McLaren 570S Sprint to thrill on the hill at Goodwood
Track-spec car can be developed further into a GT4-spec racer
It’s easy to bemoan niche car segments, but for every SUV-MPV-coupe-convertible there’s a BMW M4 GTS, Porsche 911 R or Mini JCW Challenge to redress the balance.
You can also add the McLaren 570S Sprint to that list, as it makes its static and rolling debut at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The third model in McLaren’s 570 lineup – after the regular 570S and the 570GT we tested recently – the Sprint’s focus is on track performance, and even offers the opportunity for owners to upgrade to FIA GT4 specification should they wish to move beyond track days and into racing.
It already looks fairly race-ready from an aesthetic perspective, with a tarmac-scraping front splitter and an optional set of serious-looking dive planes ahead of the front wheels. They’re part of an aerodynamics package that also includes that enormous rear spoiler.
The wheels are a giveaway to the car’s track focus too: Not only are they formed from cast magnesium and feature centre-locking nuts, but they’re wrapped in Pirelli racing slicks. Optional here is an air jack system.
Under the skin, the car is much closer to its roadgoing cousin: The carbonfibre MonoCell II chassis structure is the same, as is the basic suspension layout, while it uses the same 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission as the road car.
It does however get a GT3-inspired radiator for improved cooling, and an ultra-low viscosity 0W-40 Mobil 1 engine oil.
McLaren says ‘power and torque levels have been optimised to ensure the ultimate levels of driver engagement’, which we suspect Ron Dennis wrote, but also says ‘and the best levels of noise’, which he almost certainly didn’t. The standard 570S, for reference, develops 562bhp and 443lb ft of torque.
McLaren Orange paintwork is standard, though you can contact McLaren Special Operations for personalisation options. Prices start at £148,000 out of the factory door.
