Meet the new McLaren 600LT, which the Woking-based brand says “marks the beginning of the next chapter” in its Longtail story.
McLaren says production of the new 600LT will “strictly limited”, kicking off in October 2018 and lasting for around 12 months, with build slots scheduled around existing Sports and Super Series models, as well as the Senna, Senna GTR and BP23.
The British automaker says the 600LT is the “fastest, most powerful and most track-focused” (yet road legal) Sports Series model it has ever created. Based on the 570S Coupé, the new model is 74 mm longer, with an extended front splitter, lengthened rear diffuser and fixed rear wing.
Power again comes from a twin-turbocharged 3,8-litre V8 engine that McLaren says benefits from an uprated cooling system and reduced back pressure in an exhaust system that is “even shorter and more extreme” than that of the Senna. Peak power comes in at 441 kW and maximum torque at 620 N.m, up from the 570S Coupé’s 419 kW and 600 N.m.
Weight-saving measures (including new carbon-fibre bodywork) see the 600LT tip the scales at 96 kg lighter than the 570S Coupé, while the brand says top-exit exhausts ensure that the new LT model has a “distinct aesthetic appearance that identifies it as something particularly special”.
Inside, McLaren describes the cabin as “minimalist” and “track-focused”, using the carbon-fibre racing seats first seen on the P1 along with plenty of Alcantara trim. Should you wish to shed further weight, McLaren offers a range of options (with every lightweight option fitted, the 600LT will come in dry at just 1 247 kg).
The new model furthermore features the forged aluminium double-wishbone suspension and lightweight braking system from the second-generation McLaren Super Series, along with bespoke Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres. Quicker steering, sharpened throttle and brake responses and “significantly firmer” engine mounts are also part of the package.
“The McLaren 600LT is only the fourth ‘Longtail’ McLaren in more than two decades. The McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ that began the lineage was one of the purest race cars in modern motorsport history,” said Mike Flewitt, chief executive officer at McLaren Automotive.
“The 675LT resurrected the revered name, creating the purest distillation of the sheer driving pleasure embodied by all McLaren cars. Now we are further extending our very special LT family – albeit in limited numbers – and once again showcasing the ethos of optimised aerodynamics, increased power, reduced weight, track-focused dynamics and enhanced driver engagement that are the hallmarks of a McLaren ‘Longtail’,” he added.
