Fancy a mid-engined supercar but want more practicality and luxury? Fancy a front-engined GT but want a better drive and less weight? McLaren reckons you might well do, and will soon have you covered.
A new McLaren GT is coming. It’s not a replacement for any of the supercars, but a more practical and luxurious addition.
There’s no announcement of the name yet, but it will be unveiled in early summer. McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt told TopGear.com it’ll have a V8 similar to the 720S’s, and a carbon fiber tub. Drastically quick then. He claims: “As you’d expect from us it’ll be the best driver’s car in its class”.
That class? He mentions the Continental GT, but his machine will be far lighter: “easily under” 1,500kg. That makes it a very different sort of car. “When you drive it I guarantee you won’t wish the engine was in the front. It’s not a cut-down sedan car.”
The new tourer’s cabin materials will be a lot plusher than usual from McLaren. “We haven’t chased out the last 5kg from the cabin”, he says.
Into your active sports? The rear cargo space will take skis and a golf bag both at once, and there’s a front compartment too.
It’s a bit of a departure for McLaren—maybe even more than the Speedtail. But then, look what other sports-car makers are doing. It’s not an off-roader after all. “An SUV would be far removed from our world. But we’re going with our technology into a road-focused luxury category.”
Although it uses McLaren’s usual expertise, about 70% of the parts will be new. That includes every body panel. But at the moment all we have is this lumpy disguised prototype shot. Sorry.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
