What's the news?
While it's not due for a full reveal until next month, McLaren has given us a slightly closer peep at its upcoming new mid-engined supercar, which for now it's calling the McLaren Grand Tourer.
Now with only the thinnest of camouflage wraps to disguise it, we can see that this new model is quite the departure from the current McLaren styling norm. Check out that wide, low rear deck, and the big, chunky air intakes just ahead of the front wheels.
The nose looks a little higher and wider than we've seen on McLaren's recent models, and along with that wide-flat rear deck, that suggests that this is going to be a car with a surprising amount of luggage space. Indeed, that seems to be the very point of this model - although certainly not slow, it's meant to be an extension of the 'practical supercar' idea which we first saw with the McLaren 570GT.
Now that the bulky disguise panels have been removed, McLaren can get on with checking out that the Grand Tourer is as quiet and comfortable over a long distance as its name would suggest that it should be. To do that, it's going to drive one, non stop, from McLaren's development and testing base near Barcelona back to the company headquarters in the UK. That's a journey of more than 1,600km which should sort the refinement men from the comfort boys. A 'full complement of luggage' will also be packed inside.
"The fourth McLaren to be introduced under the Track25 business plan will be our interpretation of the Grand Tourer. It will be a car that combines competition levels of performance with continent-crossing capability, wrapped in a beautiful lightweight body. It's a car that has been designed for distance and one that will also provide the comfort and space expected of a Grand Tourer. But with a level of agility never experienced before in this segment. In addition, it will be the lightest of Grand Tourers and by also having the best power-to-weight ratio, I promise it will be one of the quickest. In addition, it will be the only Grand Tourer to share its DNA with the 250mph McLaren Speedtail" said Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive at the car's original announcement at the Geneva motor show.