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New variant of McLaren's 570S will be geared towards long-distance touring but will keep its sports car credentials

McLaren is readying a new variant of its 570S sports car to launch in the first half of next year.

The new 570S GT will be designed more around luxury grand touring than outright performance, and is envisaged as being a more practical and spacious model. 

The most obvious styling change for the 570S GT comes with its elongated rear panel - significantly different from the glass lid used to cover the V8 engine of the 570S in regular models. Autocar understands the extra space liberated here will be used for storage, while the car will also retain its smaller front aperture. A more luxurious interior than the standard 570S is also expected.

One thing that won't change for the GT variant is its powertrain. The car will keep its twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine, producing the same 562bhp and 443lb ft of torque as in the regular 570S. Despite a nominal increase in weight compared with the standard car, which clocks in at 1313kg, McLaren will be looking to match the standard 570S's 0-62mph sprint time of 3.1sec and its top speed of 204mph.

Following the 570S GT, McLaren's attentions will quickly turn to its next model launch, already confirmed as being a Spider variant of the 570S. Again keeping that car's V8 powertrain, the open-top 570S will feature a folding hard-top roof in the same vein as McLaren's other convertible models. The price gap between McLaren's coupé and convertible cars is typically around £20,000, meaning the 570S Spider will command a price tag of around £165,000.

The 570S GT will be the first model of its type that McLaren has produced - meaning it's likely to be priced above even the 570S Spider, but still below the £195,000 650S.

Read more - a day in the life of McLaren boss Mike Flewitt

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Ofir 24 November 2015

Same car

Its not essentially the same car its precisely the same car only with a few options. Begs the question why even disguise it. I suppose the unswer is to stir interest.
xxxx 24 November 2015

Confused

"designed more around luxury grand touring than outright performance..." by increasing the storage space a little bit does that make it a Grand Tourer? Also, goes on about outright performance being less important than luxury but "One thing that won't change for the GT variant is its powertrain". Hope McLaren aren't short of money to such an extent they can't develop proper variants!