McLaren reveals best look yet at upcoming “Grand Tourer”

In an announcement today, McLaren revealed a clearer picture of what the “McLaren of Grand Tourers” will look like. Previous images of the upcoming GT included superfluous body panels intended to hide the actual styling of the car. McLaren has now released photos of the pure shape of the as yet unnamed continental cruiser, showing a body still partially camouflaged by a vinyl wrap.

The new grand tourer looks to be a little more subtle—perhaps less exotic-looking than the 570S and less futuristic than the 720S. The headlights are more traditional, slim LED slits, and there are large air-intake scoops at the rear that are nestled in wide rear fenders. From behind, we can see a regular-style dual exhaust integrated in the lower bumper, rather than in center-exit fashion as on the 720S.

More teasers should follow in the weeks ahead ahead—McLaren says that it will soon “begin” to remove the wrap ahead of the car’s full reveal in May.

The Woking, UK-based based supercar manufacturer’s stated goal is to make a car that can “cover long distances in supreme comfort.” While grand touring cars typically sacrifice ten/tenths performance for that comfort, McLaren promises that its new GT will have handling and agility not seen before in that segment.

All this points, as expected, toward a more conservative long-distance sports car than McLaren’s current, more extreme cars. We’d also expect ingress and egress to be easier, while luggage capacity will also presumably improve. Pricing isn’t clear at this point, but we’d expect the new McLaren to compete with the Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT, and Aston Martin Vantage.

That said, we fully expect this car to be a potent performer worthy of the McLaren badge. “Sharing its DNA” with the McLaren Speedtail “hyper-GT,” the McLaren grand tourer will stand apart from the company’s Sport, Super, and Ultimate series, and will be “tailored,” likely a reference to the availability of bespoke personalization.

McLarens are known to be a bit more practical as daily drivers than Ferraris and Lamborghinis and, fitting that brand image, McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt said that the McLaren grand tourer will be the most usable mid-engine car in the company’s stable.

The new model will undergo further validation tests, including a 1000-mile run, with two occupants and their luggage, from Barcelona, Sapin, where McLaren has a development facility, to the McLaren Technology Centre, where McLarens are built in Woking, England.