McLaren Range 2019 Review

While Ferraris and Porsches have become an increasingly common sight on Australian roads, spotting a McLaren in the metal is still a rare treat.

Case in point: During our recent road test, three McLaren cars travelling nose-to-tail was almost enough for one Sydneysider to nearly have a nasty rear-ender, subsequently locking up the brakes in a bid to avoid a minor bingle on the other side of the road. Such is the impact of the aggressively styled McLaren sportscars.

Entry to the range starts at $325,000 for the 540C model, so even at ‘entry level’ buying a McLaren is very much what marketers call a 'considered purchase'.

If you're one of the lucky few able to place an order for one of the very latest crop of racecar-inspired machines, but you want to go one better than the El Cheapo 540C model, then have we got a comparison for you…

Over the course of two days, your trusted carsales correspondents, Feann Torr, Andrea Matthews and Bathurst 1000 champ, Luke Youlden, pitted three absolute corkers from the McLaren range against each other.

We were blessed with the newly arrived and track-tuned McLaren 600LT, the stylish convertible 570S Spider and a somewhat bonkers and very purple 720S Coupe.

Once options and on-road costs are factored in, every one of these cars becomes a commitment of over half a million dollars. Yet while the uninitiated may think a McLaren is a McLaren, there’s enough to differentiate these three for them to each present a very different tack to the supercar buyer.

If you haven’t yet clicked 'play', we thoroughly recommend watching our rather pretty (if we do say so ourselves) review video but for the facts and figures on this trio, read on.

All three of our vehicles are rear-wheel drive and all three are powered by raucous V8 engines paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The 570S Spider and 600LT, both of which are part of the McLaren Sports Series, are powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, while the McLaren 720S Super Series flagship ups the bragging rights with a truly awe-inspiring 4.0-litre powerplant generating 525kW and a truly insane 770Nm.

Not that the 570S Spider and 600LT are shrinking violets when it comes to punch. The standard 3.8-litre V8 is good for 419kW and 600Nm in the 570S, while the same unit boosted in the 600LT track weapon ups the ante to 441kW and 620Nm.

Acceleration times for all three of the cars are the stuff of legends too. The 570S Spider reaches 100km/h in 3.2sec, while the lightweight 600LT and boss 720S each hit the mark at 2.9sec.

Three cars, three sets of numbers but three very different propositions.

The most affordable of the cars on test, and arguably the most liveable, the McLaren 570S Spider takes the stand out performance of the 570S Coupe and drops the top with little impact on the car’s pace.

Its hard top retractable roof folds away in 15sec, delivering a vehicle that’s perfect for an early summer’s cruise south from Sydney towards Kiama (NSW).

Typically removing a roof from a car adds weight (via reinforcing other areas) but McLaren’s racecar-style carbon monocoque requires little if any reinforcement to cope with topless duty. Thus the Pommie brand has succeeded in keeping weight gain on the 570S Spider to a minimum.

Roof up and the 570S is a stunner, roof down and the Spider is a true head turner. At the rear are two large buttresses which give the Spider a targa-top look rather than a full convertible. The effect does create some more buffeting in the cabin but only at stupid speeds – the sort most law-abiding citizens are not going to reach on public roads.

The only downside of those beautiful buttresses is that vision is tricky over the left shoulder, but that’s mitigated by the number of other drivers who make things easy for the McLaren owner by politely moving out of its way.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T is afforded to this Brit Car.

Another slight negative is that the top speed of the 570S is reduced with the roof down. You’ll only be able to top out at a leisurely 318km/h instead of the 325km/h you could reach with the roof up.

But we’re hard pressed to work out where you’d hit those speeds legally in Australia… Once upon a time in the Northern Territory?

Despite those scary top speed numbers, this is a surprisingly easy car to drive, no matter where you are. From inner city Sydney to the freeway cruising and eventually some genuinely demanding (and fast!) corners in the hills, the 570S Spyder has a driving mode to suit every situation.

On the open road, the 570S showed off its corner carving prowess. It hugs bends tightly and delivers ultimate assurance, with enough feedback through the wheel and that stiff carbon-fibre tub to understand when it needs more throttle, more steering or a little less of either.

As we noted in our 570S Spider review, "It’s the easiest supercar, probably, for a remotely skilled driver to leap to 8/10ths in and it won’t bite if you go charging towards 10 or even 11."

Engine and transmission combinations ensure low speed travel is smooth with gear changes and bite points refined. Only a few kilometres into our road trip was enough to have me believe that you could legitimately run the McLaren 570S Spider as a daily driver.

Porsche's title of the everyday supercar could be placed under considerable strain as McLaren continues to refine this appealing formula.

It was no surprise that Luke Youlden, supercar driver, Bathurst champ and all-round nice guy, ripped the keys for the McLaren 600LT from Feann’s grip. Our boss Sinkers has already driven the 600LT on the track, but this was our first shot at launching it through a few choice corners on Australian roads.

The McLaren 600LT (Long Tail) builds on the 570S by removing weight and adding more racetrack smarts. It’s 146kg lighter than the 570S Spider, is forced to the floor with an extra 100kg of downforce and looks like it means business.

Styling is far from subtle and the 600LT is endowed with enough aerodynamic carbon-fibre appendages to make a proper racecar take notice. This car communicates 'track attack ' and has the sort of presence that stops traffic. Literally.

The track focussed hints don’t stop there either. The bespoke Pirelli Trofeo R Spec boots covering its alloy rims are designed for serious corner-hugging grip. And that low front splitter makes road humps almost impassable, so the optional lift kit fitted to the test 600LT is a must-have.

Seemingly becoming the norm in more track-attack sports cars, the seats have no height or recline adjustment. The driver’s seat has a laid-back angle and is decidedly for the narrower derriere. It’s a bit squeezy and ingress/egress is not very elegant either.

But as Luke reminds us, this is a track car.

"I think the lack of adjustment is good thing as it forces the driver into the ‘correct’ position. The manufacturer must get it right, of course, but McLaren absolutely has. Indeed, the seat aside, it’s one of the very few cars that suits a six-foot tall driver with zero compromise between pedal and steering wheel position."

The 600LT’s interior is subtle but not subdued. It’s far from a truly stripped out racecar but still says this is a serious car for serious fun, with acres of alcantara and exposed carbon-fibre.

The racecar feel compounds the moment the twin-turbo V8 engine ignites. There’s a direct connection (vibration) between driver and the twin-turbo V8 that you can actually feel. You know that you better strap in tight and, straight away, the 600LT is significantly louder than the other two.

Built to go around corners with obvious ferocity (and it absolutely does, sitting flatter than a wobbegong), the 600 LT is still (remarkably) almost daily driver useable – if you can cope with low, tight seats and don’t mind a little noise and vibration.

Luke's fervour for the 600LT is palpable and, like the 570S Spider, he describes it as docile and user friendly at low speeds.

"Let the 600 ponies loose over 4000rpm and it rockets down the road feeling so secure. I'd buy one just for that sound!"

And that sound from the Porsche 918 Spyder-style high mounted twin exhaust pipes is intoxicating, beating the 570S Spider’s more muted tone.

A crazy purple weapon deserves a bonkers pilot, so the McLaren 720S Coupe seemed an ideal match for our own 'FizzyT'.

Torr likens the McLaren streetcar flagship to a high-tech military weapon-slash-engineering marvel, "…incorporating the sort of aerodynamic prowess you’d expect from an aerospace corporation, coupled with the kind of power to shock and awe."

Like the 600LT and 570S Spider, the 720S Coupe may be a 527kW monster but it is both smooth and agreeable around town.

The most expensive of our three cars with a base price of $524,940, it’s equipped with an array of design and technology features which add to its easy going nature. Most valuable of all is the 360-degree camera which makes manoeuvring it an easier operation -- although it already has better rearward vision than the 570S Spider and 600LT thanks to extra rear glass in the rear pillars.

Be aware that ticking too many boxes whips the price into a frenzy. Putting this car on road in New South Wales will set you back a not-insignificant $673,796.75 in this trim level.

Like each of our three McLarens, the 720S features dihedral doors and they’re the largest of our test cars, so they create the biggest headroom. This makes the 720S the easiest car to get in and out of here. The trade-off is that the doors are more of a reach and are heavy to operate. For daily use, we reckon the 570S is the pick of the 'dihedrals'.

Dynamically, the 720 S comes alive. Flip the drive mode to sports and the suspension firms up, the steering gains weight and gearbox response becomes addictively savage.

"The way it tips into corners is heavenly," espoused Feann.

“All three of these cars are dynamically scintillating but the 720 S is next level – and so very, very fast! It’s a transcendental experience and one that’s tinged with elation and terror in equal measure."

We’re yet to meet a McLaren we didn’t like, and our trio embodies everything that is glorious about these new age supercars. The brand may not have the water under the bridge that Ferrari or Lamborghini can boast but what it lacks in history, it makes up with technology and sheer ability. Plump for any one of these three cars and you’ll be thrilled to bits with your decision.

If you’re genuinely seeking a McLaren which can service your everyday needs, then the McLaren 570S Spider is our pick.

It offers the flexibility of the opening roof with no compromise on handling, nor performance. Even without the aggressive aero extras of the 600LT or the purple meanie looks of the 720S spaceship and its warp-speed velocities, it is unmistakably McLaren with the bonus of some topless fun.

If track work is more your mission then the McLaren 600LT will float all of your boats. It’s an accomplished racer but not so track focused that it’s compromised on the road.

And for a touch of the outright crazies, the McLaren 720S Coupe meets all the requirements for more adventurous owners, especially in its MSO Mauvine Blue paintwork.

The 720S has bragging rights for price and power and it feels like more of a step into the future than the others.

So in the end we picked the McLaren 570S Spider as our ‘winner’ in this comparison but we’d have happily plumped for any of the trio.

In fact, now the 600LT and 720S are to be offered in Spider configurations too, they may well edge the 570S Spider.

We’re going to need another go around of this road test when they arrive, just to be sure. And next time, perhaps we'll include some track work just to please Luke.

Read our deep dive reviews on the McLaren models:
McLaren 570S Spider 2018 Reviews
McLaren 600LT 2018 Review
McLaren 720S 2018 Review

How much is a 2019 McLaren 570S Spider?:
Price as tested: $515,042 (inc on-road costs for NSW)
Engine: 3.8-litre eight-cylinder twin turbo-petrol
Output: 419kW/600Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 10.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 249g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

How much is a 2019 McLaren 600LT?:
Price as tested: $565,305 (inc on-road costs for NSW)
Engine: 3.8-litre eight-cylinder twin turbo-petrol
Output: 441kW/620Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 12.2L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 276g/km (WLTP)
Safety Rating: N/A

How much is a 2019 McLaren 720S?:
Price: $673,796 (inc on-road costs for NSW)
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder twin turbo-petrol
Output: 527kW/770Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 11.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 249g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A