Why the 570S Coupé is the best McLaren to date

McLaren have long been front runners in the hypercar market. Their fabled F1 was born in 1992 and up until recently it was still the benchmark for other marques looking to enter the sector. The combination of speed, handling and everyday usability was unmatched, and only beaten by their very own P1 released 11 years later.

Although renowned for their top-end machines, McLaren began their quest to trump Ferrari’s mid-engined dominance with the 12C in 2011, and they largely succeeded. Now though, Woking’s finest have Porsche’s 911 in their sights and you can practically hear Stuttgart shaking in their boots. Set to be unveiled in the metal at the New York Motor Show, this is the McLaren 570S.

The marque’s first ‘entry level’ supercar, the 570S is a departure from anything they’ve done before in terms of both looks and performance. McLaren have now split up their production range into three categories; Sports Series, Super Sports Series and Ultimate Series. The P1 makes up the Ultimate Series, the 650S and 675LT are in Super Sports, and the new 570S is the first in Sports. It’s exciting times for McLaren, and we can only imagine how hard the ladies and gents are working at the factory.

A pure sports car, the 570S is based around McLaren’s long standing values of high power, high performance and low weight. Powering its rear wheels is a twin turbo V8, similar to that used in its bigger brother, yet it features 30% all-new components, producing a total of 562bhp (10bhp more than the 911 Turbo S) and 600Nm of torque. Straight line performance isn’t too dissimilar to the 650S, with 0-60mph dealt with in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 204mph. It may be a baby supercar but it more than stands on its own two feet.

The design is another entirely new direction for McLaren. It’s easy to see the influences from the P1 and 650S, yet the modern touches make this car stand out for all the right reasons. I’d go as far as to say that this is the best looking car they’ve produced in the modern era (although the analogue F1 still gets our vote overall).

McLaren have taken some heat in the past for being a little too conservative and safe with their styling. This is certainly no longer the case. The 570S has, according to McLaren, been ‘designed by air’. Whilst this is almost certainly not true, the influence of the Earth’s atmosphere is clear upon closer inspection. The front ‘aero blades’ channel air through the lower bodywork, the bonnet pushes it over the wheel arches and the F1-like door vents offer direct cooling to the engine, as well as additional downforce.

If the front of the car is clean and purposeful, the rear is just plain sexy. Its flying buttresses are an elegant touch, and if you squint the floating LED brake lights look like the eyes of a beautiful female trying to seduce you. Or is that too far? The large rear diffuser and integrated exhaust pipes bring things back down to Earth, all combining to create a design that is bordering on delicious.

Usability is the key to the 570S though. McLaren really do want you to use this thing every day – and you can. The sports seats are fully wrapped in leather and feature comfortable padding for long distance cruises. The infotainment system is not far off something you’d experience in a luxury 4×4 and the optional sound system is designed by Bowers & Wilkins and comes with 12 speakers.

Alternatively, you can forgo this interior altogether and opt for racing bucket seats, a carbon-clad interior package and a full-on boy-racer fixed rear wing, but that would be missing the point. This is the most versatile, comfortable and usable car McLaren has ever built, and that should be celebrated.

The McLaren 570S is expected to cost from £145,000. For more information, click here.