GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: McLaren announces new grand tourer to launch in 2019
McLaren boss says GT will be spun-off Speedtail hypercar, could share three-seat layoutMcLaren has shocked the world press attending the Geneva motor show by announcing it is readying a new grand tourer that's due to be launched later this year.
McLaren chief executive Mike Flewitt made the surprise announcement.
“It will be a car that combines competition levels of performance with continent-crossing capability, wrapped in a beautiful lightweight body," he told show goers.
"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."
Said to "share DNA" with the McLaren Speedtail, Flewitt went on to promise McLaren's new supercar will be the "lightest of grand tourers" with the best power-to-weight ratio.
This has led many commentators to tip the new McLaren GT to be a re-clothed version of the Speedtail without its complex hybrid powertrain.
Claimed to be designed to be "sleek, beautiful and boldly elegant", inside the grand tourer is said to have a "spacious" and "uncluttered" cabin that will feature only high quality materials.
Since it's likely to share the Speedtail's wide carbon-fibre Monocage architecture, it's not known if the grand tourer will utilise staggered three-abreast seating -- or if that will be solely reserved for the million-dollar Speedtail.
What is guaranteed is the grand tourer will offer far more luggage space.
At the Swiss show the McLaren CEO said the name of its new GT, the 10th car to be launched by McLaren, will be announced in the coming months.
It's not the first time McLaren has spun-off a GT of one of its core models. Conversely, the 570GT is a prime example, created to be a more comfortable, fractionally more practical version of the 570S.
During his speech, Flewitt suggested the new approach to GT models would be for them to sit outside of McLaren's established Sport Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series families.
The fourth GT family will be "unique, tailored models," said Flewitt, implying McLaren will add yet more grand tourers in the future.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
