Conclusions from my research around owning a 570s
Discussion
There seem to be a fair few folk looking at/interested in 570s ownership. I have looked in and searched multiple groups so thought I would compile my thoughts in to one place and maybe others might find this useful.
Running costs:
- McLaren extended warranty 3300 ish per year.
- Thorney motorsport warranty £2850 per year.
- Tax depends on the registration of the car but on cars registered post April 2017 it is £190 per year until you get to the very new cars that have the higher tax until they reach this point.
- Servicing is 1500 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an independent.
- Servicing is 2000 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an McLaren main dealer.
- Insurance is different for all.
- MOT £50 ish.
- Independent cost no self warranty at £2500 per year - £4200ish per year not including insurance.
- Thorney cost with warranty - £4600ish per year not including insurance.
- Main dealer cost with main dealer warranty - £5500 ish per year not including insurance.
Reliability:
While doing my research the power train seems to be very reliable and generally the mechanical elements of the car are solid. It is the items below that seem to be the main issues.
- Paint corrosion/bubbling. Caused by McLaren application of paint at the time of manufacture. Once repaired will not return. This happens where waters finds it's way in between the layers of paints typically at the corners of the car panels. All cars will suffer from this at some point. McLaren paint codes are now available but spraying panels is not cheap.
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
- The carbon cermaic discs need to be weighed to to understand use and life left. If treated well will go for 70-80k miles.
The electronic issues mentioned above are common and no fix is needed.
As with all super cars they need to be driven and the longer they are sat the more likely they are to develop electrical issues. They need to be sat on trickle charge. Don’t trust the notification on the dash stating how long the car has until it needs to be charged.
Putting aside £2500 per year instead of getting a warranty seems to be the preferred route from the polls I created and most don’t touch that and pretty much never use it all.
Using McLaren or Independent for maintenance:
There are now more independent garages appearing with the favoured ones being Thorney motorsport and Engineering where I live in the south. I can't comment on other geographic locations. XP1-Technical based in Chelmsford also seem to be very good is run by an ex McLaren mechanic with 10 years experience at McLaren.
I will say I am hearing some odd things about Thorney in my research with V engineering seeming to be the most popular choice. This could be subjecting as i have not done a poll but going by posts this is the feeling i get.
Specification:
This is personal but white seem hard to sell as do black. Nose lift, BO sound system, security pack, lux pack and sports exhaust are the key features. Alcantara seems to wear better on the seats as the leather seems to sag at the base of the seat where you sit.
Ways to buy:
- Buy from Thorney as the car will have been given a good overhaul and should be spot on. You then also have a choice of taking their warranty or not. The warranty has a £10k limit on a single item in a claim and covers all mechanical and electrical faults short of an engine rebuild. Paint is not included.
- Buy from McLaren with warranty. Dont trust that the car is spotless. Have a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken before buying.
- Buy from a another dealer (not McLaren or Thorney) or private. If doing this then more care is needed. Ideally buy from an enthusiast group. Buy based on condition and history. Get a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken from a McLaren specialist who knows the cars.
Hopefully others find this useful. Feel free to add anything I have missed or correct any misstakes I have made.
Cheers
Stu
Running costs:
- McLaren extended warranty 3300 ish per year.
- Thorney motorsport warranty £2850 per year.
- Tax depends on the registration of the car but on cars registered post April 2017 it is £190 per year until you get to the very new cars that have the higher tax until they reach this point.
- Servicing is 1500 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an independent.
- Servicing is 2000 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an McLaren main dealer.
- Insurance is different for all.
- MOT £50 ish.
- Independent cost no self warranty at £2500 per year - £4200ish per year not including insurance.
- Thorney cost with warranty - £4600ish per year not including insurance.
- Main dealer cost with main dealer warranty - £5500 ish per year not including insurance.
Reliability:
While doing my research the power train seems to be very reliable and generally the mechanical elements of the car are solid. It is the items below that seem to be the main issues.
- Paint corrosion/bubbling. Caused by McLaren application of paint at the time of manufacture. Once repaired will not return. This happens where waters finds it's way in between the layers of paints typically at the corners of the car panels. All cars will suffer from this at some point. McLaren paint codes are now available but spraying panels is not cheap.
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
- The carbon cermaic discs need to be weighed to to understand use and life left. If treated well will go for 70-80k miles.
The electronic issues mentioned above are common and no fix is needed.
As with all super cars they need to be driven and the longer they are sat the more likely they are to develop electrical issues. They need to be sat on trickle charge. Don’t trust the notification on the dash stating how long the car has until it needs to be charged.
Putting aside £2500 per year instead of getting a warranty seems to be the preferred route from the polls I created and most don’t touch that and pretty much never use it all.
Using McLaren or Independent for maintenance:
There are now more independent garages appearing with the favoured ones being Thorney motorsport and Engineering where I live in the south. I can't comment on other geographic locations. XP1-Technical based in Chelmsford also seem to be very good is run by an ex McLaren mechanic with 10 years experience at McLaren.
I will say I am hearing some odd things about Thorney in my research with V engineering seeming to be the most popular choice. This could be subjecting as i have not done a poll but going by posts this is the feeling i get.
Specification:
This is personal but white seem hard to sell as do black. Nose lift, BO sound system, security pack, lux pack and sports exhaust are the key features. Alcantara seems to wear better on the seats as the leather seems to sag at the base of the seat where you sit.
Ways to buy:
- Buy from Thorney as the car will have been given a good overhaul and should be spot on. You then also have a choice of taking their warranty or not. The warranty has a £10k limit on a single item in a claim and covers all mechanical and electrical faults short of an engine rebuild. Paint is not included.
- Buy from McLaren with warranty. Dont trust that the car is spotless. Have a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken before buying.
- Buy from a another dealer (not McLaren or Thorney) or private. If doing this then more care is needed. Ideally buy from an enthusiast group. Buy based on condition and history. Get a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken from a McLaren specialist who knows the cars.
Hopefully others find this useful. Feel free to add anything I have missed or correct any misstakes I have made.
Cheers
Stu
Edited by stuno1 on Wednesday 12th June 15:05
stuno1 said:
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
I'm not sure if that's entirely true - they do snap, but with the state of the roads these days I'd be surprised if it's a McLaren problem. The Indy's do replacement springs now which means it's not a big cost to fix.stuno1 said:
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
Door switches are prone to failing due to water ingress. I've not heard of window switches suffering.- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
stuno1 said:
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
I've never heard of them not dropping / raising when using the door except due to door switch failure as mentioned above. It is a fairly common glitch that when you try to raise the windows with the switches they might get almost closed then go back down half way. My current (non-570) was doing it quite badly last year but hasn't done it for ages now for some reason.- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
stuno1 said:
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
Yep - fairly common (all models) although strangely not something that either of my cars have suffered from.stuno1 said:
- The carbon cermaic discs need to be weighed to to understand use and life left. If treated well will go for 20-80k miles.
I'd expect them to be a lot better than 20k unless they're being tracked. Servicing for me has been either £700-£800 or £1200-£1300 depending on whether it was major or minor at main dealers.
McLaren extended warranty offers appear every so often. I paid £2,200 for a 600LT a few months ago.
In the two cars I’ve owned I’ve covered 28,000 miles and not had any of the problems below.
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
McLaren extended warranty offers appear every so often. I paid £2,200 for a 600LT a few months ago.
In the two cars I’ve owned I’ve covered 28,000 miles and not had any of the problems below.
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
stuno1 said:
There seem to be a fair few folk looking at/interested in 570s ownership. I have looked in and searched multiple groups so thought I would compile my thoughts in to one place and maybe others might find this useful.
Running costs:
- McLaren extended warranty 3300 ish per year.
- Thorney motorsport warranty £2850 per year.
- Tax depends on the registration of the car but on cars registered post April 2017 it is £190 per year until you get to the very new cars that have the higher tax until they reach this point.
- Servicing is 1500 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an independent.
- Servicing is 2000 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an McLaren main dealer.
- Insurance is different for all.
- MOT £50 ish.
- Independent cost no self warranty at £2500 per year - £4200ish per year not including insurance.
- Thorney cost with warranty - £4600ish per year not including insurance.
- Main dealer cost with main dealer warranty - £5500 ish per year not including insurance.
Reliability:
While doing my research the power train seems to be very reliable and generally the mechanical elements of the car are solid. It is the items below that seem to be the main issues.
- Paint corrosion/bubbling. Caused by McLaren application of paint at the time of manufacture. Once repaired will not return. This happens where waters finds it's way in between the layers of paints typically at the corners of the car panels. All cars will suffer from this at some point. McLaren paint codes are now available but spraying panels is not cheap.
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
- The carbon cermaic discs need to be weighed to to understand use and life left. If treated well will go for 70-80k miles.
The electronic issues mentioned above are common and no fix is needed.
As with all super cars they need to be driven and the longer they are sat the more likely they are to develop electrical issues. They need to be sat on trickle charge. Don’t trust the notification on the dash stating how long the car has until it needs to be charged.
Putting aside £2500 per year instead of getting a warranty seems to be the preferred route from the polls I created and most don’t touch that and pretty much never use it all.
Using McLaren or Independent for maintenance:
There are now more independent garages appearing with the favoured ones being Thorney motorsport and Engineering where I live in the south. I can't comment on other geographic locations. XP1-Technical based in Chelmsford also seem to be very good is run by an ex McLaren mechanic with 10 years experience at McLaren.
I will say I am hearing some odd things about Thorney in my research with V engineering seeming to be the most popular choice. This could be subjecting as i have not done a poll but going by posts this is the feeling i get.
Specification:
This is personal but white seem hard to sell as do black. Nose lift, BO sound system, security pack, lux pack and sports exhaust are the key features. Alcantara seems to wear better on the seats as the leather seems to sag at the base of the seat where you sit.
Ways to buy:
- Buy from Thorney as the car will have been given a good overhaul and should be spot on. You then also have a choice of taking their warranty or not. The warranty has a £10k limit on a single item in a claim and covers all mechanical and electrical faults short of an engine rebuild. Paint is not included.
- Buy from McLaren with warranty. Dont trust that the car is spotless. Have a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken before buying.
- Buy from a another dealer (not McLaren or Thorney) or private. If doing this then more care is needed. Ideally buy from an enthusiast group. Buy based on condition and history. Get a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken from a McLaren specialist who knows the cars.
Hopefully others find this useful. Feel free to add anything I have missed or correct any misstakes I have made.
Cheers
Stu
Most of the costs are wrong...............warranty is less, servicing well under half what you have stated, I paid between £550 and £850 for services at McBrumRunning costs:
- McLaren extended warranty 3300 ish per year.
- Thorney motorsport warranty £2850 per year.
- Tax depends on the registration of the car but on cars registered post April 2017 it is £190 per year until you get to the very new cars that have the higher tax until they reach this point.
- Servicing is 1500 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an independent.
- Servicing is 2000 ish over minor and major servicing over a two year period if you use an McLaren main dealer.
- Insurance is different for all.
- MOT £50 ish.
- Independent cost no self warranty at £2500 per year - £4200ish per year not including insurance.
- Thorney cost with warranty - £4600ish per year not including insurance.
- Main dealer cost with main dealer warranty - £5500 ish per year not including insurance.
Reliability:
While doing my research the power train seems to be very reliable and generally the mechanical elements of the car are solid. It is the items below that seem to be the main issues.
- Paint corrosion/bubbling. Caused by McLaren application of paint at the time of manufacture. Once repaired will not return. This happens where waters finds it's way in between the layers of paints typically at the corners of the car panels. All cars will suffer from this at some point. McLaren paint codes are now available but spraying panels is not cheap.
- Suspension springs are prone to snapping.
- Door hinges are prone to cracking.
- Door window switches re prone to failing due to water ingress.
- Wind screens are prone to cracking.
- Door windows are prone to not always dropping and raising when using the door.
- The car will often state the key is not found when entering the car.
- The carbon cermaic discs need to be weighed to to understand use and life left. If treated well will go for 70-80k miles.
The electronic issues mentioned above are common and no fix is needed.
As with all super cars they need to be driven and the longer they are sat the more likely they are to develop electrical issues. They need to be sat on trickle charge. Don’t trust the notification on the dash stating how long the car has until it needs to be charged.
Putting aside £2500 per year instead of getting a warranty seems to be the preferred route from the polls I created and most don’t touch that and pretty much never use it all.
Using McLaren or Independent for maintenance:
There are now more independent garages appearing with the favoured ones being Thorney motorsport and Engineering where I live in the south. I can't comment on other geographic locations. XP1-Technical based in Chelmsford also seem to be very good is run by an ex McLaren mechanic with 10 years experience at McLaren.
I will say I am hearing some odd things about Thorney in my research with V engineering seeming to be the most popular choice. This could be subjecting as i have not done a poll but going by posts this is the feeling i get.
Specification:
This is personal but white seem hard to sell as do black. Nose lift, BO sound system, security pack, lux pack and sports exhaust are the key features. Alcantara seems to wear better on the seats as the leather seems to sag at the base of the seat where you sit.
Ways to buy:
- Buy from Thorney as the car will have been given a good overhaul and should be spot on. You then also have a choice of taking their warranty or not. The warranty has a £10k limit on a single item in a claim and covers all mechanical and electrical faults short of an engine rebuild. Paint is not included.
- Buy from McLaren with warranty. Dont trust that the car is spotless. Have a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken before buying.
- Buy from a another dealer (not McLaren or Thorney) or private. If doing this then more care is needed. Ideally buy from an enthusiast group. Buy based on condition and history. Get a proper pre purchase inspection undertaken from a McLaren specialist who knows the cars.
Hopefully others find this useful. Feel free to add anything I have missed or correct any misstakes I have made.
Cheers
Stu
Edited by stuno1 on Wednesday 12th June 15:05
You'd have to be a brave man to buy a Thorney warranty which essentially amounts to a verbal promise to maybe fix anything that goes wrong. There is no warranty handbook to determine what's covered and some of the exclusions are very subjective:
Essentially it boils down to whether they feel like covering it on the day or not. For the same money and often cheaper (for sports series at least) buy the McLaren warranty and be done with it
Thorney said:
Abuse, this includes ignoring issues such as leaks, not warming the car up and down prior to use, unreasonable track use (track driving is NOT excluded subject to reasonable use and no abuse)
If there was an engine component failure, how would it be determined that not warming the car up properly was the cause of the failure? Also how does one warm down a car prior to use? What kind of track use is reasonable? What is deemed to be ignoring a leak? If I discover a leak and drive the car down 100 miles to their garage does that count? The list goes on...Essentially it boils down to whether they feel like covering it on the day or not. For the same money and often cheaper (for sports series at least) buy the McLaren warranty and be done with it
PinkHouse said:
If there was an engine component failure, how would it be determined that not warming the car up properly was the cause of the failure? Also how does one warm down a car prior to use? What kind of track use is reasonable? What is deemed to be ignoring a leak? If I discover a leak and drive the car down 100 miles to their garage does that count? The list goes on...
Essentially it boils down to whether they feel like covering it on the day or not. For the same money and often cheaper (for sports series at least) buy the McLaren warranty and be done with it
I agree with that. I have made the decision to self insure at 2.5k per year. Essentially it boils down to whether they feel like covering it on the day or not. For the same money and often cheaper (for sports series at least) buy the McLaren warranty and be done with it
At the moment I am torn between using v-engineering for PPI and servicing or a more local place called xp1 technical. I am buying next year so no need to now. Only reason for not using v-engineering is distance. I would need to pay for them to trailer the car each year for servicing and I imagine that will be £200 ish.
I’d say your conclusions on the ownership experience are fair.
Had mine for 10 months and love the car. McLaren Glasgow are first class and have addressed any small niggles with no problem at all.
For the money these cars are performance bargains and can’t see them going much lower in price. I’m undecided on McLaren warranty and self insuring at the moment. We have a former McLaren master tech who has started up in Glasgow called STB Automotive and he is very good so may use them moving forward.
Had mine for 10 months and love the car. McLaren Glasgow are first class and have addressed any small niggles with no problem at all.
For the money these cars are performance bargains and can’t see them going much lower in price. I’m undecided on McLaren warranty and self insuring at the moment. We have a former McLaren master tech who has started up in Glasgow called STB Automotive and he is very good so may use them moving forward.
stuno1 said:
I agree with that. I have made the decision to self insure at 2.5k per year.
At the moment I am torn between using v-engineering for PPI and servicing or a more local place called xp1 technical. I am buying next year so no need to now. Only reason for not using v-engineering is distance. I would need to pay for them to trailer the car each year for servicing and I imagine that will be £200 ish.
I use V-Engineering for my 12C. Have done for two services and one repair (failed soft close door lock). My experience has been very positive. But book early, they seem very busy.At the moment I am torn between using v-engineering for PPI and servicing or a more local place called xp1 technical. I am buying next year so no need to now. Only reason for not using v-engineering is distance. I would need to pay for them to trailer the car each year for servicing and I imagine that will be £200 ish.
I've heard a lot of good things re: V Engineering.
They used to sell the occasional car however after the last R620 ad disappeared a few weeks ago, the link to the "for sale" section on their website has gone.
Unsure if that's because they've stopped or they're not selling anything now?
They used to sell the occasional car however after the last R620 ad disappeared a few weeks ago, the link to the "for sale" section on their website has gone.
Unsure if that's because they've stopped or they're not selling anything now?
Paul at V told me to book a month ahead when I asked about that (I think last year they were more booked out but that was an exception)
Personally I take the day and drive down there for service, partly cost, I do also enjoy being there. I understand that V have their own car transport service but it's high-end enclosed trailers and fairly pricey, probably more aimed towards the P1s I guess
It's a long drive from Cambridge but now I know and trust those guys so I keep going back. If I was starting from scratch I'd probably try one of the nearer ex-McLaren indies and see how I got on with them, just for the convenience.
Pleased for the confirmation about the road tax... mine was £180 p.a. when I renewed early this year and I couldn't believe it... I thought it was a DVLA mistake. My car is a 2018 570S... my mates got a 2022/23 (?) Porsche Cayman GT4 and I think he recently got stung for more than £600... oops!
This is my 3rd Macca, previously a 12c for 5 years and then a 675LT for 18 months... only sold because I was made a very good offer. Anyhow, on the road the 570S is as good or better with numerous improved practical features, errr like cup holders etc so is actually better for touring. Smaller tank though.
Touch wood all the cars have been solid (or minor things covered under warranty), but I do start them and warm them up every few weeks over the winter months when they don`t get used much... and always warm them up before giving them the beans etc... basic stuff really.
Windscreen did go on the the 675 but they are more susceptible due to being thinner to save weight.
This is my 3rd Macca, previously a 12c for 5 years and then a 675LT for 18 months... only sold because I was made a very good offer. Anyhow, on the road the 570S is as good or better with numerous improved practical features, errr like cup holders etc so is actually better for touring. Smaller tank though.
Touch wood all the cars have been solid (or minor things covered under warranty), but I do start them and warm them up every few weeks over the winter months when they don`t get used much... and always warm them up before giving them the beans etc... basic stuff really.
Windscreen did go on the the 675 but they are more susceptible due to being thinner to save weight.
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