’s seats accommodate

anyone, and the appointments are sophis-

aVPNaRQb]a\aUR]\YV`URQ¼[V`U\SaUR]NQ-

dle shifters. Relaxed engine mounts mean

aUR4AQ\R`[μa`bßR_aUR#9Aμ``UVZZf

either. It would be a reach to call it luxu-

rious; it is still loud, but it isn’t punishing.

:P9N_R[ QVcVQR` Va` \ßR_V[T` V[a\

three series—Sports, Super, and Ulti-

mate—with the new GT set to the side as

sort of a civilized compromise. It’s not.

But McLaren is small enough that it will satisfy the whims

of anyone with the wherewithal to back them up. A 600 LT

with the GT’s interior? It probably wouldn’t take much (but

a lot of coin) to talk McLaren into that.

If your lifestyle includes easy access to a racetrack and

driving habits that require high-downforce aerodynamics,

go for the 600 LT. Or the 72 0S. Or the upcoming 765 LT [see

page 42 ]. But the GT is the closest thing McLaren makes to a

daily driver. To get beyond the compromise mindset, think

of it this way: It has a V-8 in the middle, just like the M8B. It’s

turbocharged, just like the MP4/4. And you can actually get

a license plate for it without bribing anyone at the DMV, just

like the F1. In that light, it represents everything McLaren

has been and is now.

2019 McLaren

600LT Spider*

mid-engine, rear-wheel-

drive, 2-passenger,

2-door convertible

$2 5 9,3 50 /$332, 120

twin-turbocharged

and intercooled DOHC

32-valve V-8, aluminum

block and heads, port

fuel injection

232 in^3 , 3799 cm^3

592 hp @ 7500 rpm

457 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm

7-speed dual-clutch

automatic

105.1 in

181.3/76.0/47.1 in

3132 lb

0.2 sec

2.8 sec

6.0 sec

10.2 sec

14.5 sec

22.2 sec

3.6 sec

10.7 sec @ 132 mph

201 mph

145 ft

1.11 g

18/15/23 mpg

2020 McLaren

GT

mid-engine, rear-wheel-

drive, 2-passenger,

2-door hatchback

$2 1 3, 195 /$2 56 , 125

twin-turbocharged

and intercooled DOHC

32-valve V-8, aluminum

block and heads, port

fuel injection

244 in^3 , 3994 cm^3

612 hp @ 7500 rpm

465 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm

7-speed dual-clutch

automatic

105.3 in

184.4/80.5/47.8 in

3464 lb

0.2 sec

2.8 sec

6.1 sec

10.1 sec

14.2 sec

21.0 sec

3.8 sec

10.7 sec @ 133 mph

203 mph

151 ft

1.01 g

17/15/21 mpg