McLaren 570GT
€330,000
Once in a blue moon a car comes along that simply blows me away. This was 2016’s superstar.
For starters, it’s just so heart-achingly beautiful, with its shimmering lines flowing from back to front like a mysterious magical cape. And as for that formidable rear end, I challenge anyone to show me a betterlooking backside on any car in the world today.
A perfect driving position is only made better thanks to outstanding visibility. I felt totally at one with the road; so low, so close to the tarmac, so Scalextric, so intoxicating.
Then there are the incar systems, refreshingly simple and easy on the eye with their black-andwhite, ultra-clean, ultraclear graphics.
With the 570GT, McLaren has also finally found its own voice when it comes to the engine and exhaust note: modesty prevails but there’s more on tap if you want it.
The acceleration – in Auto or one of the simple combinations of Track and Sport manual modes – is thoughtfully graduated, like playing a violin as opposed to a thrash-metal guitar.
After a day of skipping the light fandango on any road that would have us, I
took a coffee break to reflect on this marvellous machine and read up on the performance data. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the top speed of 328kph and a 0-100kph time of 3.4 seconds. This has to be the most understated, seriously high-performance car on the planet. A McLaren is not a pose mobile. It’s not a pulling machine.
It’s a car-lover’s car. It comes out, gets the job done, and then goes home again with the minimum of fuss.