The new McLaren 765LT has commenced production but if you’re looking to buy one, you’re in for a long wait.
The company is manufacturing a total of 765 individually-numbered examples of its most extreme Super Series model globally and its 2020 production run is already sold out.
If you were happy to wait until 2021, you might still miss out – expressions of interest now exceed the total number of cars that’ll be produced.
The most powerful member of the Longtail family, the 765LT features a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft and dry sump lubrication. It produces 562kW of power at 7500rpm and 800Nm of torque at 5500rpm and is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
That’s up 32kW and 30Nm from the 720S, with changes including forged aluminium pistons and a three-layer head gasket shared with the McLaren Senna.
Helped by its light weight – 1339kg, or 80kg lighter than the 720S – the 765LT can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 2.8 seconds and 0-200km/h in 7.0 seconds. Top speed is 330km/h.
As expected from a Longtail, McLaren has deployed numerous weight-saving measures – after all, you can’t spell “lightweight” without “LT”. Changes include thinner glass, a titanium exhaust system that’s 40 per cent lighter than a conventional steel system, and carbon fibre exterior components.
Indeed, the 765LT is awash in carbon fibre, with the front splitter and bumper and rear bumper and diffuser made of the stuff. Even the front licence plate holder is carbon fibre, while the aluminium bonnet, fenders and doors are optionally available in the lightweight material. There’s even an exposed carbon fibre floor.
The air-conditioning and stereo systems have been deleted to save weight, though you can add them back in at no extra cost. The front seats, finished in Alcantara, also feature a carbon fibre shell and are a combined 18kg lighter than those in the 720S. Even lighter-weight carbon fibre seats are optional, borrowed from the Senna.
Numerous performance upgrades have been made over the 720S to make the 765LT. These include LT-specific dampers and lighter-weight suspension springs, quicker ratio electro-hydraulic steering, and a stiffer torsion bar.
The front ride height has been dropped by 5mm while the front track is 6mm wider. The 765LT also features a 48mm longer nose.
In-gear acceleration is 15 per cent quicker than the 720S while aerodynamic downforce is 25 per cent greater due to the new carbon fibre front splitter and active rear wing.
McLaren has resumed production at its Woking plant, where the 765LT is assembled by hand. Global deliveries will begin at the end of this month.
It’s available with a choice of two exterior themes. Strata, inspired by a city skyline, fuses Azores Orange paint with Memphis Red and Cherry Black. The paint job requires 390 hours of hand painting and finishing.
The front brake calipers are painted Volcano Red and the rear ones Azores Orange, while the interior features matching orange and red highlights.
The other theme, called Geohex, mates McLaren Special Operations (MSO) Bespoke Tarmac Black with Tokyo Cyan paint as well as Visual Carbon Fibre components from the MSO Defined range. McLaren is also working on a model with a full carbon fibre body, which will be available in different tints.
While the 765LT comes stripped out as standard, McLaren offers a range of options. These include both a four-speaker sound system and a more expensive Bowers & Wilkins sound system, as well as a surround-view camera, a track telemetry system and an MSO Defined roof scoop to provide additional powertrain cooling.
The 765LT is eligible for the McLaren Extended Warranty newly introduced to Australia, which you can purchase in 12- or 24-month periods until the vehicle is 10 years old to extend your total coverage to up to 12 years.
