Last Call: I’m not sure if I would call the McLaren Speedtail a hyper-GT car.

Colby Buchanan

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Comments

McLaren calls its new Speedtail a “hyper-GT” and I don’t really get what that means. So you want a GT car with all the performance of a real hypercar? Then why not just call it a hypercar? The whole point of a grand tourer is for you to be able to take it on long, not Nürburgring time trial, cruises. I feel like this is impossible when you’re uncomfortably placed into the middle of the car. Not to mention what’s essentially a bucket seat wrapped in leather for you to sink into.

Let me say, I’m no engineer, but I would probably have a hard time finding where to put my big gulp when they put the driver’s seat where the cupholders normally go. Though I could be totally wrong! For all I know, McLaren could add 15 comfort modes to and call it “a bespoke driving experience.” Overall, I think it doesn’t look too bad, but I still don’t think hyper-GT is the right title to give it.

Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, but it’s also encouraged.

About

Colby Buchanan

Colby Buchanan

My name is Colby Buchanan and I love all things car-related all the way from rusted 240sx’s to McLaren Senna’s and of course I have a soft spot for American Muscle. You can spot me in my bone stock ’06 350z named MackenZ.

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16 responses to “Last Call: I’m not sure if I would call the McLaren Speedtail a hyper-GT car.”

  1. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    This reminds me…
    I’ve been re-reading some old William Gibson “Cyberpunk” novels from the 1980s and I’d forgotten how everything in them was Ultra-this or Hyper-that or Neo-fucking-everything. “I went to the ultramall and dropped 50 neodrachma on a new hypervideo.” As if the only way to conceive of the future was to take something from the present and prefix it with Ultra-Hyper-Neo.

    Remember Ultrasuede? Well, this is a hyper-GT. In fact it’s a Hyper-g-T–Mc-Laren. Make sense now?

    Reply
  2. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I sort of get the hyper-GT label, it doesn’t seem like a knife-edged track car, just that they went hyper on the top speed. On one hand, it’s the hyper(-adjacent) car I’m most interested in (really probably the only one), but there’s also a sense that…why? Places that top speed can be exploited are drying up quickly.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-police-searching-for-driver-filmed-doing-doughnuts-at-yonge-and-dundas-1.5541169

    Locally, we saw some jackassery with our local faux-Times Square being shut down for hooliganism since it’s fairly empty now. As much as they say they think they know who the driver is, I’m curious to see if they ever get caught – it was a minor scandal lately that our license plates were redesigned (which this Mustang is wearing) and are virtually unreadable at night.

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      The Canadian Mustang is kind enough to not hit people?

      Reply
      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        No crowds for it to be attracted to?

        Reply
        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          There are some people filming though. I thought Mustangs find a way.

          Reply
    2. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      They say they abandoned the chase because of the danger; out here the police are having a lot more success stopping chases with spikes due to so much less other traffic on the road.

      In other, related news 4 police were killed yesterday evening after pulling over a speeding Porsche on a freeway, and being hit by a semi that veered into the emergency lane. Not clear yet what happened.

      Reply
      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        I think in this case, it would have just been virtually impossible to lay out a spike strip with so many possible routes on such short notice, and that for public safety, disengagement was the right choice.

        Reply
        1. outback_ute Avatar
          outback_ute

          Yes more a thing on outer suburban arterial roads, or if there are enough units to herd the offender

          Reply
      2. dr zero Avatar
        dr zero

        It’s a tragic story, yet I have been getting annoyed at all the newreaders not being able to pronounce Porsche correctly (unsurprisingly SBS can get it right). The fact that this has been my takeaway from the story is making me feel quite guilty.

        Reply
  3. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    It’s not a hyper-gt car unless i can pull back on the steering wheel to change the driving dynamics.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      Have you tried adjusting the play in the steering box? That may help.

      Reply
      1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
        Wayne Moyer

        I guess I could give that a try but Ferrari’s don’t get the same toe in when you do it on their hyper GT models.

        Reply
  4. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    This reminds me…
    I’ve been re-reading some old William Gibson “Cyberpunk” novels from the 1980s and I’d forgotten how everything in them was Ultra-this or Hyper-that or Neo-fucking-everything. “I went to the ultramall and dropped 50 neodrachma on a new hypervideo.” As if the only way to conceive of the future was to take something from the present and prefix it with Ultra-Hyper-Neo.

    Remember Ultrasuede? Well, this is a hyper-GT. In fact it’s a Hyper-g-T–Mc-Laren. Make sense now?

    Reply
  5. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    The other way of looking at this is that suspension trickery and NVH stuff has become so sophisticated that you no longer need some front engined overweight drawing room on wheels for reasonable comfort. If anything, some Ferraris and McLarens in comfort modes apparently ride better than traditional GT cars. Aston Martin is coming out with new mid engined cars. Coincidence?

    Reply
  6. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    McLaren can call it a locomotive if they want, because with cars today, categorical names don’t really matter. Sedans with compromised rear-seat headroom might be called coupes or fastbacks, cramped station wagons are called crossovers, and 95% of the cars with “sport” in the name don’t live up to it. Much like modern politics, marketing isn’t so much about telling the truth, but selling the con. And to think, you can actually earn a degree to shovel such shit.

    Pedantically, this car isn’t a grand tourer, and “hyper-GT” is an oxymoron. I’m sure McLaren could care less.

    It reminds me of the CERV III, for some reason.

    http://assets.superchevy.com/f/146753441.jpg

    Reply
  7. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    The other way of looking at this is that suspension trickery and NVH stuff has become so sophisticated that you no longer need some front engined overweight drawing room on wheels for reasonable comfort. If anything, some Ferraris and McLarens in comfort modes apparently ride better than traditional GT cars. Aston Martin is coming out with new mid engined cars. Coincidence?

    Reply