Three years after introducing the 720S nameplate at the 2017 Geneva auto show, McLaren Automotive has rolled out a lighter, more powerful variant.
Under the British exotic’s Longtail nomenclature, the 765LT is powered by a twin-turbo V-8 engine with 755 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque, compared with the standard 720S’s 710 hp and 537 pound-feet of torque.
The 765LT was scheduled to debut at the Geneva auto show before the event was canceled last week. It joins the 720S coupe and convertible in the brand’s Super Series of models.
Keeping in line with recent LT variants such as the 600LT and 600LT Spider convertible, the 765LT sheds weight off the car it is based on.
McLaren says it shaved 176 pounds off the 720S coupe to bring the 765LT’s weight to 2,952 pounds. Design elements such as a titanium exhaust system, a thinner windshield and thinner side window glass all contributed to weight savings.
Additionally, air conditioning and an audio system were removed, though McLaren noted that customers can order those features back into the car at no extra cost.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the 765LT is the use of carbon fiber. There’s simply a lot of the lightweight material.
The front splitter, front bumper, side skirts, front floor, rear bumper, rear diffuser and rear wing are all made of carbon fiber. The automaker said the rear bumper, front floor and rear wing are manufactured at the McLaren Composites Technology Center—the first time components made there will be on a McLaren road car.
McLaren says it will build 765 units. Deliveries are to begin in September.
Pricing was not announced, but if the 600LT coupe and convertible are any indication, the 765LT’s price tag will carry a significant increase over the standard 720S’s starting price of $297,100, including shipping.
The 765LT follows the Elva, 620R, and GT in McLaren’s rollout of its Track 25 business plan.
