The McLaren 570S GT4 was victorious on its racing debut in Asia, with McLaren customer team, The Winning Team, scoring pole position and two wins on the opening weekend of the 2017 China GT Championship. The latest GT racing model from McLaren is based on the 570S Coupé model from the Sports Series, and continues to impress in its first season of customer team racing, having now triumphed in Europe, North America and Asia.
Drivers Roelof Bruins, Dong Liang and Managing Director of McLaren Automotive China, David McIntyre, combined to dominate the GT4 class in the two hour-long sprint races at Beijing Goldenport Park. Wearing the number #570, The Winning Team entry started both races in pole position as the McLaren 570S GT4 competed for the first time in the China GT series, showing strong pace throughout all sessions around the 2.4-kilometre circuit.
Following the impressive start to the season, The Winning Team will continue the battle for the China GT championship in the second round of the season in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, on July 8, 2017
About McLaren Automotive:
McLaren Automotive is a British manufacturer of luxury, high-performance sports and super cars, located at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey. For the past 30 years, McLaren has pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production and since introducing a carbon chassis into racing and road cars with the 1981 McLaren MP4/1 and 1993 McLaren F1 respectively, McLaren has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis.
Following the global launch of McLaren Automotive in 2010, the groundbreaking 12C was revealed in 2011, the 12C Spider in 2012, and the limited-run McLaren P1™ went into production in 2013. In keeping with its plan to introduce a new model each year, the company unveiled the 650S, in Coupé and Spider form in 2014, while 2015 proved to be a year of unprecedented growth of the product portfolio with five new models launched across the full range. The strictly limited edition 675LT Coupé premiered at the Geneva Motor Show alongside the track-only McLaren P1™ GTR which, with 1,000PS, became the most powerful model ever produced by the brand. The much-anticipated Sports Series became the third – and final – model tier in the McLaren range with the 570S Coupé and 540C Coupé debuting in New York and Shanghai respectively, less than one month apart. The end of 2015 saw the launch of the fifth model, the 675LT Spider, which was as a direct response to customer demand. The year also saw the end of production for the first model in the Ultimate Series as the 375th McLaren P1™ was completed, closing what had become a defining year for the British brand. 2016 continued where 2015 had left off with the introduction of the 570GT – a second bodystyle for the Sports Series and the most luxurious car McLaren has ever built, as well as the 570S GT4 and 570S Sprint track variants. 2016 also marked the introduction of the company’s new business plan, Track22, which sees the company investing £1B in Research and Development to deliver 15 all new cars or derivatives by the end of 2022, of which at least 50% will feature hybrid technology. The uplift in sales in 2016 also saw the launch of the second shift at the McLaren Production Centre as well as the company’s third year of profitability in just six years of trading.
About McLaren Special Operations:
McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is the department of McLaren Automotive responsible for everything from bespoke customisation options through to the creation of ultra-exclusive, limited-edition or one-off models. It offers five tiers of service: MSO Defined offers personalisation options for Super Series vehicles including the new 720S, from aerodynamic kits to lightweight components and interior upgrades. Such upgrades will soon also be offered for McLaren Sports Series models. MSO Bespoke allows almost limitless customisation, from unique paint or trim colours, to significant changes to materials or even bodywork to create a unique one-off vehicle. MSO Limited builds limited-edition versions of cars, whilst MSO Heritage delivers continuing commitment to every car produced, helping owners of the McLaren F1 to service and upgrade their cars. Finally, MSO Programmes offers the McLaren P1™ GTR Driver Programme, training owners and maintaining, preparing and delivering the GTRs to circuits for exclusive track days.
