Review: The $200,000 McLaren GT is a supercar you can take a road trip in — and that's what makes it special

• The typical McLaren supercar is fast, loud, and sporty. It doesn't purr; it shouts.
• The $200,000 McLaren GT, though, is a grand-tourer, meaning it's calmer and smoother than many supercars.

When you think of McLaren, you probably think of a few things: loud, fast, and sporty. You don't, probably, think of a smooth, comfortable, capacious grand tourer.

Yet the McLaren GT is exactly that.

Enthusiasts of both fast cars and shiny things tend to think of McLaren's 720S as the British manufacturer's star car, but the GT is its most versatile. The GT comes with a 4.0-liter, turbocharged V8 motor mounted in the middle, which sends 612 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. In combination with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, that power catapults it from a standstill to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. Its top speed is 204 mph, and it starts at around $200,000.

The GT is full of McLaren's staple carbon fiber and stuffed with cutting-edge tech, yet it wasn't designed to be driven with white knuckles and anger. It's meant to be a comfortable, (very) quick way of moving two people and their stuff around.

With an engine where a trunk would normally be, you'd expect driver and passenger would have to pack lightly in the GT. Not so. There's a 5.3-cubic-foot frunk, which is enough for a cabin bag or two, but open the car's glorious glass trunk and you'll find another 14.8 in the rear. A Volkswagen Golf, for reference, packs 13.8 cubic feet of space with the seats up.

McLaren proudly shows that the rear space can hold a set of golf clubs, and it's beautifully upholstered. But don't worry: That beautiful upholstery won't be torn to shreds as you load and unload items. McLaren uses a multi-layer material called "SuperFabric" back there, which is stain- and splash-resistant and can withstand knife slashes. A Golf doesn't have that.

Leaping into the driver's seat, the GT is like any McLaren supercar: fast, nimble, loud, exciting. But it's a softer, more comfort-focused version.

After flicking the start button, its motor didn't shout at me; it purred gently. Its seats weren't track-focused carbon buckets; they were more indulgent leather-clad numbers.

Setting off, the first thing I noticed about the GT was how heavy its steering was. You don't need gym sessions to use it, but it's reassuringly hefty. The heavier wheel suits the character of the car — the GT doesn't want to set your hair alight, but it seeks to be pointed at a horizon and told to simply "go."

Don't think that means it's boring when you want to have fun, though. The GT's steering is engaging, and it's as direct and communicative as they come.

The GT also sits at 100 mph without any fuss at all. I could relax at Autobahn speeds, knowing I'd be looked after by a smooth ride and impressive stability. McLaren's first supercar of the modern era, the MP4-12C, had an otherworldly comfortable ride, and this feels like an evolution of that.

Of course, the GT's motor is impressive. Its 612 horsepower is an enormous amount of grunt, and when you ask it to hustle, it does. The slick seven-speed paddle shift means you can drop a gear or two easily and fire yourself onward without any fuss at all. It's not as effortless as McLaren's more performance-focused cars, but if you get out of the GT thinking there's not enough power, you're either a Formula One driver or will never be truly happy.

On the looks front, the GT isn't as imposing as its competitors. Its rounded nose is a stark contrast to its pointier stablemates, though its taillights and rear are a joy to be stuck behind.

What few talk about is the view in the wing mirrors. Angle them right and you get an eyeful of shapely air intakes. They're designed to keep its massive motor cool, but come with the added side effect of being stunning to stare at.

McLaren made its name in being showy: pointy, angry, fast cars meant to produce tire smoke, slides, and noise. But the GT is a McLaren that doesn't shout, scream, or bark. It's a McLaren that gives you the full supercar experience — power, handling, tech, and everything else —with just slightly fewer antics.

That's what makes it special.