The designers and engineers at McLaren must be working overtime at their Woking headquarters. When they initially revealed that they were going to up the number of models and production runs to increase their road car sales it was an ambitious plan that more often than not falls beyond expectations and is soon cut back. However, this is a company that doesn’t really do things by halves. Their ‘mothership’ building, as the employees call it, was penned by Lord Foster himself and is one of the most advanced and futuristic manufacturing buildings in the country, possibly the world. Their first of the ‘new’ models released was the MP4-12C, sounding like a photocopier model and developed at none other than the Top Gear test track, the car was a direct hit at the phenomenally successful and highly regarded Ferrari 458. If this wasn’t enough to prove their aspirations, the car was updated in a very short space of time in terms of car production and effectively replaced by the even better and faster 650S, pushing the benchmark of their design and technology even further. There is a sense of constant upgrading and evolution that goes on at McLaren, that doesn’t seem to adhere to the usual months and sometimes years of testing and procedures that most car companies go through. If something can be done better, they soon make sure everyone knows about it. 
With the praise and reviews gaining apace for their new MP4-12C supercar, far from resting on their laurels McLaren went after the pinnacle of supercars with a direct rival for the upcoming Porsche 918 and Ferrari LaFerrari. The P1 showcased the latest technology fresh from the McLaren Technology Centre, (the official name for their development building although Mothership seems more appropriate), releasing to the world the latest design and technology that their engineers can produce. The result was something not only futuristic and ground breaking in terms of design, but poised to set new levels of performance round a track. The intent, as McLaren proudly claim, was to produce the best driving car in the world. Not necessarily the fastest, although they arguably achieved that in the process, but the greatest driving experience and handling car money can buy.
With the P1 at the top of their model range, with over 900bhp and a price tag starting at £866,000, and the 600+bhp 650S starting at £195,000, the range was set for a few models to fill the significant gap. First to be previewed was the 675LT, a track focussed more hardcore version of their 650S yet still road legal and available in coupe form only. Launched as a tribute to the Long Tail version of their successful F1 racing car, hence ‘LT’, the car was placed just above the 650S as a more extreme version. 
McLaren then set out their plans with a confusing promised Sports Series range, sitting below a Super Series and then Ultimate Series cars to top the price bracket. These would then feature ‘S’ model cars with ‘C’ model more affordable base models below these. Confused? I think everyone is!
As if to make the situation that little bit more baffling, it turns out the 650S isn’t the cheapest offering McLaren are making, with a planned release of the 570S at the New York Motorshow. The car is part of the ‘basic’ Sports Series range and is expected to be available initially in 570S guise as discussed here and a cheaper ‘C’ version at a later date. The car is aimed directly at the Porsche 911 yet despite being the cheapest and least powerful model, they certainly haven’t scrimped on technology and advanced features. The twin turbo engine remains as does the carbon fibre mono-cell tub, although both modified and reworked from the 650S, yet producing similar ballistic performance in terms of power to weight and impressive speed.
The now familiar family look of the McLaren road cars has filtered down to the 570S, yet has been tweaked to suit the cars purpose and intended everyday functionality. The front light cluster retains the trademark McLaren badge shaped headlights and the design of the car remains heavily geared towards aerodynamic function rather than practicality and style. That said, however, the 570S is a great looking car that manages to look special enough without being diluted to meet the reduced price tag. It may have a slightly larger boot under the front but the lines remain focussed on downforce and the aero tricks haven’t been removed to make way for too much sensibleness. 
The front bumper retains functional Ferrari 458 style blades to channel air under the car and out through the wheel arches, while a black ‘slash’ along the side profile may look like a styling tweak to hide the door release, the feature not only reduces drag but also helps feed cool air into the engine. The aerodynamic side profile leads to hidden flying buttresses at the C-pillar adding not only flair to the design but aiding downforce and reducing drag at speed. The rear isn’t quite as low or as exaggerated as the P1 yet it retains the signature appearance to the LED lights, combined with the huge rear diffuser and the sultry shape of the engine cover. Speaking of that engine cover and sultry shapes, the 570S has a concave rear screen, reminiscent of the design direction Citroen tried to revive yet McLaren are sure to do more successfully. It’s possibly to help aerodynamic properties and aid air flow but there’s something so bold and design led about a concave rear glass screen that adds style and classic lines.
There’s no style without purpose to all of the McLaren road cars and it’s good to see that ethos remaining no matter which model they design. The cheaper price tag and only slightly reined in performance of the 570S will allow more people than ever to become McLaren customers, yet provide all of the panache and prestige that owning one of Woking’s finest could offer. You still get the fluid aerodynamically influenced styling together with clever design and the very latest in racing and road car technology. If only they made the model designation a little easier to fathom out before people are so confused they never know which car they will end up buying!
HYPE Automotive 