McLaren Sports Series

Recently you chased the new McLaren Sports Series through the black forest in Germany, tell us something about it?

We drove the three models which lately have been presented by McLaren. It’s called the ‘Sports Series’ and brings supercar performance to the luxury sports car world. More powerful and lighter than other sports cars, the Sports Series offers a class-leading power-to-weight ratio and just feels fantastic to drive.

The McLaren Sports Series is the third and final product family to join the recently announced three-tier model range from McLaren Automotive.

The Sports Series introduces unique McLaren DNA to the sports car market. Each model has been designed and engineered by a team of experts at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre alongside the Formula 1™ team operations, and every car is hand built in the same state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre as the Super Series and Ultimate Series models.

It’s all Greek to me, tell us in numbers!

Sure let’s start from scratch… McLaren presents their latest model range: 540C Coupé, 570S Coupé and 570GT. At the end of the day it’s pretty easy. The number is the amount of horsepower, the character explains us the type of car. Let’s get it more clear:

540C -> 540 Horse Power – C stands for Club.

570S -> 570 Horse Power – S stands for Sport

570GT -> 570 Horse Power – GT stands for Grand Touring or Grand Tourer

Okay, that makes sense… but can you actually feel this difference when driving it?

Totally. Of course, they’re all super fast cars. That’s what the brand is about. Compared to the former models, we’re now talking about their little siblings.

The 540C is and feels like a comfortable version. It’s a modest model… less power, less noise and comfortable to drive.

The 570S is definitely a beast! It’s super fast, the exhaust noise is mind-blowing and cornering is master-work.

The 570GT which we drove in Tenerife is a typical Grand Tourer, very comfortable to drive, more space added. Still, one of my favorite models.

A very interesting fact: McLaren is using the same engine for all of their models, which delivers a power-range between 540hp – 1000hp (McLaren P1 GTR).

Wow, how is that possible?

The Sports Series uses the typical seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox and their 3.8-litre twin turbo V8, with 30 percent of components bespoke to the new model, produces 570PS (562bhp) and 600Nm (443 lb ft) in 570S Coupé and 570GT. Retrieving a power-range like this, i’s a matter of adjusting the engine in a different way. And of course, remove weight or refine aerodynamics etc…

Some words about the design?

The Sports Series introduces the McLaren design language to the sports car segment for the first time, with taught, ‘shrink-wrapped’ body lines marking it out from the competition. Design cues and learnings from the Ultimate Series and Super Series models ensure the Sports Series looks every part a true McLaren, but with a clear identity of its own. Unique design features include the iconic dihedral doors more typically associated with supercars, while elegant flying buttresses and a concave rear window distinguish 570S Coupé and 540C Coupé models. A subtly revised aerodynamic package and a dedicated wheel design further mark out the 540C Coupé from the more powerful 570S Coupé. The 570GT, meanwhile, presents a glasshouse with clean and sleek lines leading to the rear of the car. A unique aerodynamic package has been tailored to work in harmony with the elegant silhouette of the 570GT.

Impressive, what about the inside?

The interior design of the Sports Series carries the exterior design approach through with key features including floating elements to add to the sense of depth, while organic shapes and curves bring delicate tension without aggression for a welcoming and ergonomic layout.

The Sports Series offers the widest selection of ‘By McLaren’ designs to date, with 10 in total. Of these, five have a focus on contemporary luxury, while the other five have a sportier focus.

Not much of a surprise there is absolutely everything you’d expect in such a car.

I guess that’s pretty expensive?

The price for a 540C starts at 177’000 CHF, the 570S at 201’000 CHF and the 570GT at 212’000 CHF

Is that arguable?

Of course. It’s a high class brand which puts around 30% of their revenue into engineering. Every single detail has been studied and improved by the best technicians on the planet. Only the best materials are being used (chassis is made of carbon fibre for example). They’re constantly improving their models and trust me, I’m looking very much forward to drive the next one soon!