Watch a Tuned McLaren 570GT Blow Flames on a Dyno
What’s cooler than a supercar? A tuned supercar that puffs fire.
In the automotive hierarchy, cars that shoot flames are higher than those that don't. However, because of emissions standards (which, let's face it, are beneficial), they are a rarity these days, and a select few cars leave the factory capable of popping fire from their tailpipes. McLaren's entry-level 570GT supercar is not one of the privileged few but with a retune it can join the club.
Such a retune is attainable through a Florida-based performance shop called Excell Racing, which uploaded a video of a 570GT retuned with its "XR700+" package. As part of this package, the 570GT's 3.8-liter, twin-turbo M838T V8 receives less-restrictive air filters, a stainless steel exhaust X-pipe to even out exhaust pulses and increase torque, a cracked factory engine control unite retune, and of course, custom downpipes without catalytic converters, which would otherwise catch unburned fuel before they could produce the fireballs below.
Excell Racing tells The Drive its retune escalates the 570GT's peak boost pressure from the factory's 12 psi to 17, allowing SAE-corrected power at the wheels to jump 109 horsepower, from 522 to 631, and torque to hike from 446 pound-feet to 563, a gain of 117. If the napkin math of about 10 percent drivetrain loss between crank and wheels is correct, it means the Excell-tuned 570GT knocks on the door of 700 horsepower at the crank, where manufacturers tend to measure it.
This puts it right in McLaren 720S power territory, albeit with a bit more weight, as the 570GT comes in around 3,300 pounds, and the 720S just over 2,800. Still, these retuned 570GTs should be able to toast almost anything south of their $211,450 prices ($201,450 for a base 570GT, $10,000 for the tune), and do so in the style offered only by big puffs of flame. Let's hope Excell Racing gets a chance to work its wizardry on a McLaren 600LT MSO.
