- Doors and Seats
NA
- Engine
NA
- Engine Power
419kW, 600Nm
- Fuel
Petrol 10.7L/100KM
- Transmission
NA
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
2017 McLaren 570S new car review
To at least one generation, the original McLaren F1 is the supercar defined. The brand's first proper road-going machine shifted what we thought was possible from road cars, bringing a new focus and ability beyond even what Porsche and Ferrari could manage.
McLaren has gone on to produce a range of world-class performance heroes since then. But it insists this one is not a supercar.
Priced from $408,000 drive-away, the 570S coupe is the first in what McLaren calls the Sport Series, an entry point below circa-$500,000 Super Series models such as the faster 650S and the top-end Ultimate Series anchored by the multi-million-dollar McLaren P1 hybrid.
It's hard to reconcile the 570S as an entry-level model when you look at its hardware.
Like every McLaren road car, the new machine has a carbon fibre chassis at its core. It has essentially the same 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the 650S and P1 – retuned to produce lower 419kW and 600Nm outputs – and the same mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. You get carbon brakes, sticky Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres, and styling so dramatic it should be nominated for an Emmy.
The main item missing from the baby McLaren is the brand's interlinked hydraulic suspension setup (the 570S gets conventional springs, shocks and anti-roll bars) and there is surprisingly little in the way of visible carbon fibre (though there can be, if you're willing to pay).
Touchy-feely stuff such as Alcantara or soft-grain leather is also absent, and the stereo is a basic four-speaker unit well short of what you might expect from a prestige car – but once again, you can upgrade those to meet your demands.
What we have, then, is a coupe with genuine supercar hardware that is a little short on frills. Then again, very few cars under $400,000 can touch the McLaren for drama, particularly once its doors swing skyward.
The 570S has flowing, almost organic lines with real purpose, greedily funnelling air toward intakes and cooling apertures while deftly diverting it away from the bodywork. While there are no active aerodynamics at play, it still has clever tricks including front aero blades, floating door "tendons" and flying buttresses at the rear of the cabin that contribute to the cause.
Most of the bodywork is rendered in blow-formed aluminium as opposed to McLaren's usual carbon fibre, and there are swathes of contrasting areas painted in 'palladium grey' that become carbon fibre if you have the readies.
There is a decent selection of wheels available in the brand's 19-inch and 20-inch front and rear sizes, and a choice of 17 colours including the Mantis Green of our test example.
Lifting open the 570S' door reveals a cabin that is more accessible than other McLarens, with a lower and narrower sill that makes it easier to drop into the driver's seat. Once there, you're met by a decently roomy cabin home to a beautifully shaped steering wheel with zero buttons on the front. McLaren makes a point of using the wheel for purely steering – unlike Ferrari's finest, it won't start and stop the car, cycle through driveline options or control the car's lights and suspension.
At the back of the wheel, the 570S has a clever shift arrangement that has the left and right gearchange paddles interlinked through the steering column – you can pull the right paddle or push away the left paddle to change up a gear, and vice versa for downshifts.
The brand uses its own 'Iris' touchscreen, a 7-inch, portrait-oriented item that feels like a large smartphone, and a digital driver display with a choice of readouts can cater to your mood.
There's more than a passing nod to the car's place as a more liveable, practical McLaren, with a front storage space that can handle 144 litres of cargo (enough for two soft bags), and handy cubby holes in the door armrests that join the centre console and glove box.
Wider and more spacious than other modern McLarens, the Sports Series also benefits from outstanding forward visibility helped by cleverly designed wheel arches that peak at the centre point of the front wheels, helping drivers place the car with confidence.
There are two driving mode switches that affect the car's behaviour – one for the driveline, and one for the chassis – allowing you to tailor the car's behaviour to different environments, offering the sharpest possible engine response with soft suspension on bumpy roads, for example.
McLaren caught some flak for this 3.8-litre V8 when it first debuted in the MP4-12C coupe, but they've worked to refine it lately. Louder and more responsive than before, the 570S version has a unique calibration with reworked turbochargers that lend the car a more accessible character than more powerful models. It doesn't feel as "always on" or trigger-happy as the 650S, instead feeling docile at city speeds and building its power progressively throughout the rev range.
That's not to say it isn't fast. Because the 570S is a weapon at full throttle, one that can match the legendary McLaren F1's benchmark 0-100km/h (3.2 seconds) and 0-100mph (6.3 seconds) acceleration times, firmly establishing it as a bona-fide supercar. Though we didn't dare test its claims, McLaren says the coupe will streak to 200km/h in 9.5 seconds on to a top speed of 328km/h.
Hampered somewhat by its rear-wheel-drive layout from launch, the car feels significantly quicker than an Audi R8 or Porsche 911 Turbo once underway, a trait helped by its 1399kg weight - undercutting those cars by 196 and 155 kilograms respectively. It hauls in the horizon unlike just about anything available at this price point, snapping the tacho around to meet a surprisingly high 8500rpm limiter.
Driving the 570S hard is intoxicating. From the shimmering view over the engine in the rear mirror, to the deliciously weighted response of its 394mm carbon brakes and the crisp feel of old-school hydraulically-assisted steering, it's mega stuff.
The baby McLaren dives into corners wonderfully, as if controlled by intention rather than your hands. While some supercars have startlingly quick steering or variable setups that can see you second-guessing inputs on the way into an apex, the McLaren feels wonderfully natural when pressing on.
Part of that comes from the brand's decision to use relatively narrow 225mm front tyres that communicate clearly with the driver, and part of it relates to a "brake steer" system gently pinching an inside rear wheel on turn-in to help rotate the car.
No matter what's happening in the background, the 570S represents a magnificent driving experience and is a car that that fully deserves to wear the McLaren badge. It's worthy of the supercar title.
2017 McLaren 570S pricing and specifications
Price: From $408,000 drive-away
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol
Power: 419kW at 7400rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 5000-6500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 10.7L/100km