British supercar company McLaren makes great sports cars. They're fast, loud, responsive and they look like spaceships. But, unlike Ferrari or Aston Martin, the company has never really made a grand touring car that's designed for comfort as well as speed.

That's not to say that the new McLaren GT, unveiled Wednesday, won't be a lot of fun to drive. It almost certainly will be. But it's longer, quieter, and has lots more luggage space than McLaren's sports cars . There's just a little less emphasis on ultimate cornering ability.

McLaren has previously offered the 570GT , but that was really a sports car with some extra luggage space carved out of its slightly bulbous back. It wasn't engineered, from the outset, to be a touring car so it lacked comfort and refinement. In the new GT, McLaren promises a more relaxing experience.

The McLaren GT is longer and roomier than McLaren's other cars.

The GT's $210,000 price tag roughly matches its most direct competitors. Unlike those cars, though, it has its engine behind the seats rather than up front under the hood. That should give it a bit more of a supercar feel when turning corners. Its bulging rear fenders, a classic GT car design feature, hold large air intakes for the radiators that cool the engine.

The 612-horsepower turbocharged V8 engine can carry the GT from zero to 60 miles an hour in just over three seconds, with a top speed of 203 miles an hour, McLaren said.

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