A110s to 570gt. Test drives etc..

[Bushi]

Hi
Currently have an A110S, coming from a loong history with Porsche.
The only thing I can think of trading into, or adding, would be a 570GT

How do I go about trying one out, with Alpine ..Porsche etc.. it's easy work and you kind of can't really go wrong, you know what you are getting.

Done all the YouTube research etc.. and I think I'm there but as I want a near daily driver I don't want to make a costly mistake.

I don't want to be "that" time waster kicking tyres at dealers, I imagine they see enough of that.

[650S]

I'd call John at Thorney, if the discussion works - he won't put you in a load of trouble.

I also left a long relationship with Stuttgart, these cars are on another dynamic level.

[samoht]

When buying, I had to basically agree to buy and put down a sizeable deposit before I got a fairly brief supervised test drive in the car I was buying as a final check, effectively. (In this case the car was on SoR so understand the owner didn't want everyone and their dog having a go). I think had I found a suitable Approved Used car at a McDealer that might have been a little easier.

I'd hired a 570S for a long weekend to check it was really what I wanted, but this was quite a lot of money and with a company that's no longer doing this (Sports Car Hire), so of limited help to you

People have used them as daily drivers and they're pretty useable really, main issues that limit when I'd take mine would be where I'll be parking it. But have done Euro trips etc so driving into cities and parking, longish days driving the car, two up with luggage etc all good. At 1.9m across the body (excluding mirrors) it's not actually wider than many normal cars on the road now.

In terms of finding a good example it's probably worth a pre-purchase inspection. Mine went to a McDealer nearby which was ok as far as not buying a complete disaster; I've found V Engineering super helpful since then however they have long lead times. Main £££££ issues to look for are probably paint and brake discs if ceramic; gearbox oil leak is mentioned but I feel it's pretty rare on these, more common on P11s.

[Dom88]

I went from an A110GT to a 570GT and best thing I ever did. Whilst I loved my a110GT the 570GT is a completely different animal and feels so much more special. However, it is not as practical as the a110. Narrow parking bays and crowded car parks are a real issue!.

I purchased from a Mclaren dealer and to test drive I had to pay a fairly sizeable deposit and essentially commit to buy subject to test drive. I was glad I purchased through a Mclaren dealership as had a couple of issues sorted post purchase with no quibbles whatsoever.

For balance there is a youtube channel called goingplaces110 and he went from an alpine a110 to a 570GT back to an a110s. He purchased at the lower end of the market and found it costly to run once a few little issues were sorted out.

Mclarens are definitely more costly to run than the Alpine (servicing more expensive, much larger tyres, more thirsty etc) so go into with your eyes open and you wont regret the jump.

[davek_964]

I had no problem test driving either of mine - no commitment to buy, no deposit.
One was from a McLaren dealer - albeit 7 years ago - one was from an Indy 3 years ago

[interstellar]

I drove one last week at a Mac dealer, had a long chat out side and they passed me the keys to take it out - on my own!!

[GlynV8]

If you are after a 570GT, the one for sale at R E Performance looks like a cracking car. Essentially like new:

https://www.repsalesandstorage.com/copy-of-audi-r8...

[Bushi]

Cheers all some good insights.
It's an itch I've had since the first road McLarens.

I'll take a look at the YouTuber who has made the jump, surprised it hasn't come up on my algorithm.

There is a spyder at a local main dealer i might well be interested in, so I'll try and take a visit.
If nothing else at least I can sit in one.
The main dealer warranty sounds good, but if it's anything like the trouble I have with Alpine UK...who knows..I'll do my research on that.

[ex-devonpaul]

GlynV8 said:

If you are after a 570GT, the one for sale at R E Performance looks like a cracking car. Essentially like new:

https://www.repsalesandstorage.com/copy-of-audi-r8...

1700 miles in a decade? I suspect there would be a lot of parts not used to moving that might suddenly struggle with regular use.

[Inlineonline]

ex-devonpaul said:

GlynV8 said:

If you are after a 570GT, the one for sale at R E Performance looks like a cracking car. Essentially like new:

https://www.repsalesandstorage.com/copy-of-audi-r8...

1700 miles in a decade? I suspect there would be a lot of parts not used to moving that might suddenly struggle with regular use.

100% this.

Buy a McLaren that has seen regular usage, they are far less likely to be harbouring issues. One that has been stored and just wheeled out for MOT's can seem better but prove a very costly mistake. Starting with gearbox oil seals that dry out and leak, corrosion on parts that get damp and are never heated and dried out etc.

[650S]

get the highest mileage you can find then


But seriously, subject to dry storage, I have no problem with ultra low miles.

A good negotiating strategy - hit them for low miles

[ajm_ph]

On the test drive front I think I drove a 12C and three 650s before I bought mine, at a bunch of different dealers, the process of getting in the drivers seat went something this:

step 1) I call up and ask if I can come to look at the car and take a drive in it
step 2) I turn up, look at the car, then take a drive in it.

I wasn't wasting anybodies time, as I was genuinely in the market and just trying to find the right car, and letting potential customers drive the car is part of the dealers job, that's what they are getting paid for. This has been the case at every car I have ever bought from a dealer; private sale would be a different matter. I did once have a dealer refuse to let me drive an F430 I was shopping for; I even suggested he drive it briefly with me as a passenger but even that was a no-go because, and I'm not joking, he'd just washed it. I didn't buy it.

I will also second what some other posters have said, I would be very, very wary of any McLaren that hasn't been driven, and I most certainly wouldn't be paying a premium for it. If it has been professionally stored by someone who knows what they are doing it could be fine, but if it's just been parked in a garage then it could be seriously bad news.