Less than two years after it introduced the 600LT, supposedly the range-topping model within the Sports Series lineup, McLaren launched a sportier and even more powerful variant, the 620R. It's essentially a road-legal version of the 570S GT4 race car, and McLaren claims that it handles, performs, and feels like one. The 2021 620R is the most powerful Sports Series model, but it's also the most exclusive, with production set to hit only 350 units. Pricing starts from a whopping $299,000.

The 2021 McLaren 620R looks like a race car

The 620R looks almost identical to its GT4 sibling. Up front, we can see the same bumper design with fine mesh on the center outlet, sweptback canards on the sides, a big splitter, and nostrils in the carbon-fiber hood. The hood openings seem a bit smaller than the GT4's, so that's a small difference you may notice upon close inspection.

The profile is also similar to the GT4, down to the aggressive side skirts, the big vents in the doors, and the ride height. The seats feature a different design, and they come wrapped in semi-slick tires as standard. It's difficult to tell the 620R and 570S GT4 apart from the rear if we ignore the license plate and the brake light on the wing. The latter was added in order to make the racing wing legal. Speaking of that, the adjustable carbon-fiber element is set to the least aggressive of its three available angles as standard. This optimizes front and rear balance for road driving.

However, you can opt for a more aggressive angle for the wing as long as you take the car to a McLaren retailer for the operation. The North American model can be equipped with a unique MSO package that add a glossy visual carbon-fiber roof with a roof scoop.

The 2021 McLaren 620R is the most powerful Sports Series yet

This means that it features a handful of race-spec upgrades. And, because it's not subject to racing regulations, it generates more oomph that its counterpart from 570S GT4.

That's an extra 48 horsepwoer and 14 pound-feet compared to the 570S road car. Impressively enough, it also generates more oomph than the 3.8-liter V-8 in the 600LT. Although torque is similar at 457 pound-feet, the 600LT comes with 592 horses on tap, so the 620R benefits from an extra 18 horses. This makes it the most powerful vehicle the Sports Series.

The extra oomph also makes the 620R the quickest in the lineup. The race-ready sports car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, which is four-tenths quicker than the 570S and a tenth-second faster than the 600LT. The sprint to 124 mph takes 8.1 seconds, also a tenth-second quicker than the 600LT. On the flipside, the 620R's top speed is inferior to both the 570S and 600LT, which are rated at 204 mph. Due to its more radical aerodynamics, the 620R tops out at 200 mph, four mph lower.

But the 620R isn't just about a more powerful engine. A racecar underneath, it comes with the 570S GT4's two-way adjustable coilover dampers, aluminum wishobones, and stiffer anti-roll bars. Stopping power comes from track-focused carbon-ceramic discs front and rear and aluminum calipers at all four corners.

The 2021 McLaren 620R is quite expensive

Limited to only 350 units, the 620R is not only exclusive but expensive as well. Pricing for this track-ready coupe starts from $299,000, which makes it the most expensive Sports Series model, including when compared to the race-spec 570S GT4, which retails from less than $250,000. It also costs $50,000 more than the 600LT and a whopping $100,000 more than the 570S. Actually the 620S is just as expensive as the 720S, which retails from around $300,000 in the U.S.