What is very quick. Requires a lot of respect and drives like a Honda Jazz? A McLaren GT. I was fortunate enough to be invited to Millbrook testing ground for a gentle drive around 3 of the courses there.
Coming from my daily van, approaching the GT was a bit daunting. I’d never driven anything quite so quick and despite the weather being favourable in that it was sunny with a nip in the air, the road surface was cold. This would prove 2 things as we’ll find out.
We headed out onto the Millbrook circuits. First to be tackled was the Alpine course. Adding to the ambience of the Alpine experience, some parts were covered with a very light dusting of snow. Not quite what you’d like as a novice behind the wheel of a £163,000 GT car that can achieve up to 23.7mpg. And that was probably achieved with the leisurely drive I had. I’m no racing driver and I didn’t want to be the one known for crashing out of the event.
For all you statistics fans, the GT will reach 62 in 3.2 seconds. We took it up the mile straight. 124 came and went in its 9 seconds as we headed past 130mph. At which point, I was slightly done and thankfully told to hit the brakes. The brakes doing a grand job in removing all that speed with minimal fuss.
Not that getting to that top speed was without drama. A dip in the straight did cause some concern with the rear kicking out briefly. I was assured that with a warmer surface, this wouldn’t be such a problem. You can have the most sophisticated suspension out there but if you have tyres that are not biting because they are cold, none of that will help you.
This then is where the ease of driving the GT is a bit of a revelation. It’s neither trying to goad you into trying your luck nor being awkward running at low revs. It’s all pretty secure until lady luck leaves you. And today she was wrapped up indoors. I’d forgotten to respect the machine and a little blip on the throttle caused me to get a bit sweaty in the hands.
And practical the entry-level McLaren GT is. With 420 litres of rear boot space and a small bin upfront, there is more than adequate storage space for a weekend away or a trip to the supermarket. These impressive figures do make you wonder why you don’t see more at your local Tesco.
Inside was cosy and all the controls were designed for ease of use. Everything fell to hand and even looking out of it was easy. The one thing that was awkward for me was the placement of the pedals. I just couldn’t get my feet comfortable Perhaps longer spent in the GT would have resolved this complaint from me.
Due to the COVID restrictions of the event, it passed very quickly. So I had to build a quick picture of what the GT was like. All I kept thinking was you can see why these get written-off by the Instagramers et al. Despite its easy to drive feel, in the wrong hands, it has the ability to go from docile to a wreck very quickly.
The Lowdown
Car – McLaren GT Luxe
Price – £163,000 (from)
MPG – 23.7mpg (combined)
Power – 620 PS @7500 rpm
Top Speed – 203 mph
Co2 – 270 (g/km)