McLaren 620R: a superlative track-day toy
The McLaren 620R is a thrilling machine on the racetrack, and you can drive it home too. Jasper Spires reports.


This is the “raciest McLaren road car yet”, says Top Gear. Its new 620R offers lovers of track-day toys a taste of devastating racing-car power, and you can drive it home. It’s not the most practical of cars for everyday use. Indeed, it has no “nose-lift” as standard, so it “might not even make it off some driveways”. It will set you back £250,000 and at speed it might potentially “write cheques your driving talent won’t cash”. But it is “the most exciting and involving” McLaren you can buy. It’s a lot of money for what is for the most part a “dedicated track toy”, but it will “draw you in”. Driving it is sure to become “quite addictive”.
It’s an indulgence, but a “perfectly executed one”, says Auto Express. “There’s a precision to the chassis that only motorsport experiences can deliver, the 3.8-litre V8 engine is tuned to its peak, and the experience of driving it on road or track is unlike” that of any other car, including its McLaren stablemates. It goes from rest to 62mph in 2.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 200mph. Isn’t that a bit much for the road? “Not really.” True, there is a “hard edge to the chassis that picks out lumps and bumps” in the road, but “the pay off is a car that fizzes with energy and is awash with ability that doesn’t make you risk everything to enjoy it”.
For around £60,000 less you could have McLaren’s 600LT, which will be better to drive on the road and on a track test beat a Ferrari Pista and Porsche 911 GT3 RS, says Andrew Frankel in Autocar. The 620R is, of course, both “quicker and even better to drive on track”, but around £60,000 better? Probably not, but “that’s not what people are paying for”. With only 225 being made worldwide, this will be the rarest McLaren road car in existence. That makes it “not just a very special car, but a quite exceptionally rare one, too”.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Jasper is a former writer for the MoneyWeek and he wrote on an array of topics including travel, investing in crypto and bitcoin, as well as cars. Previous to that he freelanced at The Art Newspaper, PORT Magazine and The Spectator. Jasper is currently a freelance writer at FAD magazine and he has an English literature degree from the University of Exeter, and a Master's degree from UCL.
-
Is it time to ride the recovery in emerging markets?
Interview What's the outlook for emerging markets? Gustavo Medeiros, head of research at Ashmore Group, gives his analysis and reviews progress in developing economies
-
Could the Enterprise Investment Scheme cut your tax bill?
The Enterprise Investment Scheme is tax-efficient and potentially lucrative. Taking a chance on the scheme could trim your family’s IHT bill, says David Prosser
-
The alcohol industry is suffering as consumers sober up – is it still worth investing in the sector?
Changing consumer tastes are rocking the alcohol industry, but the best players are adapting their strategies. Buy them while their shares are still cheap
-
Giorgio Armani: the irreplaceable Il Signore
Giorgio Armani started his fashion business in 1975 and built it into the world’s largest private luxury brand. Where can it go without him?
-
8 of the best properties for sale with mountain views
The best properties for sale with mountain views – from an Arts & Crafts house with holiday lets in the Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire to a highland lodge with wood-burning stoves near the Rogie Falls in the Scottish Highlands
-
Review: Puerto Rico – embrace the spirit of Boricua
Travel Natasha Langan discovers why the indigenous name for Puerto Rico has come to define this Caribbean island’s vibrant culture
-
8 of the best beachside properties for sale
The best beachside properties for sale – from an Arts & Crafts house in Hampshire with 128 metres of beach frontage, to a 16th-century house in Norfolk, just 300 metres from a Blue Flag beach
-
A voyage of discovery through the Baltic countries
Travel Max King explores the rich history, culture and cuisine of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?
Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardens
The best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll