So, the day has finally arrived and I signed the paperwork to buy a new car to replace the M5. I've failed spectacularly to keep previous ownership threads updated but this one I'm really going to try and keep up to date (I promise!)
Before I talk about the car, a little bit of back story. Like a great many people, the last two years have been pretty tough for me. My Mum is terminally ill and my Dad has had some very scary health issues, both of which have basically robbed them of their lifelong retirement plans. I have decided that, while I am keeping half an eye on my retirement, I'm going to push the boat out and achieve an achievable dream now while I am able. I've wanted a "special" car in various forms since I was old enough to know what a car was so I thought well **** it, lets go buy one. Carpe Diem and all that.
I wanted a car that I could have loads of fun with on a weekend so initially went down the road of looking at Lotus Exige S3s. The mrs rightly suggested that we'd want to use it for long trips away and so on and an Exige would be a living hell for that. I didn't want another M car - as good as they are and as much of a BMW fanboi as I am, I wanted something much more special. My attention turned to a long term dream car of mine, a Ferrari 599. Unfortunately, they are just a little bit too old, not all that great to drive due to the F1 gearbox and the sheer size of the thing and the running costs can be berserk. I really wanted to like the California T and Portofino but they fell a bit flat for me. Great engine to drive but a bit soulless for a Ferrari and the interior quality isn't all that great IMO in terms of perceived quality. The Aston Martin DB11 AMR was another serious consideration. I loved a lot of things about the DB11 - the engine is absolutely ridiculous, the 'aura' around the car and the prestige of the brand is top notch as well. The seats are super comfortable and the split personality between GT mode and Sport/Track is the starkest of any car I can recollect meaning it is great to just pootle around in but fast when you want it to be. Unfortunately, it weighs quite a lot and can't hide it so when pressing on I was left with the impression that I'd be disappointed when I got off the autobahn/autoroute/autostrada and onto more fun roads. Merc ruled themselves out from consideration with their ridiculously rude service on multiple occasions. I'm never going back to them as a brand in future, bridges fully alight there. A shame, as I like the look of the GT R and it sounds like God gargling on spanners down a megaphone.
I've had a few conversations with people over the months and was repeatedly nudged to actually take a look at a McLaren 570GT and, for a bit more cash, a 720S. A lot of YouTube later and I had a booking in to go test drive a McLaren GT.
Sometimes, you get into a car and you just know its the one for you. That is what it was like for me with the McLaren GT. It is sporty enough to have serious fun - more than enough on the roads at least - without being absolutely totally bonkers like the 720S. 612bhp and relatively low weight means it isn't exactly slow even if it is 100+hp down on the 720S. It is at least as refined as the M5 in terms of ride comfort albeit very slightly noisier over savage bumps but is so so much sharper to drive, faster absolutely everywhere and feels just insanely special to be in and around.
So there we have it, my new car is a 2021 McLaren GT Luxury in MSO Defined Papaya Spark. It has the MSO Black Pack (largely good except the black wheels which are getting sorted) and some interior CF bits like the wheel and paddles which won't have been cheap knowing McLaren. There are other must-have options like the practicality pack, premium pack and panoramic roof as well, so the spec is pretty much exactly as I'd want it.
Dealer pics as I've not collected it yet:
Somehow I need to find a way to sleep between now and collection day!
Before I talk about the car, a little bit of back story. Like a great many people, the last two years have been pretty tough for me. My Mum is terminally ill and my Dad has had some very scary health issues, both of which have basically robbed them of their lifelong retirement plans. I have decided that, while I am keeping half an eye on my retirement, I'm going to push the boat out and achieve an achievable dream now while I am able. I've wanted a "special" car in various forms since I was old enough to know what a car was so I thought well **** it, lets go buy one. Carpe Diem and all that.
I wanted a car that I could have loads of fun with on a weekend so initially went down the road of looking at Lotus Exige S3s. The mrs rightly suggested that we'd want to use it for long trips away and so on and an Exige would be a living hell for that. I didn't want another M car - as good as they are and as much of a BMW fanboi as I am, I wanted something much more special. My attention turned to a long term dream car of mine, a Ferrari 599. Unfortunately, they are just a little bit too old, not all that great to drive due to the F1 gearbox and the sheer size of the thing and the running costs can be berserk. I really wanted to like the California T and Portofino but they fell a bit flat for me. Great engine to drive but a bit soulless for a Ferrari and the interior quality isn't all that great IMO in terms of perceived quality. The Aston Martin DB11 AMR was another serious consideration. I loved a lot of things about the DB11 - the engine is absolutely ridiculous, the 'aura' around the car and the prestige of the brand is top notch as well. The seats are super comfortable and the split personality between GT mode and Sport/Track is the starkest of any car I can recollect meaning it is great to just pootle around in but fast when you want it to be. Unfortunately, it weighs quite a lot and can't hide it so when pressing on I was left with the impression that I'd be disappointed when I got off the autobahn/autoroute/autostrada and onto more fun roads. Merc ruled themselves out from consideration with their ridiculously rude service on multiple occasions. I'm never going back to them as a brand in future, bridges fully alight there. A shame, as I like the look of the GT R and it sounds like God gargling on spanners down a megaphone.
I've had a few conversations with people over the months and was repeatedly nudged to actually take a look at a McLaren 570GT and, for a bit more cash, a 720S. A lot of YouTube later and I had a booking in to go test drive a McLaren GT.
Sometimes, you get into a car and you just know its the one for you. That is what it was like for me with the McLaren GT. It is sporty enough to have serious fun - more than enough on the roads at least - without being absolutely totally bonkers like the 720S. 612bhp and relatively low weight means it isn't exactly slow even if it is 100+hp down on the 720S. It is at least as refined as the M5 in terms of ride comfort albeit very slightly noisier over savage bumps but is so so much sharper to drive, faster absolutely everywhere and feels just insanely special to be in and around.
So there we have it, my new car is a 2021 McLaren GT Luxury in MSO Defined Papaya Spark. It has the MSO Black Pack (largely good except the black wheels which are getting sorted) and some interior CF bits like the wheel and paddles which won't have been cheap knowing McLaren. There are other must-have options like the practicality pack, premium pack and panoramic roof as well, so the spec is pretty much exactly as I'd want it.
Dealer pics as I've not collected it yet:
Somehow I need to find a way to sleep between now and collection day!
