McLaren’s new grand tourer is built to be a better everyday supercar in plenty of little ways.
Supercars tend to be compromised as livable road cars. Their low ride heights, stiff suspensions, cramped interiors, and lack of cargo space typically relegate them to special occasions. However, McLaren tried to buck that trend a few years back with the introduction of the GT, a more practical mid-engine supercar that sacrificed some speed and performance for comfort and long-distance cruising ability. Now, the Brits are back with a second attempt: the 2024 McLaren GTS.
The GTS is a direct replacement for the GT rather than an additional, sportier model, as its name might suggest. And while the recipe is similar, there are a few spicier ingredients intended to improve the package in plenty of ways. The changes aren’t drastic, but the idea is that the GTS’s comprehensive update will make it a noticeably better car than the one it replaces.
For example, the GTS’s carbon fiber monocoque chassis is pretty much the same as before, but it now features a roof made from recycled carbon which, along with a few other tweaks, makes the GTS 22 pounds lighter than the outgoing GT. Will you notice a 22-pound decrease? Probably not, but coupled with the additional 14 horsepower increase, bumping its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 to 626 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, the boost to the coupe’s power-to-weight ratio is enhanced, and that’s always a good thing. It now makes 412 horsepower per ton, which McLaren says is the best in the segment (it’s unclear which other supercars McLaren considers to be in its segment). McLaren claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds, a 0-124 mph time of 8.9 seconds, and a top speed of 203 mph.
McLaren also claims to have tweaked its famous hydraulic steering, braking, and adaptive hydraulic suspension to be both more comfortable in daily driving as well as sharper on track. As with every sports car on sale, there are multiple driving modes: Comfort, Sport, and Track.
Simply looking at the GTS, you’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences between it and the outgoing version. However, it does have a new front bumper, updated air intakes, and a tweaked rear end. There’s some real function to its design, though, as the rear glass tailgate is electrically operated and holds 14.8 cubic feet of cargo space. The front truck holds an additional 5.3 cubic feet, bringing its total cargo capacity to 20.1 cubic feet, which is pretty dang good for a mid-engine grand tourer.
In an era when numbers are king and every supercar maker is trying to outdo the other with more horsepower and better performance—especially with electric supercars—it’s refreshing to see one that’s designed to have more chill. The McLaren GTS is an exotic that isn’t strictly about specs; it’s about comfort and daily usability, while being fast and fun at the same time. It’s nice that cars like it still exist.
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