I enlisted my 72-year-old stepmother to drive a McLaren. Here’s what she thought
Sitting comfortably: 72-year-old car enthusiast Dee Macauley prepares for the test drive - Jeff Gilbert
This is dangerous ground. I’m writing about my stepmother... and her driving. Time to deploy the ironic phrase etched in gag-lore by Richard Hammond: “What could possibly go wrong?”
McLaren Automotive builds a range of supercars, starting at around £200,000 for the Artura hybrid, but into the millions of pounds for bespoke hypercars. The firm is all about detail and precision. So, a detail arising from a visit to McLaren was the information that its supercars are ergonomically designed to ensure they can be driven with ease by women, given that a greater number of women are driving more 200mph cars, according to the Woking-based outfit.
Iain’s stepmother Dee with product manager Heather Fitch - Jeff Gilbert
That claim simply had to be put to the test. So I recruited my stepmother, Dee Macauley, 72. She met the criteria being that her daily drives are in a Fiat 500, which is driven by more women than any other car, and a Porsche Cayman – so she clearly qualifies in terms of experience in driving high-performance machinery. But my joker is that she is only 5ft 2in tall. Gotcha, I thought.
McLaren is guarded about the precise detail of its design thinking, but one thing it is proud of is the vast array of body sizes, shapes and types that the interior of its Artura can comfortably accommodate. But 5ft 2in...?
Not the faintest sign of a flinch from the assembled McLaren personnel as Dee arrived at McLaren reception.
The long and the short and the tall
The firm has assembled an evaluation “family” of 40 employees, male and female and varying in height from just over five feet to well over six feet tall, with a variety of body shapes.
They are enrolled not simply to ensure they can fit in the seats and reach the pedals, but also to test whether doors can be opened with the daintiest of fingers and the biggest of feet can safely use the pedals, as well as to identify and address potential design issues that only real-life use and driving will flag up.
Dee says that the wealthy female customers of her luxury fashion boutique, Suzanne, often turn up in an array of supercars, although with bigger purchases they often come back in a large 4x4 to collect the garments.
McLaren has already thought of that sort of detail, it seems.
‘The ergonomics are great, it’s extremely comfortable for me,’ says Dee - Jeff Gilbert
Product manager Heather Fitch has driven thousands of miles in the firm’s supercars, often while wearing high heels, as a member of the evaluation “family”.
“We design our cars to suit everyone. We know there’s a wide spectrum of drivers who buy McLarens and use them in so many conditions,” she says.
The motoring journalist’s view
But it wasn’t always that way. Telegraph motoring expert and journalist Vicky Parrott said: “A few decades ago, supercars still seemed to be designed around men; they really needed to be muscled around and I very much doubt that any thought was given to specifically making them female-friendly.
“Of course there were women who could drive them – and drove them well. But such was life at the time that those who did would have been looked at as exceptions; rebellious and definitely a minority. Today, it’s not at all unusual to see women driving really high-performance stuff.
Vicky Parrott, a motoring expert and journalist, has driven a plethora of supercars over the years - Jay Williams
“Plus, attitudes at the time were that supercars should be difficult to drive. That was almost part of the fun of it, the challenge. Maybe that’s why some 1960s and 70s performance cars were dangerously difficult to drive no matter who you were. But modern design and technical features have recognised that safety has to go hand in hand with performance, so fitting in a car, being comfortable and feeling in control are big contributors towards safety. It applies whether you’re a big bloke or a petite woman.”
An expert eye on the details
Fitch continues: “There are little details in the cars that work really nicely for women. So, for example, in the McLaren GTS we’ve got our largest luggage space, which means you can just lay out your dress on the back shelf and it’s not going to get wrinkled. We could, of course, say that for men’s clothes too.
“It’s important to design for that broad spectrum of people and their height, size, even their foot size and shoe preference. Within that we’ve got females, which is becoming a growing segment of supercar ownership.
“So for me and my role, it’s really important I bring those experiences from all around to make sure we’re making the best products possible.
“I’m quite short at 5ft 4in. I’m also not very strong. But one thing that we test is, for example, how much grip and strength you need to open a door.
Heather Fitch has driven thousands of miles in the firm’s supercars. ‘We design our cars to suit everyone,’ she says - Jeff Gilbert
“I regularly jump in and out of cars, sometimes just to test ergonomics and pedal positions and so on. Sometimes I’ll have to nip out in a car and I only have my heels with me. Situations like that can mean accidental data-gathering from real life circumstances that you would only actually experience there and then.”
Most women will attest that storage space for heels and luggage isn’t their primary complaint when it comes to car manufacturing. McLaren appears delighted that its cars aren’t intimidating, although it would seem obvious to design to suit a wide variety of body sizes. But will Dee agree with its execution?
The moment of truth
Dee slips into the Artura and adjusts the seat; 6ft 1in test driver Gareth Howell has parked the car and Dee seems to move the driver’s seat a yard forwards. She easily closes the vertically-opening door and I can see a briefing going on, fingers pointing at controls and Dee nodding. Unexpectedly quickly the car, in EV mode, pulls away. That looked easy enough.
Despite their differing statures, writer Ian’s 5ft 2in stepmother and 6ft 1in test driver Gareth Howell both comfortably put the McLaren Artura to the test - Jeff Gilbert
Half an hour later, they return. Dee has a big grin, easily climbs out, and says: “That’s my birthday present sorted. I want one.”
Howell wanders across and, out of Dee’s earshot, says: “She is a very good and confident driver, not shy,” seemingly genuinely impressed after the run out in the 671bhp, 205mph Artura around a mix of Surrey roads.
Dee reflects on her drive: “It fitted me beautifully, considering I’m not tall. I preferred the manual mode, but in automatic it was excellent as well. In EV mode it just whispers along. I felt absolutely at home in it, safe and completely in control despite its obvious potential for speed. The ergonomics are great, it’s extremely comfortable for me.
“I’ve driven a lot of cars from tiny to large, luxury ones, and while many of the expensive ones are very, very nice, they can be full of over-complicated controls and hence distractions, which can obviously compromise safety.
“I said to Gareth that I could easily do an eight- or 10-hour journey in one go without even thinking about it, the comfort level is very good, specifically from a woman’s point of view – the location and lightness of the controls, the excellent outwards vision, it’s also very easy to get in and out.
“Not in the least intimidating, I could place it on the road absolutely fine.”
So, did the Artura match McLaren’s claims?
“Yes, I felt that it is clearly designed with women in mind.”
All I need to do now is break the news to my dad about her birthday present...
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