Hello there. Some of my family members think I’m insane for selling my McLaren 650S and getting a GTR, but I have to say the driving feel is just more satisfying and engaging.

I’ve gone from a path of Lotus Evora GT, Porsche Turbo S, and so on. But they felt unbalanced somehow. Either one lacked power or the steering feel was numb with no feedback whatsoever. Lotus was the must fun of all, and the best handling in my opinion. But lacked power and barely and aftermarket support.

Here are some of my past toys

 

what was your opinion on the 650S? I had a 570S Spyder before and it was a great car, but was a little boring and soulless to drive......sounded very boring. Drove like a go-kart (probably similar in feel to the lotus) - build quality (as per all Mclarens) was questionable. Obviously the doors add a lot of theatre but it didnt feel very special overall

 

Yup, same experience as you. Seating position was probably the one thing I can say was a plus with great forward visibility.
I feel the Merc has better stability at high speeds (when in Mexico)
However, the hydraulic suspension was better on the Mac in “comfort” mode. You could really tell the stiffness difference between all 3 modes; but then again, the GTR isn’t a car built for comfort, and I’m ok with that.
I also agree that the doors were the main attraction when going anywhere.

Did you also experience all these different faults that sent you into limp mode? Even the car said to turn off and restart engine; this then cleared the code.
I’ll miss the spider top, but that’s ok.

 

The seating position is excellent, and you feel like you are sitting ontop of the front wheels. The Mclaren felt like a toy in comparison to the GTR - it feels like a much more expensive car

many faults - 3 cracked windscreens, brake line failures, leather internal panels falling off, paint bubbling - i had friends with other Mclarens that were much worse though. Its a great car to have for a year or two but didnt feel like a keeper like the GTR

 

The little rear center window that acts like a windscreen always had issues were it went down 1 out of 4 attempts or sometimes none. If it stopped mid-way while operating the spider top, it would trigger a fault where the roof would be stuck in mid cycle and there was no way of resetting it. I would have to drive with a semi open roof back home, let it sit overnight and then try to close the roof again.

Interior panels were put together poorly like you mentioned. I even installed new trim clips and the A-pillar cover kept falling down if the road was rough.
Fogging of the rear taillights, interior rattling, suspension hydraulic accumulators, and oh boy…..the SQUEAKY brakes.

It was definitely not a smooth ownership experience, but the car was fun in its own special way. For the money they cost, I expected better build quality.
Also, I heard sourcing parts is a nightmare because everything comes from the UK.

 

I am based in the UK and parts sourcing was no better here haha, I wonder how the Artura will age......its meant to be a step up quality wise, but I know there were a lot of problems with the press cars

 

At least the Mac parts are much cheaper over there. Sourcing them in the US is MUCH more expensive. But yeah, the Artura owners are having a lot of issues, especially with batteries discharging, which as you know causes a litany of issues on Mclarens.

 

Well that’s not reassuring 😂. At least you guys have independent shops like Thorney Motorsports. Here there’s barely any or too far away. McMedics technicians fly to your home and fix most issues but it still gets expensive when paying for their travel expenses as well.

Artura issues will further cement reasons to collapse value and depreciate like no other.

 

Ha - I just went from a Pro to a 720s - LOVE the car but would say they are different vs one being better than the other. The McLaren certainly creates more issue driving...can't go a couple of miles without someone trying to get your attention or take a photo, cool but not why I drive these things. Also the 720s is much more definitively an exotic/supercar.

That Pro tho...wow.

 

I went from a 458 to a GTC. Both daily drivers and track days. In order to get the same power to weight ratio, the GTC required tuning. But once tuned, I actually prefer the GTC over the 458 - and I consider the 458 one of the most "perfect" cars ever manufactured for all the reasons you already know. McLaren makes an amazing vehicle - on paper. But if you don't have a local shop - and I don't - the maintenance just isn't worth it for me. Having said that, the 720s is still on my buy list. It's that amazing.

 

I have a 720s Spider and a Renntech AMG GTR 830HP, both great cars with their own personalities!

.... trying to decide if i want a Renntech Black Series 1066HP.

 

While I would like the Renntech Black Series for the track, all of its extra body work would make it too ostentatious for me as a daily driver. But I'd take your GTR for sure! I try to walk that fine line between having an amazing supercar and not drawing too much attention to myself when I pull into Costco or Home Depot with it. Haha.

 

Love the Gulf Livery! My dad worked for them before they were bought out by Chevron.

 

What would you say are the Pro's vs Con's of your AMG GTR Pro vs 720s?

 

How has your experience been with the gtr? Im currently a 12c owner, and I just got a new CPO engine and as soon as I got it back went to the track and now might need a transmission! Im about done with the Mclaren and it’s quirks and issue. Amg gtr and C8z are high on my list of options for next car. I do about 8-12 track days a year

 

I personally love the car. Suspension is stiff as hell even in comfort, but you don’t choose a GTR for comfort.
The biggest advantage is cost. AMG parts are plentiful, easy to acquire and extremely cheap in comparison to McLaren.

The only thing you’ll miss is the engine behind you, the nicer front visibility and the doors going up. I don’t regret the switch.

 

that’s great to hear. It wouldn’t be a daily or anything for me, so comfort takes a backseats. Doors to me are whatever, would miss the visibility some, but the 12c/650 engine while very powerful isn’t exactly the most exciting.
But as someone who’s gone through and going through Mclaren issues the parts availability and cost are pretty ridiculous. I hate their service design, it takes so much longer for repairs than it should. It’s super frustrating.
have you had issues with yours at all?
I’ve seen issues with ‘18 cars and have kinda heard get the refreshed 2020 model or newer avoid the first Gen. Cars

 

No issues so far. I went for the 18 because its more analog and I prefer how the buttons look.
There wasn’t much of a change on the 2020 model that screams “reliability”
I think there’s always the chance of a bad apple, but everything I’ve found out so far is minor stuff that is not concerning. Even Toyotas have issues.

I definitely feel more at peace knowing any repair costs will be a fraction of what the McLaren would be.
Upgrades are also cheaper.

 

that’s reassuring, I met a couple guys with ‘18’s and both had DCTs replaced. Ya can’t touch Mclaren in cost!! Also a way larger aftermarket and from what I can tell Mercedes doesn’t shun you if you mod it, unlike Mclaren practically anything beyond brakes, wheels, tires is subject to being flagged by Mclaren!

 

I’ve heard some GTS’s have had transmission recalls.
I had a recall but it was the torque tube and driveshaft. It didn’t fail on me, they just did it as part of a recall.

 

No recalls. Just an extended warranty.