How Much Does It Cost to Rent a McLaren GT?

A McLaren GT costs $895 to $1,295 a day to rent before delivery. The rate changes with the car's color, its home city and its deposit, but never with the engine. Every GT has the same 612 hp V8 and the same glass tailgate. So how much it costs to rent a McLaren GT depends mostly on which car you pick.

The blue GT can meet you at the John Wayne Airport curb. You press the hidden button, and the dihedral door swings up. Two carry-on bags go into the bay behind the engine, under the glass tailgate. The people waiting for their rides see the doors go up before they see the bags.

What each McLaren GT rents for

Each McLaren GT on the site has its own daily rate, its own deposit and its own rate for extra miles.

• Blue over black, 2022, based in Orange County. $895 a day, a $2,000 deposit and $5 per extra mile.
• Gold over black, 2021, based in San Diego. $1,095 a day, a $2,000 deposit and $7 per extra mile.
• Black over black with red stitching, 2021, based in Los Angeles. $1,295 a day, a $5,000 deposit and $5 per extra mile.

A higher rate on a GT pays for paint and trim, not speed. The black car has red brake calipers and red stitching on the seats, doors, dash and steering wheel. The gold car looks more yellow than gold in direct sun. The gold paint holds its color under streetlights, so the car photographs well at night.

Behind the wheel, you won't feel a difference between the colors. Every GT sits you lower than a sedan but higher than a McLaren 720S. The GT has 110 mm of ground clearance and softer front springs than other McLarens. The first driveway lip and the first speed bump in La Jolla pass without a scrape.

How much it costs to rent a McLaren GT for a week

Longer rentals cost less per day on every GT. You don't have to ask for the discount, because it comes from the length of the rental. Here is the ladder.

• 1 to 2 days, full daily rate
• 3 to 4 days, 10% off
• 5 to 6 days, 15% off
• 7 to 13 days, 20% off
• 14 to 20 days, 30% off
• 21 to 27 days, 40% off
• 28 days or more, 50% off

In the blue car, a 3 day weekend comes to $2,416.50 before delivery. That works out to $805.50 a day. A full week in the blue car costs $5,012. That is $716 a day.

The same week in the gold car costs $6,132. In the black car, the week costs $7,252. Delivery is quoted by address, so the total depends on where you want the car.

A week is where the GT makes the most sense. The car has a 150 liter compartment in the nose and a 420 liter bay behind the engine, under the glass. The rear bay takes a weekend's bags or a set of golf clubs. Have the black car meet you at the LAX curb, and drive to a hotel in Santa Monica with nothing on your passenger's lap.

The McLaren GT rental deposit

The deposit is a hold on your card, not a charge. The hold is released after the car comes back in the condition it left. The blue and gold cars carry a $2,000 deposit. The black car carries a $5,000 deposit, so plan for a bigger hold on your card.

The deposit covers small things like a curbed wheel. Your own insurance covers damage, subject to your deductible. Your policy has to extend comprehensive and collision coverage to a rental car that isn't listed on your policy. We call your carrier on a recorded line to confirm that coverage before every rental.

Overnight, the GT stays with a valet or in a hotel garage, and the keys stay with you. Show the valet the hidden door button before you walk away. The GT has no Park gear either, so you set the electronic parking brake with the lever by your left knee.

GT rental cost on a road trip

Every McLaren GT rental includes 100 miles of driving a day. A multi-day rental pools those miles. That means a 3 day rental gives you 300 miles to use on any day you like. Extra miles are billed at the car's own rate.

Las Vegas is the trip people ask about most. It is about 270 miles each way from Orange County. A round trip is about 540 miles. That is 240 miles more than a 3 day rental includes. In the blue car, those extra miles cost $1,200.

Las Vegas is out of state, so ask first and we'll sort out the miles and the paperwork before you leave. If you tell us the route when you book, the miles are priced in ahead of time instead of billed after.

The GT was built for a drive that long. Its turbos are smaller than the ones on other McLarens, so the car pulls from low in the rev range without a wait. The steering is hydraulic, and you can feel the road surface through the wheel. Near the 8,500 rpm redline, the V8 gets loud.

There is one thing the listing photos won't tell you about the GT. The cabin has a low drone at about 60 mph in seventh gear. The blue and gold cars also don't have CarPlay, so bring a phone mount for directions.

The McLaren GT next to a Portofino, a Continental GTC and a 488 Spider

The Ferrari Portofino is the closest cross-shop. A burgundy Portofino based in Orange County rents for $895 a day, which is the same rate as the blue GT. The Portofino has a folding hardtop and two small rear seats. The Portofino's hardtop drops in about 14 seconds and works while the car is rolling.

With the Portofino's roof down, people on the street can see the tan leather. The GT keeps a fixed roof, and its doors swing up at the valet stand. Pick the Ferrari for a coast drive with the roof open. Pick the McLaren for a trip with bags in the back.

The Bentley Continental GTC is the step down in price, and it has four seats. A black 2008 GTC based in the Inland Empire rents for $595 a day. That Bentley has a 6.0 liter W12 and a fabric roof. On the older cars, the trunk holds about 8.3 cubic feet, which suits soft bags rather than real suitcases. The GTC is the car for an evening drive through Temecula wine country, not an airport run.

The Ferrari 488 Spider is the step up in price and in speed. A white 488 Spider with a red cabin in Los Angeles rents for $1,295 a day. The Ferrari makes 661 hp and reaches 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. The GT takes 3.1 seconds, so the Ferrari is only a tenth of a second quicker. The 488's front trunk holds soft bags only. The Ferrari also has two seats, like the GT.

Where the money goes on a McLaren GT trip

A McLaren GT costs the least per day when you keep it for a week or longer. The daily rate is set by the car you pick, and the extra miles are set by your route. Tell us the route at booking, and you'll know the whole bill before you leave.