Today we’ll take you through the McLaren 570S GT4, one of the three cars that comprise our On The Edge performance pack, due to be released at the beginning of April. GT4 is a category that is often under-appreciated compared to more overtly showy series; “What, you want a slower GT3 car?!”. But that’s to miss the point. GT4 is the shining example of a series where the cars need to be pushed to get the maximum out of them: lap-times have to be earned. And the earning is fun. Even better, GT4’s popularity means there are so many models to choose from, and the addition of this McLaren further strengthens Raceroom’s already copious GT4 grid.
When GT4 first launched back in 2007, it was admittedly a little challenging for even the most ardent endurance racing fan to get over-excited about, with what seemed like a pretty stock look and feel. The initial batch of cars were literally barely changed from their dealer forecourt counterparts – just with some race stickers slapped on. The same could be said about OG GT3, released just the year before: just add standard rear wing.
But that was to ignore what these cars represented: a measured counterpoint to the futile but legendary arms races of two decades of GT1, eras of boom and bust that led to epic highs but of so low-lows. The three Golden Ages of GT1 came and went: the late ’90s, the mid 2000s and the sad but inevitable failure of the 2010-12 World Championship that straddled the period of evolution for the GT3 and GT4 categories, but something that proved to be a last hurrah for those primordial beasts. Instead, GT3 and GT4 were laying deliberate foundations for the long-term stability and success we now all get to enjoy.
As GT3 plugged away year after year, evolving and building both respect and performance, so did GT4. Manufacturers realised they could gather GT customers for a relatively low entry cost: particularly in GT4 where relatively little modification was needed. The cars got faster. And meaner. Post 2013, as road cars became more aggressive again after a period of manufacturer fear of using performance as a marketing tool, so did their GT brethren: suddenly the racing butterflies emerging from the production chrysalis were demonstrably weaponised.
The rules allowed a little more tweaking here and there, further enhancing GT4’s racing cred and pulling them away from street versions. McLaren entered the GT4 fray in 2017 with the 570S, their ‘don’t call me baby’ supercar. As with all their range it’s build around a carbon tub, an updated version of their MonoCell core, which is then itself swathed in yet more layers of carbon. It’s a pretty car, but pretty aggressive.
Power comes from a proprietary 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 – optimally sited in a rear-mid configuration – and delivered to the rear-wheels via a seven-speed sequential transmission. It’s good to let that sink in, as again it’s something that reinforces the excitement of GT4. This is basically a road car. But it’s pushing out almost 600hp in road car spec (though admittedly a little restricted in race trim, balanced against weight reductions, aero and engineering upgrades). This is a car that would make you pay attention if you were popping out to the shops, let alone lining up on a racing grid. Things happen very, very quickly in a 570S.
Add GT4 to the end of the model name, and if you don’t find entering a corner at 150mph – even in a sim – a little exciting, then you’re obviously operating in a different world.
The aero is efficient rather than overwhelming. Unlike the fully optimised package of a GT3, in a GT4 you might have the speed in a straight line but in the corners effort is required. And skill. The 570S is plenty fast enough that triggering the ABS when you stamp on the brakes can be seen a sign of success: the racing disks combined with the downforce will typically stop the McLaren before that kicks in, delivering predictable and confidence-building stopping power.
The McLaren’s chassis is renowned for its benign feedback; again, with its wider track and adjustable dampers it’s a car that allows you to build confidence and makes you want to drive round and round until you run out of fuel. And then refuel and get back out again.
That’s the point of these cars: they really are fun – but also challenging. A GT4 is the perfect learning environment for drivers who want to hone their racing skills, but also for a veteran looking to prove they’ve got some chops. The 570S looks the business, and is the business. And soon, you’ll be able to drive it in Raceroom.
Our On The Edge performance pack will be released at the end of the first week in April; look out for all the details on the second car in the pack later this week.