The McLaren GT has been officially unveiled, with the Woking-headquartered manufacturer declaring the car to be “a new McLaren for a new audience”.

The new supercar is said to have been designed with practicality and usability in mind. As such, measuring precisely 4,683 mm long, not only is it longer than any of the cars in the McLaren Sports or Super Series ranges, but it also features longer front and rear overhangs than is traditional for a McLaren.

And with a 10-degree approach angle at the front (13-degree with ‘vehicle lift’ engaged), the designers say the new GT is “eminently usable in all urban situations”. It also gets an underbody clearance of 110 mm (130 mm with vehicle lift, which is then claimed to be equal to that of a mainstream saloon).

“The new McLaren GT clearly stands out both as a new type of McLaren and a cutting-edge interpretation of a Grand Tourer for a new era,” claims McLaren design boss, Rob Melville.

The new GT’s carbon-fibre structure and aluminium body panels also combine to help deliver a kerbweight of 1,530 kg, which McLaren says is more than 130 kg lighter than its “closest core competitor”.

The bespoke MonoCell II-T monocoque – the T denoting ‘Touring’ – incorporates a carbon-fibre rear upper structure that is said to add minimal weight but allows for the creation of a 420-litre luggage area below the front-hinged, full-length glazed tailgate.

That’s enough for a golf bag or two pairs of 185 cm skis and boots, according to the designers. A further 150 litres of storage at the front means the new GT can accommodate a total of 570 litres.

Performance-wise, with 612 bhp from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the GT is able to dispatch 0-62 mph in 3.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 203 mph. The new engine, which is unique to the GT, is mated to a 7-speed SSG transmission.

The suspension, steering and brakes are also all bespoke to the car, while the 21-inch alloy rear wheels, which are the largest ever fitted to a McLaren, are paired with 20-inch at the front and come in 7- or 15-spoke designs.

The new GT is the fourth new model introduced in the McLaren Track25 business plan announced last year. Deliveries are expected towards the end of 2019.

Tags: car design, carbon fibre, luxury, McLaren GT, MonoCell II-T, monocoque, Rob Melville, V8