McLaren 765LT makes more than 750 HP, weighs less than 3000 pounds

A third of an inch is not much. But it is enough that McLaren uses the Longtail brand that the company reserves for the members most attentive to the clan. At the rear, the 765LT, which was to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, which is now canceled, is only 0.4 inches longer than the 720S on which it is based. Don't worry: other changes are much more convincing.

There was never any doubt that we would see a successor to the 2015 675LT, the 11 version of the 650S. Indeed, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt admitted that an LT version of the 720S was in the plan when this car was first presented in 2017. Flewitt's promises would be lighter, more powerful and a sharp chassis dynamics were all delivered.

McLaren

McLaren

As the name of the 765LT suggests, the increase in power over the extremely powerful 720S has been relatively modest. McLaren uses metric horses rather than American corn-fed units, with 765 PS translating to 754 horsepower. The LT uses the same basic 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine as the S, but has a larger capacity fuel pump, forged aluminum pistons, and a three-cylinder head gasket layers of the McLaren Senna. It also exhales through a smoother titanium exhaust system with a line of four exhaust outlets, which dominate the rear view of the car and have a caliber large enough to occupy most of the space. 39; space between rear lights.

While offline performance will be similar to that of the 720S – the official time of 2.7 seconds from zero to 60 mph is only a tenth faster – the difference becomes larger at speeds higher. McLaren says the 765LT will be able to go from rest to 124 mph in 7.2 seconds, which is 1.2 seconds in 720S official time for the same benchmark. Part of the improvement comes from the reduction of the gears in the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. McLaren engineers say it improved acceleration by 15%, at the cost of a slightly lower top speed: 205 mph, achieved in seventh, against the Vmax of 211 mph from the 720S in sixth.

The changes on the other side of the balance sheet of the 765LT are even more impressive, with a weight saving of 176 pounds compared to the 720S, which is already the lightest car in its segment. Reaching the curb weight of 2952 pounds announced by McLaren would mean ordering a car in its lightest configuration and forgoing both entertainment and air conditioning options at zero cost. It is something, McLaren admits, that only a tiny fraction of previous LT model buyers have done. But even with the 25.3 pound penalty to account for both systems, the car is still below 3,000 pounds in official figures; for reference, we weighed a fully powered 720 at 3161 pounds.

Slim down

The mass has been razed to the ground in many areas. McLaren says the 765's lightweight racing seats save 39.7 pounds; ultralight wheels remove 48.5 pounds; light glazing, including the rear side polycarbonate window, level 13.2 pounds; a light battery cuts an additional 13.2 pounds; and the carpet removal covers 5.3 pounds. Buyers will also be able to shed 26.5 pounds beyond the overall figure at an additional cost by choosing even lighter seats that are about the same as those fitted to the Senna, and also by replacing the fiber carbon by aluminum on the hood, door handles and front and rear fenders.

The overall weight saving has been made more difficult by the fact that some features have actually added mass, including improved brakes using the same calipers as the McLaren Senna. With an improved booster, these add 9.3 lbs. Buyers will also be able to upgrade to Senna discs at an additional cost, which would have four times the thermal conductivity of what we now need to consider as simple ordinary carbon ceramic. Using them, McLaren says the 765LT will be able to stop from 124 mph to stop in less than 360 feet.

Suspension changes involve a slight reduction (0.2 inch) in the front ride height and the use of lightweight main springs with secondary auxiliary units, which help to save a modest amount of mass compared to larger ones 720S double rate springs: 3.3 pounds in diameter the car. Spring rates were increased during the 720S; registers have also been set up. The proactive chassis control system that combats roll with laterally linked hydraulic units has also been upgraded to better withstand the use of high load circuits. Although the tire dimensions are unchanged from the 720S – 235 / 35ZR-19 at the front and 305 / 30ZR-20 at the rear – the 765LT will come standard on Pirelli Trofeo R rubber from track.

The 765LT achieves a more aggressive aerodynamic package, both to increase its ability to shape and harvest the downforce of the passing airflow, but also to demonstrate its superiority over lesser supercars. The vents integrated into the top of the front fenders are reminiscent of those used by Porsche for the GT2 RS and GT3 RS, with a larger front splitter and a longer active wing element at the rear, these are just a few- one of the first components to be manufactured at the company's recently opened composite plant in Sheffield. Although we are told that the LT produces 25% more support than the 720S, McLaren did not give overall figures for the two cars.

Buyers will have a much more raw experience than that offered by the 720S. The LT loses much of its sister's sound insulation and has a thinner glass; the engine mounts have also been reinforced, which McLaren recognizes will have an impact on the refinement of the car while improving performance. We are also promised that the new exhaust system has been designed to create "high level sound content optimized to create an acute and engaging note which becomes more and more clear as it is built". Good news for those who love their noisy and angry supercars.

The 675LT is now considered one of the best McLaren models of the early era, and the 600LT was extremely popular in the United States, where around 500 were sold in cut and spider versions. McLaren to limit production of 765LT to 765 cars worldwide – US will likely account for 30 to 40 percent of that total – with sticker set at around $ 375,000 and deliveries from October .

It is a very serious price for a very serious car.