The 2017 McLaren 570GT

McLaren's Entry Into The Sports Car World

     Ever wondered if McLaren wanted to make a car that could very well become an A-Class car on a game like Forza Motorsport 6 or the upcoming Forza Motorsport 7? While such a car doesn't exist on either of the two games yet, a possible A-Class McLaren was already made for the year 2017. It's called the McLaren 570GT, and marks McLaren's entry into the world of the sports car as opposed to the world of the supercar. 

     The McLaren 570GT is a British sports car and grand tourer equipped with the same 3.8 liter twin-turbo V-8 as found in the McLaren 650S. (forgive me if I'm wrong) However due to an extra weight of 2,976 pounds the 570GT takes a sports car 3.4 seconds to reach 62 mph. The maximum speed of the 570GT is also said to be 204 mph but gets there 0.4 seconds slower than it's brother the 570S. The engine is coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with flappy paddle shifters.  (From a MP4-12C. Remember the cars have the same engine.)

     What else makes the 570GT different from other McLaren's you might wonder? For starters the rear has been revised and almost seems to be the product of aliens from outer space. There are also body colored door inserts, the engine hood now acts as a trunk lid, and no flying buttresses like the 570S. A race style diffuser, and a different grille from the 570S are also features on the 570GT. 

     Here's a shocker if you still think the 570GT deserves supercar status. It would appear that the car's main competition will come from the Porsche 911 Turbo, and the Ferrari California T. The 570GT will cost $199,850 in the United States, and 154,000 pounds for people living in Great Britain.   

     This car has received mixed responses from the people who have seen it. They mostly criticize the extra weight, and those new rear taillights. However I think McLaren made a clever move. Ferrari is their greatest business threat and making a car that can compete with the California T and other Ferrari sports cars is perhaps one of McLaren's smartest moves.

The 1967 to 1969 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

One Of Alfa Romeo's Greatest Classics

 

 (Later example of the car. Possibly a 96 year model.)

 

 

     Hello everyone. Today I'll be talking about another classic sports car. This one comes from Alfa Romeo, aka the company upon which you must own at least one of their cars to become a true car lover according to many automotive experts. Today's car might just be able to defend that right because it was so fast and futuristic looking for it's time throughout 1967 to 1969. That car is the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. Let's talk about that engine and other stuff that made it way ahead of it's time.

     The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is an Italian sports car equipped with a 2.0 liter naturally aspirated V-8 that delivers 230 hp from the street version, and 270 hp from the race version. Top speed of either the street or race version is 160 mph which was very good for it's time considering that other Italian sports cars like the Lamborghini Miura had a larger engine but didn't deliver power like the 33 Stradale did. Naught to 60 takes 5.5 seconds which is also impressive for it's time. Both the street and racing versions of this car use a 6-speed Colotti manual.

     Now for a very cool fact about the 33 Stradale. It was the very first car to use dihedral doors or butterfly doors as they're also known. 

     As for the car's build, the 33 Stradale uses an aluminum body on an aluminum tubular chassis. Every 33 Stradale was built entirely by hand which meant each was unique in some way in it's creation. The first 33 Stradales used twin headlights, whereas the later ones used single headlights. Other things that changed with time on the 33 Stradale where the position and number of windscreen wipers, and the addition of air vents behind the front and rear wheels to improve cooling. The 33 Stradale uses Girling disc brakes on all four corners of the car.

     Back in the day the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale cost $17,000 which was very expensive back then. Today the 33 Stradale costs over $10 million estimated.

     This is a very nice car to look at and fun to drive as well. I hope Alfa Romeo gets the courage one day to make a new modern version of this car. Traditionally such a remake should use another naturally aspirated V-8. However if Alfa decides to copy the size of the original somewhat I can also expect a V-12. If that happens we could have either a new Alfa Romeo 12C or a car with a name to celebrate the heritage of the 33 Stradale. Would you like to see a remake of the 33 Stradale some day? I certainly do.