When you watch the following video, you’ll probably think the McLaren 570GT looks like any other high-performance car. It has two seats and its 562-horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 is in the middle of its swoopy body work.
However, that GT suffix means the Mac is more focused on grand touring than outright track performance. The 570GT’s panoramic roof raises the roofline relative to that of the regular 570S, providing greater headroom and comfort for long drives. That higher roofline reaches further to the back of the 570GT to offer extra storage.
The heated and tinted rear glass hatch is side-hinged and provides access to the 7.8-cubic-foot rear cargo area, which is lined in leather. It can even be outfitted with custom McLaren luggage.
If you ever get the chance to use that luggage and drive one of these, just make sure to pack clothes for a variety of weather conditions because GT car or not, the McLaren 570GT can still get you from one climate to another in a hurry.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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