So I driven around 1000 miles in the 570S in mostly inclement weather in daily driving which involves all sorts of roads traffic and speeds.
My main comparative for this car is my 997 GT2 which has solid joints and Dutch manufactured Tractive DDA shocks with active DSC control, Cup 2s and a very torquey engine. I can also directly compare with the 991.2 Turbo S which I ran for a couple of months this summer.
The 570S has 600NM of torque it comes in very smoothly with little discernible lag the mapping brings the boost in gradually and linearly and the throttle mapping seems to give very accurate control which means modulating the acceleration and traction is easy and intuitive. 600NM is not a huge figure now days but this engine delivers it from low revs all the way up to near 7000rpm this gives a feeling of power delivery like a giant elastic band, in the dry the 285 tyres have great traction and together with brilliant dual clutch gear changes the car accelerates fast, the 0-200 in 8.5s achieved in one of the tests feels very believable.
The low torque makes the car feel very friendly for me certainly compared to the surging 900+NM of my GT2 but also compared to the 991 Turbo S which feels quite brutish with its flat 750NM slug of torque.
I found the 991 Turbo S a bit sterile in many ways, at idle the engine could barely be heard or felt and even in manic mode it still sounded and felt like a giant very efficient vacuum cleaner, in contrast at idle the Riccardo V8 has a nice vibration through the cabin and a gruff note which continues to grow as the revs are exploited and a gear change at full load and high revs is an exciting thing particularly in track mode where there is an audible crack during the change.
The steering on the 570S is amazing, I thought my GT2 was sharp, my GT2 is sharp and it makes the Turbo S feel disconnected but the McLaren is on another level, "like a go kart" is much overused but it is correct for this car the steering is super direct but has delicious feel, lovely to use even just pottering in traffic and the strangely shaped steering wheel which is sort of ellipsoidal at 12 o'clock feels really special to use. When I get in my GT2 after a steer in the 570 it shocks me how vague my GT2 feels and I know it is not vague by any normal measure !
The Ceramic brakes on the 570 feel quite wooden and need a good prod also they seem to be affected by water much more than the Porsche PCCB set up, certainly my GT2 brakes feel sharper and on balance nicer to use and of course the Turbo S brakes are the best out there.
The 570 handles delicately feeling like it is quite grip limited (inclement weather mostly remember) it will spin an inside tyre quiet a lot which I'm not a fan of, I prefer a bit more grip which my GT2 and its proper 40/60LSD delivers. The 570 is a real delight to drive and I'm thoroughly enjoying it I've done a bit of back to backing with the GT2 and was struck with how much more traction the 911 has even on Cup 2s in the wet the 911 can put a lot more torque on the road than the 570 but there are both incredibly great cars to drive. The 570 has a nice ride similar I would say to the Turbo S in terms of nuggetty comfort maybe a tad better certainly very well resolved.
The biggest surprise for me is the affect the McLaren has on others, my regular Basket ball crew who are used to me turning up in my 911s and some of them even remember my CGT but this thing !!! literally they crowded round after the game and wanted to admire and talk about it. The car gets a LOT of attention wherever you go and most of it seems positive it makes a 911 seem invisible.
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997 GT2 2014 3.9 Mezger, 800PS @ 1.2 bar
McLaren 570S
993 Turbo, 2006 built 3.8, 577PS/797NM, 1440kg DIN sold to a worthy enthusiast.
) who closes in at 300 kph. No problem for me because I count this in and usually avoid passing cars at those speeds (I slow down, to be sure) but this is how accidents often happen.
I'm not a good passenger, sorry.
