McLaren 620R

McLaren 620R at a glance

By our calculation, the 620R carries about 2.8 kg of dry weight per kW, against about 3.2 kg for the 570S coupé. You can check other cars with our power-to-weight calculator, and the power converter translates PS, bhp and kW.

From the 570S GT4 to the 620R

McLaren announced the 570S GT4 in early 2016, showed it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and entered it in the British GT Championship from April 2016. The car was built in Woking alongside the road-going McLaren 570S and kept its powertrain, but added air jacks, a race aero package, centre-lock magnesium wheels on slicks and a race cooling system. A 570S Sprint version, sold for track days, could be upgraded to GT4 specification.

GT4 rules cap the power of race cars through a balance of performance, so the racing engine ran below its potential. The 620R did not have to meet those limits. McLaren described it as a road-legal version of a race car, aimed at owners who wanted to drive to a circuit, lap all day and drive home without a trailer. It sits above the McLaren 600LT, the Longtail version of the 570S, in power, although its dry weight is slightly higher.

Aerodynamics: the GT4 wing on a road car

The most visible part is the carbon-fibre rear wing, taken directly from the GT4 car and fitted with a third brake light so it is legal on the road. It can be adjusted to three positions, and in its steepest setting it produces 185 kg of downforce at 250 km/h. The front was reshaped as well: a new bumper and splitter, dive planes on the front wings and vents in the bonnet that, together with the splitter, produce up to 65 kg of front downforce.

The optional roof scoop, designed by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), echoes the air intakes of the GT4 race car and helps engine cooling. McLaren offered three launch colour schemes: McLaren Orange with white stripes, or Silica White and Onyx Black with orange stripes.

Suspension, brakes and tyres from motorsport

The 620R uses the GT4's two-way manually adjustable coilover dampers, with 32 clicks each for compression and rebound. They are 6 kg lighter than the standard Sports Series dampers. The top mounts are solid instead of rubber, so the driver feels more of the road; aluminium wishbones and anti-roll bars are shared with the other Sports Series cars.

The brakes are carbon-ceramic discs of 390 mm at the front and 380 mm at the rear, with aluminium calipers of six pistons at the front and four at the rear. Standard tyres are Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slicks on 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch at the rear. Full slick race tyres were offered for track use only. Semi-slicks give strong dry grip but need warmth to work well, so cold and wet roads call for care.

A stripped cabin for the track

Inside, the driver and passenger sit in carbon-fibre bucket seats with six-point belts, and the paddle shifters are made of carbon fibre. There are no floor mats or glove box. To save weight, McLaren removed the air conditioning, the audio system and the central screen, but buyers could have them refitted at no extra cost. A track telemetry system with lap recording was available, and each car carries a numbered plaque.

According to the original launch information, buyers also received a place on a McLaren track-day experience with an instructor. Check whether this was used when buying a car second-hand, as it was a one-off offer to the first owner.

How the 620R compares with other Sports Series cars

The 620R's top speed is lower than that of the 570S and 600LT, largely because the big wing adds drag. On a circuit, the extra downforce and race dampers matter more than top speed. Above the Sports Series sat the McLaren 720S of the Super Series, with a 4.0-litre V8 and much more power, and the limited McLaren Senna, whose track-only GTR wore a similar livery.

Rivals and value

In its price and purpose, the 620R competed with the Porsche 911 GT3 RS of the 991.2 generation (383 kW), the Lamborghini Huracán Performante (470 kW) and the Mercedes-AMG GT R (430 kW). All three are road cars developed with track use in mind; the McLaren was the only one sold with an adjustable race-car wing and race dampers as standard.

The gap between the planned 350 and the roughly 225 cars built is usually put down to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began just as deliveries started, and to limited marketing. That makes the 620R one of the rarer Sports Series models. Prices of used cars depend strongly on mileage, track history and options.

Who should buy a 620R, and what to check

• It suits experienced drivers who do regular track days and want a car they can drive to and from the circuit. It also suits collectors of limited McLarens.
• It is a poor choice for long road trips: the cabin is loud, the ride is firm and the semi-slick tyres are weak in the cold and wet.

Before buying, check the brake discs and pads (carbon-ceramic replacements are expensive), the condition of the wing mounts and splitter, the damper settings and service records, and whether air conditioning and audio were fitted. A pre-purchase inspection by a McLaren specialist is advisable. The company's background is in our McLaren history, and all models are listed in the McLaren catalogue.