McLaren GT Makes Dynamic Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

By Team Speed - July 10, 2019

New McLaren GT was joined by 720S Spider, 600LT Spider, P1TM, Senna and new Senna GTR for supercar hill climbs.

The new McLaren GT toured the Goodwood estate for its global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend in front of an audience of thousands.

Just before midday the McLaren GT appeared from the Fox Gates at the front of Goodwood House, announced by TV presenter Nicki Shields. Taking the wheel of the McLaren GT, Shields drove the car on its debut run up Goodwood Hill and its first public appearance. The McLaren GT completed four further hill runs throughout the afternoon with Le Mans class-winner Jonny Kane and GT racer Ollie Millroy taking over driving duties.

The McLaren of Grand Tourers–McLaren’s modern interpretation of the classic GT–was revealed online on May 15. It is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 612 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The power is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed automatic gearbox. The McLaren GT can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.1 seconds and achieves a maximum speed of 203 mph.

The engine of the McLaren GT is similar to that of the McLaren 720S, albeit the latter offers more power and torque. However, that is understandable because the McLaren GT, as its name proposes, is a grand tourer. The 720S on the other hand is a track car that competes with the Lamborghini Huracan Evo and the Ferrari F8 Tributo.

The McLaren GT also performs on the inside, with luxurious trim options that include Nappa leather, softgrain leather, or Alcantara, and seats unique to the McLaren GT that are designed for long distance comfort. The luggage bay can also be trimmed with SuperFabric, developed to be resistant to stains and nicks.

The McLaren GT’s interior also features hidden-until-lit ambient lighting and the option of an electrochromic glazed panel to enhance ambience in the cabin, which is also trimmed with machined and knurled aluminium switches and controls.

The infotainment system developed for the new McLaren GT is the company’s most sophisticated to date, featuring industry-standard HERE navigation and real-time traffic information, and it can also be linked to an optional 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system. The McLaren GT is priced from $203,000.

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the GT was joined by the 720S Spider, 600LT Spider, P1TM, Senna and the new Senna GTR for the supercar hill climb runs.

Visitors to McLaren House could also see the McLaren GT on display alongside the Speedtail Hyper-GT in addition to the 720S Spider, 600LT Spider, LEGO McLaren Senna, the 1998 Goodwood Hill record-holding MP4/13 and Niki Lauda’s 1984 F1 World Championship-winning MP4/2.