McLaren 570S at Supercar Meet in Belgium

When McLaren unveiled the 570S, we all thought “Oh boy, here’s another supercar maker diluting its brand to make a quick buck, just like Ferrari did with the California.” However, the first real-world impressions paint an entirely different picture.

Far from being a watered down supercar, the 570S is more vicious and angrier than the cars it’s supposed to compete with, especially the 911 Turbo. Here’s a video of a light blue example that joined the Ferrari lineup during the Zoute Grand Prix last weekend, in Knokke-Heist, Belgium.

Despite all the expensive toys parked in its vicinity, when the 570S fires up its engine, it’s like the lights went off. From the butterfly doors to the engine sound, this McLaren is worthy of its badge.

As many of you know, the 570S comes with a sticker price of £143,250 in Britain or $184,900 across the big pond, which doesn’t seem like all that much when you factor in the performance. Underneath that engine deck there is still a twin turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that’s good for terrorizing Audi R8 owners. Power output is rated at 570 HP, while maximum torque hits the 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) mark.

 

You know things can get serious when you see figures such as a 0 to 62 mph(100 km/h) sprint covered in 3.2 seconds, or a 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) run left behind in 9.5 seconds. We can’t say for sure what will happen in a drag race against the 911 Turbo, but the Mercedes-AMG GT doesn’t stand a chance.

For the record, the newly launched McLaren Sports Series also includes the 540C model, designed to be a daily driver (softer suspension, less aggressive steering, etc.). The two share a brand new carbon fiber tub that will also be adopted by a third model in the range, a convertible by the sound of things.

2015 has been a year filled with exotic machine debuts. Some say it’s awkward, but how would you rate the 570S on looks and desirability?