McLaren 570S, 540C & 570GT Suspension & Brake Guide

McLaren Sports Series suspension and brake upgrades are the smartest money you can spend on a 2015–2021 570S, 540C or 570GT. These cars left Woking with a brilliant MonoCell II carbon tub, a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 making 533–562 hp, and genuinely capable adaptive dampers — but the factory ride height is conservative, and the carbon-ceramic brakes cost a fortune to service. The good news: a handful of bolt-on parts transform the stance and cut running costs without touching the electronics. At NLP Performance we ship these upgrades nationwide from Tampa, FL, and in this guide we break down the KW H.A.S. spring kit and the GiroDisc rotor lineup so you can pick the right combination for your car.

Why Upgrade the McLaren 570S, 540C & 570GT Chassis?

The McLaren Sports Series is one of the best-handling platforms of the last decade, but it is built to a factory compromise. The 570S makes 562 hp and 443 lb-ft from the M838TE twin-turbo V8, hits 60 mph in roughly 3.1 seconds, and tops out near 204 mph; the 540C dials that back to 533 hp and 398 lb-ft, while the 570GT keeps the 562 hp figure with a softer, more touring-focused setup. All three ride on double wishbones with adaptive dampers and Normal, Sport and Track handling modes.

Two things hold the platform back for owners who want more. First, the OEM ride height sits high to protect the front splitter and clear speed bumps — great for daily use, less so for stance or track work. Second, most 570S cars shipped with carbon-ceramic (CCM) brakes; they are fantastic when new but ruinously expensive to replace, and pad choice is limited. Address both with the right springs and rotors and the car looks and stops dramatically better while keeping every factory feature intact.

McLaren Sports Series Chassis Upgrades Compared

Here are the four upgrades we recommend most, at a glance. The KW H.A.S. kit is our top pick for every Sports Series car; the GiroDisc rotor you choose depends on whether your car left the factory with carbon-ceramic (CCM) or iron brakes.

KW H.A.S. Height-Adjustable Springs: The Best McLaren 570S Suspension Upgrade

The KW H.A.S. (Height Adjustable Spring) kit is the best suspension upgrade for the McLaren Sports Series because it lowers the car on the factory adaptive dampers while keeping every electronic feature working. Unlike a fixed-height lowering spring, the H.A.S. system uses a threaded adjuster so you can dial in your exact ride height — and change it later — without buying a full coilover. KW builds the springs from chrome-silicon steel with rates matched specifically to each OE damper and corner weight, so ride quality and the Normal/Sport/Track modes stay intact.

Because the H.A.S. kit reuses the OE dampers, it keeps the factory adaptive electronics, comfort settings and driver-assist systems fully operational — something a conventional coilover cannot promise on these cars. KW also includes vehicle-specific bump stops with a dust-protection system to shield the standard suspension from road grime. The result is a lower, more planted 570S or 570GT that still rides like a McLaren on the street. Expect to spend around $2,500 for the kit; professional installation and a corner-balance alignment are money well spent on a supercar.

GiroDisc 2-Piece Rotors for Carbon-Ceramic (CCM) 570S & 570GT

If your 570S or 570GT has carbon-ceramic brakes, GiroDisc's slotted 2-piece rotors are the upgrade that saves you the most money over time. This is an "iron conversion" — you replace the fragile, four-figure carbon-ceramic discs with a serviceable 2-piece iron rotor that bolts an aluminum center hat to a cast-iron friction ring. When the ring wears out, you replace only the ring, not the whole assembly, and you gain access to a far wider range of street and track brake pads than CCM allows. The directional curved slots help degas the pad and keep the friction surface clean under repeated hard stops.

GiroDisc Front Rotors for Iron-Brake 540C & 570GT

Not every Sports Series car has carbon-ceramics. The 540C and many 570GT cars run steel/iron brakes from the factory, and for those GiroDisc offers a 380mm 2-piece slotted front rotor that includes the necessary spacers. It is a direct upgrade over the one-piece OE iron disc: lighter rotating mass, better cooling from the directional vanes, and the same replaceable-ring architecture as the CCM conversion, so future rotor refreshes cost far less than buying complete OE assemblies. At around $1,500 for the front axle it is the most affordable brake upgrade in this guide.

What to Expect After Installation

The biggest visual change comes from the springs. Dropping a Sports Series car onto the KW H.A.S. kit tightens the gap between tire and fender, plants the stance, and gives the 570S the aggressive silhouette McLaren's designers clearly intended but had to soften for real-world ground clearance. Because the ride height is set with a threaded adjuster rather than a fixed spring perch, you can go aggressive for shows and events, then raise the car slightly for daily driving or steep driveways — all without swapping parts. Owners consistently tell us the car feels more connected turning in, with less initial body roll, while retaining the compliant secondary ride that makes these McLarens usable on rough pavement.

On the brakes, the payoff is both immediate and long-term. Swapping worn carbon-ceramics for GiroDisc 2-piece iron rotors restores strong, consistent pedal feel and lets you run a proper track pad without cooking a set of six-figure-mile CCM discs. The floating 2-piece design also trims rotating and unsprung mass compared to a heavy one-piece OE iron rotor, which sharpens steering response and helps the suspension keep the tire planted. Most importantly for owners who actually drive their cars, the replaceable-ring architecture means the next brake service costs a fraction of an OE assembly — the single biggest reason our customers make the switch.

How to Choose the Right Combination

Start with the springs. Every 540C, 570S and 570GT benefits from the KW H.A.S. kit — it is the one upgrade that changes how the car looks and drives while preserving the factory adaptive suspension, so it is our universal first pick. Then match the rotors to your brakes: if your car has carbon-ceramics, the GiroDisc iron conversion (front and rear, roughly $1,900–$2,000 per axle) is about long-term cost control and pad selection. If your car already has iron brakes, the 380mm front kit near $1,500 is a straightforward lightweight upgrade.

Check which brake system your car has before ordering — carbon-ceramic calipers and iron calipers use different rotor part numbers, and the w/CCM and w/o CCM GiroDisc kits are not interchangeable. If you are unsure, our Tampa team can confirm the correct fitment from your VIN. Related upgrades worth browsing include our full suspension collection and coilover options for owners who want separately adjustable damping.