FORECOURT
Engine
McLAREN 765LT
The 4.0-litre V8 punches out 754bhp and 800Nm of torque, giving the 765LT a 0-60mph of just 2.7 seconds
McLaren’s latest Longtail car has been designed with the track in mind, so Jack Evans took it round one of the UK’s most famous loops to find out what it’s like.
THE KNOWLEDGE McLaren 765LT
Price (as tested): £280,000 Engine: 4.0-litre V8 Power: 754bhp Torque: 800Nm Max speed: 205mph O-60mph: 2.7 seconds MPG (combined): 24.6 Emissions: 280g/km CO2
WHAT IS IT? This is the latest in the Woking-based firm’s range of Longtail vehicles. They’re essentially cars that bring heightened performance and enhanced aerodynamics over and above the already rather razor-edged regular road cars. Yet while this car is at home on the track, it’s also a full-on road car – just one that happens to top out at 205mph. WHAT’S NEW? The 765LT takes its basic platform and design from McLaren’s current 720S, which is why the two look quite similar – from the front end at least. But swivel round to the back and you’ll find a far more dramatic design with a huge, long ‘tail’ – you can see what they did there – giving additional downforce at the rear. It’s also been on a diet to shed some unwanted pounds over its road-going stablemate. In fact, thanks to lighter seats, more carbon fibre and clever motorsport-inspired polycarbonate glazing – among other measures – the 765LT is 80kg lighter than the 720S. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? You’ve got the same 4.0-litre V8 as you’ll find in the 720S – and a variety of McLarens, in fact – but here it’s been tweaked up to 754bhp and 800Nm of torque, which are sizeable figures for a car that only weighs slightly more than a Ford Fiesta. Zero to 60mph? That’ll take just 2.7 seconds. Zero to 124mph takes a frankly astounding seven seconds. Flat out, it’ll do 207mph, and from our experience, the 765LT wouldn’t take awfully long to reach that top speed. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? Our first opportunity to drive the 765LT was on track – at Silverstone in fact – so we’ll have to leave our road-based conclusions at the door for now. But at the circuit, even on a wet and soggy autumn day, the McLaren feels utterly unhinged. There’s the performance for starters, which pins you back to the seat with the merest prod of the throttle, while the steering, bristling and alive, forces you to wrestle the car around the bends. Act a little cavalier with the accelerator and the 765LT will make you fully aware of it, although there’s balance there to help manage the slide. The shifts feel razor-sharp and ping into place with a ‘thunk’, which only adds to the brutal nature of the car overall.
28 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
