Want to get behind the wheel of McLaren’s leanest, meanest Super Series car? Best get saving.
The 2021 McLaren 765LT will be priced at $609,650 before on-road costs in Australia, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get your hands on one.
McLaren says production is “fully allocated”, but it’s still fielding phone calls from customers who want a car.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed, a drop-top version of the 765LT is likely to follow the coupe.
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.
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.
