Ciprian Florea wrote:Unveiled at the 2015 New York Auto Show, the McLaren 570S is part of the company’s Sports Series, a new family of sports cars designed to help triple the brand’s sales volume by 2020. Powered by a detuned version of the 650S’ 3.8-liter V-8, the 570S is aimed at the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo and, together with the 540C, is one of McLaren’s most affordable sports cars, retailing from under $200,000. Unlike the P1 and 650S, the 570S was developed to deliver day-to-day usability and driveability, as well as increased luggage space and greater interior storage. However, it retains most of the feats common in McLaren sports cars, including a carbon-fiber frame, a lightweight design, and a premium interior.
Like all McLaren road cars, the 570S was also designed to become a track car. The first such vehicle to arrive from the Sports Series was the 570S GT4, which already made its debut in the 2016 British GT championship as a development car before being sold to customers for the 2017 season. Alongisde the GT4, McLaren also created the 570S Sprint, a milder version of the race car that’s also dedicated to customers who spend their weekends at the track. Developed in conjunction with McLaren GT, the brand’s motorsports division, and GT racing specialists CRS GT Limited, the 570S Sprint will break cover at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed and go on sale in 2017.
The 570S Sprint echoes previous models with the Sprint badge, which means that the new sports car is unrestricted by racing regulations, but still dedicated for track days. More importantly, it is upgradable to a full GT4 specification for those looking to take on FIA events around the world.
With just a few days before its offical debut at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, McLaren dropped the official details and images on the new 570S Sprint.
Exterior:
As expected, the Sprint shares much of its exterior with the GT4-spec car that McLaren is testing in the 2016 British GT Championship. The front section is almost identical to the GT4, sporting a large splitter, revised intakes under the nose, and a vented front hood. The only feature that sets it apart from the GT4 is the extra pair of winglets on the lower sides.
Changes similar to the FIA-spec racer continue onto the side with more aerodynamic side skirts and fuel caps instead of the regular quarter windows. A set of centre-locking lightweight cast magnesium wheels shod with Pirelli racing slicks are fitted as standard.
Around back, the Sprint is again almost identical to the GT4, featuring an optimized diffuser, a modified engine hood, and a fixed wing. The latter sits taller compared to the GT4, giving the Sprint the highest level of downforce yet seen on any model in the Sports Series.
The car is finished in McLaren Orange as standard, but it can be optioned with any of the color palette available on the Sports Series, along with a unique range of liveries through MSO Defined. The presentation model, for instance, feature a white body with orange accents and black stripes.
Interior:
McLaren has yet to release pictures of the Sprint’s interior, but did say that the sports car features an FIA-approved rollcage for further protection added to the lightweight carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis. An FIA-spec flat back driver seat is standard, while the passenger seat is optional. Both are fitted with six-point racing harnesses. A fire extinguisher system is also installed as standard, which means that the Sprint is almost a GT4 as far as racing and safety equipment goes. The cabin should also include an Alcantara-wrapped dashboard, and a much simpler center stack. Also look for a race-spec steering wheel, a revised instrument cluster, and added carbon-fiber components.
Drivetrain:
Not surprisingly, the Sprint gets its juice from McLaren’s award-winning, twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V-8. The same engine motivates not only the road-legal 570S and the race-spec 570S GT4, but every other vehicle from McLaren’s current lineup, including the P1. The company had nothing to say about the Sprint’s output, but mentioned that "power and torque levels have been optimized to ensure the ultimate levels of driver engagement and the best levels of noise."
n the standard 570S, the V-8 sends 562 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque to the wheels, enabling the coupe to hit 62 mph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph. The lighter curb weight, the better aerodynamics, and the tweaked seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox should bring improvements in the performance department. The 0-to-62 mph sprint could drop to around three seconds, while top speed could increase lightly to 205 mph.
Much like the GT4, the Sprint features a high-temperature radiator with enhanced exit ducts, a revised cooling system, and uses New Life 0W-40 engine oil specifically developed by Mobil 1. Unlike the GT4, which uses a race-spec suspension, the double wishbones and anti-roll bars in the front and rear are shared with the 570S Coupe. An optional motorsport air jacking system to aid wheel changes is also available.
