Good Afternoon to All: Welcome to Paul on the Algarve, Where the Weather is Always Sunny and Perfect, Unless You're in One of the Most Significant Sports Cars of the Year, Which is Throwing it Down Rain.
The weather conditions today are not ideal for testing the McLaren 570S, a car that sits underneath the 650S in the range. The rain makes it a bit of a problem to try and get the most out of this vehicle. However, as we said, this is not the ideal set of conditions in which to try the 570S, so we'll have to make do with what we have. In these conditions, it feels agile and fun to drive.
Inside, We've Got a Nice Interior, Actually Really Lovely, Beautifully Put Together.
As you step inside the car, you'll notice a nicely put-together interior that's sure to impress. The door goes higher for a reason – it makes it easier to get in and out of the car. This is the sort of car like a 911 Turbo, an Audi R8, or possibly even an Aston DB9 – something that you could use every day if you want to. That's what McLaren calls this car: not a supercar, but a sports car.
So What's It Like?
We'll start with a look at the speedometer and rev counter, which will give us an idea of how the engine is performing. The 570S has a 3.8L twin turbo V8 that produces 60mph in 3.2 seconds and 124mph in 9.2 seconds – pretty fast, if we do say so ourselves. However, as we said, this isn't an ideal set of conditions to be testing the car.
To give you a better idea of what it's like to drive the 570S, let's take a look at the circuit and see how it performs in slow corners. We'll also try it out on the road to see how it handles as a daily driver. The car has a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox that provides smooth shifting and quick acceleration.
Torque Vectoring by Braking
One of the key features of the 570S is its torque vectoring system, which works by applying the brakes to the inside rear wheel to try and stop it spinning up. This allows some slip at the back of the car, making it lighter and more agile. However, as we'll see later on, this also means that the car can sometimes understeer.
The Rear-Wheel Drive
The 570S is a rear-wheel drive car, which means that you need to get back on the power quickly if the rear starts to step out. This is one of the drawbacks of rear-wheel drive cars – they can be more difficult to handle than front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive cars.
However, as we'll see later on, this also has its advantages. The 570S is a car that's designed for driving enthusiasts, and it requires them to be involved in the driving process.
The Road Test
So, let's get back to our road test. We're cruising along at about 50 km/h, and we can feel the power of the engine as we accelerate through the gears. The car has a sports exhaust that makes a nice noise – not too loud, but just enough to give you a sense of excitement.
It's worth noting that McLaren is a relatively new company, having brought out the MP4-12C in 2011 and then followed it up with the P1 in 2015. Since then, their cars have been getting better and better, and they've moved at an unbelievable pace.
Conclusion
Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the McLaren 570S. It's a car that feels like a genuine sports car – one that's designed for driving enthusiasts who want to enjoy the thrill of driving on public roads. It's not just about speed; it's also about handling and agility, and the 570S delivers in these areas.
On this showing, we can't wait to try it out some more in dry conditions to see what it really handles like. But as a car to enjoy on the road in any weather, it's just a special piece of kit – one that's easy to live with and fun to drive.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: engood afternoon everybody hello welcome to Pau on the alav where the weather is always always sunny and perfect unless you are in one of the most significant sports cars of the year in which case it's throwing it down rain which is a bit of a problem cuz this is not the ideal set of conditions in which to try McLaren 570s which is the first of McLaren sports series supercars sits underneath the 650s in the range so it's got a bit less power still has the 3.8 L twin turbo V8 there 30% new inside the other differences between the 650 series The Super Sports series and this the 570 this doesn't get the fancy linked hydraulics suspension it doesn't get any active arrow on the outside and lots of the body is aluminium rather than all composite so it's cheaper it's 140 Grand plus options you can spend quite a lot on options if you want to um and it is supposed to be a more habitable more usable Road car so in a perverse kind of way these are the Ral conditions to not ideal conditions but these are okay conditions in which to try a car that will be be used as a daily driver more often than a 650s so what do we have well inside i' got a nice interior actually really lovely beautifully put together so the door goes higher for a reason make it easier to get in the sill on this carbon mono cell is 180 mm lower also to make it easier to get in and out this is the sort of car like a 911 turbo like an Audi R8 possibly even like an Aston DB9 or something that you could use every day if you want to that's the purpose McLaren calls it a sports car not a super car I would be inclined to call it a super car does not 60 in 3.2 and not to 124 in 9 A2 I mean that's pretty fast but anyway sports car is okay we'll go with that so what's it like well in these conditions who knows who knows it feels agile the seven-speed uh twink clutch gearbox is is good the engine's responsive don't notice any sort of lag at the kind of speeds you can do on this circuit it's so wet here there is so much standing water I am disinclined to try and take too many liberties with this car to be honest so we'll just have a little play around a couple of slow Corners when nobody's looking with the ESC off and we'll go out on the road see what it's like as a road car here is one of these second gear Corners let's have a uh don't run into the track in car that's the that's the key really nice really nice 570s like 650s like all the other modern McLarens doesn't have a limited slip differential it has torque vectoring by braking so it'll break it inside rear tire to try and stop the inside one spinning up and that allows some slip at the back says it's lighter it doesn't corrupt the steering like a limited slip diff can it doesn't cause cause under steer like a limited slip diff can sometimes you think it would just be nice had a diff you just get back on the power and Away the the backward scoop conditions like this look you get back on the power the rear is going to step out no question whether it will do the same with the dry Claren says it probably will but it's one of the things we'll have to see some other time ironically might be better to find out in the UK than in Portugal who knew we have picked maybe the only weekend in the last 3 months where it's just uh it's just a complete wash out complete wash out okay so let's head out onto the road this car is actually slightly larger than a 650s longer a little bit higher as well so it's not the narrowest of sports cars 9911 is probably the narrowest of sports cars but because you can see the sort of wing tops and you can see the edges doesn't feel unwieldy and on top of that you know the driving position is absolutely spot- on dead straight you can use either foot full of brake pedal steering wheel just comes right out of your chest goes as high or low as you want and it's a superb driving environment God is good this car it is really steers so nicely STS so precisely so oily and slick and those a feedback and feel just lovely on the road is unbelievably good it this car rides around town still a little bit jiggly here and there but as you up the speed it is just extraordinary in normal mode I mean there are lots of family cars that do not ride as well as this I'm not you know I not kidding you get in an executive car and it does not smother bumps as well as this does it is phenomenal in terms of the powertrain responses I mean if you take control of the gearbox yourself which you probably want to most of the time actually on the road it's it doesn't really matter which one you're in um what it does is it changes the digital display on the dash it goes from a very conventional one with a big Speedo for the sort of p1's F1 style rev counter where it goes across to the top to the red line and what's important let's not forget is that on a road goinging car people will drive most of the time on the road and people who drive McLaren more than they will drive their Ferraris or Lamborghinis for example it's it's a very engaging car an enjoyable car at sensible speeds I'm doing about 50 km an hour getting lots back through the steering this car's got a sports exhaust and it makes an okay noise actually you know there were there was some criticism of early mcclaren's that the noise wasn't really all that they've they've tweaked it they've tuned it and what it's worth remembering is that McLaren car although they made the SLR and they made the F1 the modern version of McLaren cars is a pretty new car company they brought out the mp412c in 2011's and it's only 2015 and their cars have been getting better and better and they have moved with unbelievable Pace I mean well done McLaren because this now it just feels the real deal it feels like a proper genuine fabulous sports car I think it's every bit as easy to live with as a 911 as an Audi R8 and those are the standards by which you've got to judge this car and on this showing I want more time in it want more time in the dry to find out what it really handles like but as a car to enjoy on the road in any weather it's just just a special special piece of Kit I like it very much and I can't wait to try it some more\n"
