McLaren 570S "Sport Series": Daily Pleasure!

Today I’m living a dream, I’m driving a McLaren 570S for a review! The McLaren 570S is the new entry-level car that the English manufacturer calls “Sport Series”. The numbers are really important: 570CV, about 1400Kg in weight, 0-100 in 3.1s, 0-200 in 9.5s. I confess that it’s really strange to consider it a sportscar and not a supercar!

We could not expect differently from a manufacturer like McLaren. This name evokes a glorious history in the world of F1. Fittipaldi, Hunt, Lauda, Prost, Senna and the latest Häkkinen and Hamilton are the drivers who gave glory to the McLaren brand and their names will remain in the mind of every motorsports enthusiast forever. I’m driving in Casentino, which is one of my favourite places for test drives. The roads that climb the Tosco-Emiliano’s Apennine allow me to better discover this green sportscar.

The first thing that strikes me is the sound. Despite the presence of the turbo, the noise inside and outside the cockpit is really addictive! The 3.8L V8 Biturbo, a fantastic engine that guarantees torque both at low and at the high revs up to 600Nm between 5000 and 6500 rpm. Thanks also to the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, this McLaren 570S is really hungry for speed.

The performance of the McLaren 570S, however, is not just to be attributed to the excellent engine. In fact, another important key is lightness. Thanks to the carbon monocoque, present in very few sportscars, the weight is reduced indeed. Great power, little weight … even the set up is obviously up to the level! Even if we are not at the technological levels of the eldest sisters of this manufacturer, the McLaren 570S is equipped with anti-roll bars that work together with electronically controlled dampers.

This combination is really effective even in the most uneven tarmacs, where the car always seems to respond well. The self-locking differential is missing. By choice, McLaren prefers an open one with electronic controls. The result is satisfactory, the McLaren 570S is a car focused on the performances, even if, playing with the controls of the ESP, there is also some space for some oversteering fun. The steering, fortunately electro-hydraulic, is exquisitely communicative and sincere in transmitting what is going under the wheels. If you really want to find a defect, you identify it in the brake pedal, with which it’s difficult to find familiarity. In any case, carboceramic disks offer amazing performance.

Another winning point of this McLaren 570S is the two selectors in the central tunnel with which you can adjust two different settings for the setup and the engine / gearbox. For the roads that I’m driving is fantastic to be able to put the engine on “Track” and still maintain a soft behaviour of the suspensions, this set up allows me to fully enjoy the incredible performances of this car without taking too many kicks on my spine. Great!

My journey is about to end, I’m in fact approaching my destination, the Valenzano’s Castle. A few minutes from Arezzo and at not so far from the Casentino’s Forest Park, this castle has ancient origins and is now a restaurant and an historic residence. Once inside, the big noise of the McLaren 570S stops like a beast that finally finds some rest.

In front of the Valenzano’s Castle the soft and sexy lines of this car stand out in contrast. The McLaren 570S is a work of art of design and the Mantis Green colour is so beautiful and exaggerated to be perfect for her. The visible carbon, available as an option, further embellishes the exterior: the more you admire it and the more the “sportscar” name for this beast seems to be tight! The black 19’ at the front and 20’ at the rear wheels are the icing on the cake.

For entering into the car the wonderful doors that open vertically or dihedral, as they calls McLaren, are operated. If apparently they can intimidate in terms of practicality, it takes very few moments to get used to and be amazed by the beauty of the McLaren 570S with them open.

Once on board, the McLaren philosophy is immediately understood: essential, almost minimal and perfectly driver focused. The steering position, pedals and seat are perfect. The seat is really comfortable in all driving conditions. The size of the steering wheel is perfect, completely without buttons, dedicated only to driving.

The paddles of the double clutch transmission are made with a single piece of carbon, beautiful!

We cannot say that there is lack of technology on board. In front of your eyes everything is under control thanks to the large screen that shows all the driving information. Depending on the mode chosen on the selectors, you can change the layout of gear, speed and tachometer. Excellent resolution and always readable even with the sun.

In the central console instead, we find the other large display that commands the IRIS system. Positioned vertically, it allows us to control climate, audio, phone and navigation. The latter in my opinion not seems at the highest level for this car. On the other hand, the Bowers & Wilkins audio system of which the McLaren 570S is equipped is excellent.

The sunset comes to close a day full of emotions. With a starting price of 186,500 €, the McLaren 570S is a car that in “Track” mode becomes an effective weapon for the performances and in “Normal” is also a good car for travels or for short trips. The McLaren 570S can be a car that does not go unnoticed during our daily journeys!