McLaren GT morphs into lighter, more powerful new GTS

After a comparatively short production run of four years, McLaren has debuted the replacement for the GT, the equally simply titled GTS, now available or ordering in Europe.

From GT to GTS

The mid-range model in Woking’s supercar range between the Sport Series headed by the Artura and the Ultimate Series topped by the 750 S, the GTS builds on the GT by incorporating a more evolutionary design, but with an accompanying weight drop and more power.

Its exterior tweaks comprising a new front bumper and air intakes, the GTS also gains an optional carbon fibre finish around the intakes themselves, new 10-spoke forged alloy 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero rubber with optional titanium wheel nuts, a standard glass panoramic roof in place of the GT’s carbon fibre lid, and a new paint option called Lava Grey.

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Easier to the spot are the changes at the rear where McLaren has enlarged the exhaust outlets and diffuser, restyled the taillights and revised the rear spoiler.

Besides the mentioned Lava Grey, three other colours are available, Ice White, Tanzanite Blue and Mantis Green, plus a new carbon fibre exterior called the Stealth Badge Pack.

New underneath

Dimensionally unaltered from the GT, McLaren has nonetheless made changes to the GTS’ chassis while keeping the carbon fibre monocoque unchanged.

These include retuning the electro-hydraulic power steering and variable twin-valve hydraulic dampers and upgrading the brakes to a carbon ceramic design with a six-piston caliper, 390 mm disc set-up at the front and four-piston caliper, 380 mm disc arrangement at the rear.

Offsetting the fitting of a hydraulic lift system that raises the nose, the GTS’ roof, in spite of the mentioned panoramic, has been constructed out of recycled carbon fibre that contributes to the overall weight dropping by 10 kg to 1 520 kg versus the GT’s 1 530 kg.

Inside

Inside, the changes more minor and still inclusive of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system and sport seats trimmed in either Nappa leather, aniline leather and Alcantara, TechLux imitation leather or what McLaren calls softgrain aniline leather.

New though is a 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system and more packing space with a total of 570-litres now available thanks to the unlocking of an additional 150-litres underneath the bonnet.

Added muscle

As mentioned, the GTS’s biggest headline is more power where the mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 now produces 467kW/630Nm, the former an uptake of 11 kW over the GT, with the latter figure remaining unchanged.

Paired to McLaren’s seven-speed sequential shift gearbox with three driving modes again standard; Comfort, Sport and Track, the GTS will get from 0-100 km/h 3.2 seconds, from 0-200 km/h in 8.9 seconds, and on to an eventual top speed of 326 km/h.  

Not yet approved

On-sale from next year, no pricing details were revealed, with the same applying to South African allocation. However, expect an announcement to be made in 2024.

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