Northamptonshire, UK – As I climbed into the 675LT for my track session at the Silverstone International Circuit, my heart was pounding in my chest. The driving instructor handed me the headset cable that needed to be plugged into my helmet… it was the only way we could communicate when the McLaren was out on the track, because the LT’s bespoke exhaust system creates nothing short of a cacophony.
Although I hadn’t driven on the circuit before, there was no time to get acquainted with the track layout because we were afforded just five flying laps. Therefore I was aggressive with the throttle from the onset and the the 675LT’s acceleration was astounding. As the McLaren screamed down the pit straight at over 220 km/h, Copse Corner loomed. The instructor commanded me to “brake hard” and I hit the pedal while downshifting to fourth gear, the last action accentuated by a percussive crack from the exhaust. The car turned in beautifully while indicating 160 km/h and the neutral attitude changed to slight oversteer upon corner exit with almost 500 kW overwhelming the sticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo rubber… Exciting? You bet.
Longtail?
Let’s start by removing the elephant from the room – LT is an abbreviation for Longtail and is a nod to the original McLaren F1 Longtail that won Le Mans in the Nineties. The extended rear quarters of the original car (to aid aerodynamics) were responsible for the name. So is the new car any longer than the 650S? Yes, by about 37 mm. “That is not the point”, said Mark Vinnels, McLaren’s executive director of product development. “The LT badge is synonymous with lightweight, optimised aerodynamics, increased power, track-focused dynamics and driver engagement.”
What about the 650S?
I had the opportunity to drive the McLaren 650S on the roads outside Silverstone just before getting in to the 675LT. The former is a polished and accomplished supercar. Its ride (in comfort mode) rivals that of a Golf 7, the driving position and visibility are best-in-class and, of course, the S delivers bursts of phenomenal pace whenever required. The negatives? It is a bit clinical in its execution and arguably lacks the personality of its Italian-made rivals. If being “too perfect” is the 650S’ biggest failing, can the new 675LT stir the soul in a way that its sibling can’t?
Ethos of LT
When I spoke to Mark Gaydon, the project manager of the 675LT, he pointed out that the biggest challenge was to reduce the newcomer’s mass compared to that of the already lightweight 650S. McLaren looked at each component on the bill of material and shaved grams where possible. For example: the windscreen glass is 1 mm thinner and saves 3 kg, the new crossover titanium exhausts exhaust saves 1,1 kg and extensive use of carbon-fibre body panels saves around 35 kg. Even the 650S’ air-conditioning system (11 kg) is omitted, but it’s a no cost option if the owner insist on specifying it (I would certainly tick the box as the cabin got very hot during the road drive section). The end result is a 100-kg weight saving over the 650S; the 675LT tips the scales at 1 230 kg – it’s the lightest in class by some margin.
Grip and more grip
In terms of aerodynamic efficiency, the 675LT offers 40% more downforce than the 650S, which is astounding! The increase can be attributed to the large front splitter (replete with endplates), active rear wing (which also functions as an airbrake and is 50% larger than the 650S’) and optimised rear diffuser. The suspension geometry mimics that of the P1 and the end result is car with prodigious grip. I can attest to LT’s phenomenal roadholding because my neck muscles ached after the session; it was a level of fatigue I hadn’t experienced after any previous track drives…
Firepower
The engine has also received a major upgrade. The M838TL unit features 50% new components and although the output is only 19 kW higher, McLaren endeavoured to make the engine more responsive and linear in its performance characteristics. Changes include, inter alia, lighter conrods, altered camshafts and a new turbo compressor wheel. Combined with the lighter mass, the car offers crushing straight-line performance. When I drove the car on a public road outside Silverstone the vicious acceleration was even more apparent than on the circuit. Hit the throttle and hold on as the scenery fast-forwards in a blur and the exhaust snarls in anger. The shove is relentless and the 40-millisecond gearshifts announce themselves with gunshot-like bangs owing to the utilisation of ignition cutting. The rapid seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission is the benchmark in the supercar category and the performance of the carbon ceramic brakes is, in some ways, more impressive than the acceleration: the vehicle stops dead from 200 km/h in just 4,5 seconds.
Track focused
The 675LT is the most track-focused road car that McLaren has produced bar the P1. Prospective owners can enjoy track days and monitor their progress with a new track application on the infotainment screen that shows lap times and even relays sector timing compared with the fastest lap in real time. My instructor had time to monitor my green and red sectors, but my eyes were firmly focused on the track during my driving stint. Fortunately all the data can be downloaded for post-race analysis.
Conclusion
To summarise: the 675LT is a 650S with all its performance-related attributes turned up as high as they can go. The McLaren offers a rawer, more involving experience than the 650S and feels just that bit more special. It is more compromised on the road than the 650S (owing to stiffer spring rates and a more vocal exhaust), but the lucky few owners (all 500 units of the car are already spoken for) will not mind those compromises owing to the car’s impressive technical prowess. Most importantly, the LT has more soul than any 12C or 650S – and that might be its defining quality.
FAST FACTS
McLaren 675LT
Price: R6 500 000 (depending on exchange rate)
Engine: 3,8-litre, V8, turbopetrol
Power: 497 kW @ 7 100 r/min
Torque: 700 N.m @ 5 500-6 000 r/min
Trans: 7-spd dual-clutch
0-100 km/h: 2,9 secs*
0-200 km/h: 7,9 secs*
0-300 km/h: 22,5 secs*
Top speed: 330 km/h
Fuel consumption: 11,7 L/100 km *
CO2: 275 g/km*
*Claimed figures
