McLaren adds Adelaide

McLaren has opened its fourth local outlet in the South Australian capital Adelaide ahead of the arrival of what could become its biggest seller, the McLaren GT.

It is the second McLaren dealership to be opened by Zagame Automotive, which also has a showroom in Melbourne.

McLaren’s Sydney and Gold Coast stores are owned by Trivett and Sunshine Automotive respectively.

Previously, Adelaide McLaren customers had been sold vehicles out of those three stores.

First revealed in May, the McLaren GT is pitched as the most user-friendly and comfortable McLaren yet offered. It opens up a fourth model line for McLaren alongside the Sports Series, Super Series and the Ultimate Series.

Due for release in Australia in late August before first deliveries at the end of 2019, the GT – like all McLarens -- is a two-seater, mid-engined and based on a carbon-fibre chassis

It is powered by 456kW/603Nm version of McLaren’s M840TE twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine already employed by the 720S models, feeding the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

“I think the GT is a car that expands to the brand toward the more practical day-to-day usage,” said Zagame Automotive managing director Michael Winkler. “You can put a real luggage case in there and golf clubs rather than just a handbag and a briefcase.

“It gives permission to the client to have that car in the family because it is no longer just a purely selfish purchase, you can use it on a more practical basis.

“It could become the number one selling McLaren because it has all the performance you could ever want, but it is just that bit more practical.”

While there’s been no confirmation of local pricing as yet, the 570GT -- McLaren’s current grand tourer model which is being discontinued -- is $415,000 before on-road costs.