It didn’t take McLaren->ke284 very long to sell all 500 of the 675LTs->ke5052 that it will build. If it seems like 675LT was only recently introduced, that’s because it was; a little over two months ago, to be exact, at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.->ke228 By comparison it took nearly eight months to sell all 375 examples of the P1->ke4608 hypercar.->ke177 Nice work, McLaren. The news comes courtesy of GT Spirit, who confirmed the report with McLaren.
Inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR “Long Tail” that was built as a homologation special in 1997, the 675LT is the second-fastest road car McLaren has ever built, second only to the P1. It’s a lighter, more powerful variant of the 650S,->ke4801 which is already pretty light and powerful to begin with. McLaren says roughly a third of the car’s components were replaced or modified, reducing weight by about 220 pounds. The now familiar 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-8 produces an additional 25 horsepower, bringing its total to 666 (675 metric horsepower).
While it’s not quite as outrageously proportioned as the original “Long Tail,” it does sport a more protrusive, sculpted front splitter and a larger rear spoiler that also acts as an airbrake. With these enhancements, the 675LT represents the pinnacle of McLaren’s Super Series, but now that it’s run is effectively over, what’s next for the Super Series?
Continue reading to learn more about the McLaren 675LT.
Why it matters
McLaren’s Super Series platform evolved from the MP4-12C,->ke3514 which was McLaren’s first road car since the F1.->ke1159 It’s been around since 2011, and thanks to aggressive development, the newer 650S, 650S Spider and 675LT variants have been more than able keep pace with the competition. Expect this evolution to continue with even faster Super Series cars debuting over the next few years. A track-ready version, perhaps called the 700RS, seems like a plausible direction.
Looking further ahead, current rumors suggest a new Sports Series platform, codenamed P16, is currently in development and scheduled for a 2017 release, later spawning spider and possibly faster GTS cars. Using lessons learned from the P1 program, there’s also a good chance the next Super Series will have a hybrid-electric powertrain that possibly incorporates a new downsized 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V-6.
We’re sure to learn more about the next Sports Series in the coming months, so watch this space. And, if you missed out on buying a 675LT, just sit tight for something even faster that’s probably not far off.
2016 McLaren 675LT
Read our full review here.