The home run: the ultimate McLaren 570GT road trip

[NOISE] So this little churchyard explains why we've brought a McClaren all this way. And yet in many ways destination, well, it's not really as important As the journey to get here. [SOUND] [BLANK_AUDIO] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Coming to Scotland is always a treat. The land of locks, lairds, and monroes is arguably my favorite place in all the world. I've wanted to do a long journey in the Clarents 570 GT, stretch it's legs, test those grand tour credentials. And for reasons that will become apparent, this seemed like the perfect adventure to take it on. [SOUND] This time I'm heading somewhere in Scotland that's new to me, I'm not reading through Glasgow to the wild west coast. We're not tracking through Edinburgh to [UNKNOWN] from the [UNKNOWN]. Instead, we've bisected those two major cities, we're now up on somewhere [UNKNOWN] [BLANK_AUDIO] [UNKNOWN] Actually means crooked fairy hill. And the road we on 822 is known as the Crow's Road. While it feels wild and remote, it is also [UNKNOWN] wide piece of [UNKNOWN] meaning it can be enjoyed by cars bigger than [UNKNOWN] Part of the whole reason this [UNKNOWN]. I love exploring. People say where should I go? Where should I go drive? Get out a map, get on Google Maps, look on street view, and just explore. It is the most brilliant feeling, driving on a road you've never driven before and just seeing it open up in front of you like this. The views unfold, and the road keeps throwing on unexpected things. [INAUDIBLE] It's a proper adventure. The sheer scale of the scenery up here is breathtaking. With the heavenly heather and the lonely moreland giving a real feeling of remoteness. It's always hard to convey that sense of scale on film, but hopefully this gives you a bit of an idea. [MUSIC] [UNKNOWN] onwards and northwards. Just in case you're not familiar with the 570GT, it is part of McLaren's sport series, has 562 brake horsepower and 443 pounds for the torque. It can reach 60 miles an hour in just 3.4 seconds. And on to 240 miles an hour flat out. As you can tell by the name, this is intended to be the slightly more relaxed version of the 570S. And if you drive them back to back, you can notice a difference. But I think the reason most will buy it is just for the sleeker look on the rear of the GT Soaking [UNKNOWN] engine completes the [UNKNOWN] aesthetic perfectly. In fact, I think it's the best looking car in the current Maclaren range. I even like this sort of bitter chocolate brown paint, [UNKNOWN] but more interesting. One of the lovely things about doing these long journeys And just, you get to know a car a bit more, spend more time in it. And you noticed things, like these tweeter here. I'm sure I've noticed it before, but the more I look at it, the more I'm fascinated by it. It looks like some sort of, it's a kitchenware by Alessi or something. I also love the fact that this [INAUDIBLE] Center GT's got the panoramic roof in it. Doesn't feel quite as airy as perhaps The original [UNKNOWN]. That was like putting your head into one of those gold fish bowl space helmets that you saw in [UNKNOWN]. But this is, it's pretty much as good as a 720S to be honest. Anyway, As we cross across country northwards we're honing in on [INAUDIBLE] and a piece of road the existence of which I've been aware of for some time that we've never actually visited. It's called the Duke's Pass. So we're going from a closed road. Two other dudes pass to [INAUDIBLE] lane inspector. Built by the Duke of Montrose in the 19th century, which was originally intended just to provide better access to his state, besting even Lord [UNKNOWN] driveway award. However it was then improved in order to cope with the booming Victorian tourist trade As people flock to the area after Walter Scott published his epic poem in Lady of the Lake, which was based around [UNKNOWN]. [MUSIC] This is nestled in the [UNKNOWN] small woodland. To me, it sounds like a sort of Scottish swear word. Stub your toe Trossachs. Cut the wheel. Trossachs. Somebody says in the pub, my cars going to build an SUV, that's absolute Trossachs. Every time I come back here. I always think I would just love to live here. In fact, somewhere like that. That would do very well. The driveway may need a bit of work. But we've got the mains lift. [MUSIC] [NOISE] [MUSIC] Perfect. Low view. Might need a bit of paint. Look at all this. You don't have any bedrooms for rent, but look at all the garage that you get. The Escort there. The plan there. [MUSIC] Nomad in there at the far end. Also a tractor as well. Lawn would need a bit of mowing. Yes, yeah. I could see myself here. Move in right away. [MUSIC] Just need a pay raise. So many of the drives on great roads are characterized by mountains. The nature of the Jeep's Pass is a bit different. If you're gonna choose a word to describe this road it would be flow. I like the big mountain passes, this road, because it goes around all these lots it sort of crests, and dips, and ducks, and dives. It has a very different feel to it. And I absolutely adore it. The way you just, Collect the corners together and it's not huge patches of acceleration and breaking. You're just almost maintaining speed, it will link to turn into the corner and drive through the other side and you link together just the most wonderful feeling. It means as well you don't need the McClaren to enjoy this road By absolutely no means. [INAUDIBLE] engineers though if you let the evergreen grow wild and the grass grow this is what it would end up like. On a lot of these trips the road is the reason for the journey but on this occasion the Duke's Pass is a [UNKNOWN] rolled into conclusion. As the A821 meets the A84 we head north for a few miles on another brilliant piece of road before turning left to Balquidick land. Why? Because this is McClaren country. Bruce may have hailed from Auckland, New Zealand, but he was of Scottish descent. And then seat of Clan McLaren is here. The name, which has accrued several different spellings over time, is taken from the Celtic abbot that built the first church on this site some 800 years ago. The clan has had to battle for the land over the years, first with the Buchanans and then with the McGregors, including the infamous Rob Roy. His grave as well as those whose parents of Maclarens can be found scattered amongst the ruins of the old clerk. The line crest is a lions head wreathed in laurels just a Bruce was so many times after races. So this little church yard explains why we've brought a Maclaren all this way. So there we are McLaren to the seat of Clan MacLaren which explains the whole point of this journey. Why we brought this car here. This endpoint was really where it all started in terms of planning. And yet, as is often the case, the destination, well anyways, it's not as important Is the journey to get here. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]