So what was this sexy beast like on the road?

Matthew DeBord/BI

In a word: magnificent. The only cars I've driven in the last two years that even come close are the Ferrari 488 GTB — the racing version of which finished in second behind the GT at Le Mans in 2016 — and the track-ready McLaren 675LT. I might also add the Corvette Z06, but that's a front-engine car.

The GT does exhibit some road-car compromises, however, due to its simultaneous design as a race car. The most notable of these is how snug the cockpit is. You're literally shoulder-to-shoulder with your passenger. The cockpit itself it gorgeously appointed, an essay in the sumptuous arrangement of leather, carbon-fiber, and Alcantara.

For what it's worth, the seats are notably comfortable for being low and as far back as they can go without being in the engine compartment — not a common thing on supercars! They don't move, however. Instead, you adjust the pedals, using a rudimentary pull cord. The overall interior treatment is minimalist and defined by the digital instrument panel and infotainment screen. It doesn't come off quite a dead-serious as your typical non-nonsense McLaren. But the open, airy feel of a Ferrari 488 isn't present.

The 0-60 mph time is alleged to be under 3 seconds, and while we didn't scientifically test that, the GT had an abundant punch in a straight line. Of the GT's five drive modes — Wet, Normal, Sport, Track, and a drag-racing setting called "V-Max" — the Normal and Sport will see the most everyday use. In Normal, the car is as relaxed as a mid-engine supercar with limited ground clearance can be. In Sport, everything tightens up and the throttle starts to feel a lot more purposeful; the engine note, a throaty blast accompanied by subdued turbo-whistles, also perks up. The GT's 550 pound-feet of torque is at your command.

What about the power? Bottomless. We barely scratched the surface.

On a winding mountain-road ascent and descent, the GT inspired confidence. A lot of that is thanks to the agile steering and big old Brembo carbon brakes, which can effortlessly slow the car. When I had the GT moving slowly around the Utah Motorsports track, it initially felt a bit heavy, even though on paper it isn't (a bit more than 3,000 lbs.). On the twisty roads, it quickly became evident that I was, in fact, experiencing how firmly planted the car was on the road. With all that torque, you could definitely move the rear end of the car, inducing some oversteer. But you won't feel a loss of control.

If I have one complaint it's the that the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, operated with some really nice slotted paddle shifters behind the GT's racing-inspired steering wheel, doesn't like to be an automatic mode. This car is a true hybrid road-and-race car, but its mood tends to swing toward race, and it wants you to shift the gears yourself. And it doesn't matter which drive mode you're in.

At a basic level, the low-slung GT, at just over 40 inches in height and with dramatic scissor doors, isn't all that hard to get in and out of. Taller drivers might need to struggle a bit, but we had a few of those on hand and they managed.

Road trips in the GT could be difficult. There's a tiny trunk compartment behind the engine that's about large enough to stow your ego as the GT stuns you into awed submission. A pair of swing-out cupholders meant that you could hit the Starbucks drive-thru. But your passenger's left leg might object.

So here's the thing: much like the McLaren 675LT that I drove on canyon roads above Malibu in 2016, the GT on the road is an absolute blast. But it leaves you wanting something.

And that something is a known as a race track.