THE MCLAREN FOR EVERY DAY: You can’t have your cake and eat it too. For too long supercar owners have had to live with that familiar cliché attached to their pride and joy.

You’ve heard it before; endure the daily commute to work in the ‘sensible’ car and save the pulse-racing, head-turning ride for the weekends. You can’t have a supercar that’s comfortable and practical, they say. It’s one or the other. No compromises.

Until now, that is.

The new McLaren GT promises to smash every supercar stereotype out there with a combination of F1-inspired design and tech and mind-blowing performance with the continent-crossing comfort and real-world practicality of a Grand Tourer.

This is the first McLaren, and dare we say it, the first supercar you can truly drive every day. Or, if you prefer, the first Grand Tourer with the precision and performance of a true supercar.

DESIGN: The McLaren marque is synonymous with some of the fastest cars on the road and racetrack and the GT is no different. Incorporating a carbonfibre tub for maximum stiffness and road handling, the chassis is housed in a long, aero-optimised body that’s only bettered by McLaren’s very own Speedtail in length, lending it an elegant and sophisticated silhouette without losing that distinctive sporty McLaren styling. A carbon tub also ensures that the GT is light. In fact, at just a touch over 1500kg, the GT isn’t just class leading, it obliterates the rest of its GT rivals on the scales.

The elegant and sophisticated theme carries on inside the GT with embossed McLaren ‘Speedmarks’ on the headrest, machined aluminum switchgear and, depending on trim levels, softgrain luxury leather, Alcantara or McLaren cashmere for the interior - the first time this exclusive material has been used in a production vehicle.

PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGEMENT: What’s beauty without a soul? At the heart of the GT lies a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing a scintillating 620hp and 630Nm of torque which propels it to 100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and a best in class 0-200km/h time of 9 seconds. Find a long enough road and the GT tops out at a dizzying 326km/h.

With its low weight and supercar-esque mid-engine layout for perfect weight distribution, the GT delivers the precision, engagement and driving pleasure McLaren cars are renowned for. But the GT’s sporty prowess only tell half the story.

Featuring a bespoke suspension, steering and brake setup for a true Grand Touring experience, drivers can choose to be cocooned and cushioned in luxurious comfort at the flick of a switch on the GT’s Active Dynamic Panel. With a choice of Comfort, Sport or Track mode, the GT exhibits levels of dynamic precision, agility and refinement never before seen in a Grand Tourer.

Thanks to reduced spring rates and continuously variable hydraulic dampers with Proactive Damping Control that reads the road ahead for bumps and reacts accordingly in less than 2 milliseconds, no other Grand Tourer can feel so at home in both an urban environment and on a racetrack.

PRACTICALITY: If there ever was a car that embodies the term ‘everyday supercar’, the McLaren GT is it. Not content in possessing abilities to shame other more single-minded supercars, the GT is equipped to conquer the urban jungle as well.

With a generous 570-litres of storage space in the front and rear boot, the GT is more than capable of storing your shopping or, if needed, your golf bags. For those who demand only the finest in life , the exclusive McLaren GT Luggage Collection consisting of a cabin bag and a golf bag made with luxurious Bridge of Weir leather is available specifically to compliment the GT.

The new GT also provides an unmatched 360 degrees of visibility in the cabin thanks to the generous use of glass on the roof, tailgate and C-pillars. This, coupled with the Vehicle Lift function that comes with the car’s Practicality Pack which raises the ride height for increase ground clearance means that parking and manoeuvering around tight spaces will be a thing of the past.

Suffering for your art? The McLaren GT rubbishes that notion with its versatility and real-world practicality.

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY: What’s a McLaren without groundbreaking tech? In the GT, drivers can experience a literal out-of-this-world experience by spec-ing their car with SuperFabric® trim for the luggage bay. Used by NASA, this space-age fabric is infused with a layer of tiny armoured guard plates to provide increased resistance to stains, cuts, nicks and abrasions; it is also breathable, easy to clean and quick-drying.

Aside from the exceptional levels of attention paid to the quality of materials in the cockpit and occupant comfort, no expense has been spared in complimenting the cabin with innovative features such as McLaren’s newest and most sophisticated infotainment system to date with a lightning-quick ten-core processor, HERE® navigation and real-time traffic information and a panoramic roof that gives the cabin a sense of space and airiness.

To top off the imperious experience, the GT is also the first McLaren to feature ‘hidden-until-lit’ interior lighting. As seen on private jets, what appears as solid metallic finishes in the cabin reveal a calming, ambient glow when the ignition is turned on. A plethora of elegant hues can be selected to suit interior colours or mood.