And six have already been sold. We preview the latest roided-out, lightweight, limited edition McLaren Longtail 

SINGAPORE

McLaren’s latest Longtail is here – the 765LT. It costs S$1.6-million without options or a Certificate of Entitlement (COE). 

The 765LT is based on the 720S supercar, and boasts an 80kg weight reduction, 765PS (755hp) from an uptuned engine, as well as improved aerodynamics and handling, and improvements borrowed directly from the McLaren Senna hypercar. 

Longtails, or LT models, are McLaren’s higher-performance, driver-focused versions of its sports cars, analogous to Ferrari’s special series cars, including the 458 Speciale and 488 Pista, or Lamborghini’s SV models. Previous LT models include the 600LT and 675LT. If you’re wondering, the Prancing Horse’s F8 Tributo-based competitor to the 765LT hasn’t been revealed yet.

765 units will be made worldwide, with a limited number bound for Singapore. McLaren Singapore says six are already spoken for here. 

To raise the output of the M840T 4.0-litre biturbo V8 engine (mounted behind the driver) to 755hp and 800Nm of torque, the 765LT takes forged pistons, special gaskets and carbon-coated valves (all from the McLaren Senna), new fuel and oil pump, more tuning and a quad-ended titanium exhaust system.

It’s mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (also upgraded to shift 15 percent quicker than the one in the 720S does) allowing the car to blitz from 0-100km/h in 2.8-seconds, 0-200km in 7.2-seconds, on to its 330km/h top speed. 

In chassis terms, the car’s front end is 5mm lower and has a 6mm wider track, with a revised setup with new springs for the linked-hydraulic Proactive Chassis Control II suspension system. McLaren also says it derived algorithms from the Senna and Speedtail models to use in the 765LT as well.  

It’s not just power and handling that McLaren worked on, but weight. It says the car is some 80kg lighter than the already svelte 720S . With various mass-reducing measures including the titanium exhaust, forged aluminium wheels with titanium nuts (shod with super-sticky Pirelli Trofeo R tyres), thinner glass and a polycarbonate engine window, it weighs 1,339kg or around 20kg more than a Toyota Corolla Altis. 

Note that the air-conditioning and radio are not present, so speccing them back in will add mass, and you’ll definitely want the former here in Singapore. 

If you stretch your wallet, McLaren says with all the weight-saving options it goes down to mere 1,229kg dry weight, including switching the bonnet, fenders, and doors from aluminium to carbonfibre, though we daresay that would push the past the S$2-million mark, all-in.

How about an everyday McLaren that won’t rip your neck off? Here’s the McLaren GT

How? Well, the display unit shown (the prototype car,  numbered 000 of 765) and it has a lot more exterior carbonfibre parts than the standard car as listed below. If it were sold here, it would cost S$2-million with all the options shown below, and a COE. 

If your jaw just dropped at the amount spent on options alone, keep in mind that the prices are high not just because this is an official options list, but also because optional parts count as part of a car’s Open Market Value (OMV) here, and are subject to the same taxes (ARF, GST, etc).

If you have an unlimited budget, or imagination, you can fiddle around with McLaren’s 765LT configurator here.

The original F1 GTR Longtail was made to improve LeMans lap times through aerodynamics, and in the 765LT you can see the link, since it has a substantially improved aero package and appearance over the 720S.

You can’t see the new underbody tray, but it’s much harder to miss the larger front splitter, the side skirts, and the massive rear wing. The wing is an active aero element, not only improving airflow to the engine bay, but also increasing stability while braking. Overall the 765LT generates a quarter more downforce than the 720S does.  

If you have S$1.6-million under the mattress, can you get one? Not necessarily: 765LT orders aren’t just open to any old Joe – you have to be a current or previous McLaren owner to qualify for the line. Deliveries of the 765LT are expected to start early 2021, barring any (more) world-ending disasters.