WITHIN a few minutes of my first time behind the wheel of the McLaren 570GT I happened to pass a school as the teenagers were heading home at the end of the day.

The affect was electrifying, as the youngsters stopped en masse, jaws hitting the floor, eyes popping with excitement before all gave me the double thumbs up.

It was to set the theme for the week to come in one of the most glamorous cars on the road today. A car which, at times, quite literally stopped the traffic as drivers braked to get a better look at the motoring equivalent of any of the world's best supermodels.

There were things on the McLaren I could criticise but for styling it was a definite 10 out of 10.

And the dramatic dihedral doors, which open outwards and forwards so the car looks as if it has wings when they are both open, left many a petrol station attendant speechless.

Of all the McLaren models the 570GT is the most user friendly with a decent sized luggage area beneath the bonnet - more suited to soft bags than suitcases - space behind the driver's head accessed via the rear opening screen for additional luggage and even a glove box.

And to make sure the cabin is light there is a panoramic glass roof.

But make no mistake this car is no softy. It's still one of the world's supercars with the sort of handling and performance that one would expect from a company which made its name in the world of Formula 1.

It's 3.8-litre, 562bhp twin-turbocharged engine is capable of pushing this ultra lightweight machine - constructed from carbon fibre with aluminium panels - to the heady speed of 204 miles per hour

And it will rocket you from standstill to 62 miles per hour in a heart stopping 3.4 seconds, hitting 124mph in just 9.8 seconds. It's not a car for the faint hearted.

The interior is quite plush although minimalist, with most functions operated on the central touch screen.

The panels and dashboard are covered in stylish two-tone leather with saddle stitching and high backed leather sports seats are eight way electrically adjustable and have a memory setting.

The height, or at just under 4ft tall that should be lack of height, means getting in and out is easy - if you are agile and not too tall. And the lack of height of the front spoiler means it's not too speed bump friendly.

Once inside the cockpit seems to wrap around you and everything is simple and functional. The car uses a seven-speed automatic gearbox operated by just three buttons on the transmission tunnel, one for Drive, one for Reverse and one for Neutral.

And while the auto system works well, although it's hardly a seamless change, this is a car which is far more fun driven using the paddles behind the steering wheel.

There's a distinctive click every time you change gear with the paddles and it's so quick it almost feels as you are operating a computer game.

Fire up the big V8 and the roar behind your head is both deafening and awe inspiring at the same time while alerting you as to what is to come.

Hit the open road and put your right foot down hard and it feels as if you have just been fired from a gun as you hurl towards the horizon and the trees and countryside around you become a blur.

The ride is firm even in normal setting - you can adjust to sport or even track setting if you want to - but the road holding from this rear-wheel-drive supercar is superb.

Having said all that it's still a car you can easily live with on a day to day basis and it's quite happy pottering around town. Reversing can be a little awkward because of the wide panels either side of the rear screen although there is a reversing camera but the on screen picture is tiny.