When Bruce McLaren founded the racing team that continues to bear his name, little did he know that his effort would not be in vain. More than half a decade after the New Zealander set up shop, the Woking-based establishment enjoys the title of second oldest active team in Formula 1.
And naturally, McLaren’s motorsport accolades prompted it to start producing road-going vehicles. The first endeavor came in the form of the awe-inspiring F1 hypercar from the 1990s. With the bar set up extremely high from the get-go, McLaren was bound to proceed as a carmaker with something a little bit more attainable.
Thus, McLaren went on to develop the uninspiredly christened but seriously quick MP4-12C. What McLaren had learned over the past years from the MP4-12C and more high-performance models such as the 650S, it applied to the 570S, the outfit’s weapon of choice in the undermost rank of the supercar genre.
And boy, does the McLaren 570S have plenty of bragging rights.
While the exterior design doesn’t ooze emotion in the same way a Ferrari does, the physique of the McLaren 570S will turn heads faster than Kim Kardashian in a see-through outfit. Key styling features include what McLaren calls the “floating tendons” of the dihedral doors, concave rear window, flying buttresses, slim tail lamps, and the signature LED DRLs integrated into the upper part of the headlight assembly.
The only vehicle in its segment to offer a full carbon fiber chassis uses aluminum for most of its body panels. The upside is, you’re reminded of the lightweight yet strong composite material with a mere glance at the doors or sharp-looking splitter up front. Standing 1,202 mm (47.3 inches) tall, the 570S also vaunts a hunkered-down stance.
Regarding customization, the sky is the limit thanks to the By McLaren service and the McLaren Special Operations division. For those who want to go all out, MSO can even deck the McLaren 570S’ air vents in carbon fiber, as in the real deal, not carbon fiber-effect trim.
The floating elements, delicate curves, and the ergonomic layout aren’t just for show. Everything you can see inside has been shaped around a purpose: weight reduction. A gram here and a gram there is a philosophy shared, to a lesser extent, with the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
If it were not for this immense attention to detail, the McLaren 570S wouldn’t have taken advantage of what 434 PS (428 HP) per tonne offers in terms of straight line performance and driving dynamics. Don’t, however, think that this is as hardcore as a supercar can get. For example, the fancy doors of the 570S open nice and wide, which makes it fairly easy to get in or out of the car.
The driver and passenger alike can also enjoy the pleasures offered by a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, sat nav, Bluetooth media streaming, and dual-zone climate control. Optional extras include a thumping great Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system with 12 speakers and 1,280 watts on tap.
What McLaren calls Brake Steer helps with bringing the car’s nose into the apex of a corner by braking the inside rear wheel. This aids with braking later into the corner or attacking it harder with the help of trail braking. The so-called Brake Steer system also allows the driver to get back on the loud pedal earlier.
Tech-savvy works of wonder abound in the McLaren 570S, and the suspension system is just one of them. Compared to the Super Series (650S) and Ultimate Series (P1), the Sports Series (570S) makes use of independent active dampers with anti-rollbars at the front and rear. Tricks from Formula 1 such as dual wishbones are also on the menu.
Track junkies haven’t been forgotten either. The 570S can also be equipped with Track Telemetry. This allows the driver to map his circuit of choice through GPS, both the entire course and separate sectors. McLaren can enhance the Track Telemetry system with not one, not two, but three cameras. The footage captured by these cameras can be downloaded to a memory stick via a USB socket.
The 570S is propelled by high-octane jungle juice, which is transformed into grunt by the McLaren M838T twin-turbo’d V8. Although the British manufacturer has proved that the M838T can handle more than 700 horsepower in the P1, the 570S’ engine is less stressed than that at 562 horsepower (570 PS) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) between 5,000 and 6,500 rpm.
Coupled to the 7-speed SSG transmission, the V8 of the 570S can thrust the car to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.2 seconds. The McLaren MP4-12C and its 616 HP (625 PS) engine does it a tenth of a second slower. As for top speed, this Macca can be pushed to 204 mph (328 km/h) provided that you can find a derestricted bit of Autobahn, an aerodrome or a circuit with a long, long straight.
On the flip side, the 570S is the first-ever McLaren fitted with stop-start. Frugality is the last thing on the priorities list of a supercar owner, but then again, these are strange times we live in. As per the EPA, the 2016 McLaren 570S is rated 19 mpg combined (12.3 l/100 km), 16 mpg city (14.7 l/100 km), and 23 mpg highway (10.2 l/100 km).
While on the dreary subject of fuel economy, did you know that this is the most fuel-efficient McLaren you can buy in the United States of America?
Happily, however, the 2016 McLaren 570S has a few tricks up its sleeves. The MonoCell II carbon fiber tub, as a prime example, is stiffer than an aluminum chassis. The peeps at McLaren are so sure about the crashworthiness of the carbon fiber backbone, the engineers haven’t found the need for additional bracing or any other kind of structural reinforcement.
The safety-oriented tech goes beyond the carbon fiber tub, though. The front and rear aluminum structures are a case in point. According to McLaren, aluminum extrusions and castings are strong enough to absorb the forces of an impact. Last, but not least, standard safety kit also includes mainstream solutions such as dual front, side curtain, and knee airbags.
If McLaren were to classify the 570S as a supercar, that would challenge the status of the more expensive 650S. Besides this internal affair, calling the 570S a supercar would put it directly in the crosshairs of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Truth be told, the McLaren 570S can hold its own when confronted by the likes of the Audi R8 5.2 V10 of the non-plus variety.
The best way to think about the McLaren 570S, however, is Great Britain’s answer to the Porsche 911, the quintessential German sports car that’s been continuously evolving since 1963. Incidentally, 1963 is the year Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was born into this world.
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