Meet the new elusive and seductive McLaren 675 LT

By Matt Joy

August 14 2015, 4:44 pm

2015 McLaren 675LT

There’s always room for improvement, even in the world of supercars. McLaren goes hunting with its lighter, more powerful and faster 675 LT.

Creating an even faster, track-ready version of an existing supercar could be achieved very quickly – and cynically; an engine tweak here, a bigger wing there.

But that’s not how McLaren has gone about creating the limited run 675 LT. The Long Tail name references the F1 Long Tails created for further dominance in motorsport, and this road car is designed to work on the track too.

There’s more power, but from an engine that is 50% new, 100kg less weight thanks to extreme measures like a slimmed-down wiring loom, improved aerodynamics which also give the 675 a distinct look compared to its 650S sibling, and some clever features like the track telemetry app so you can play at being an F1 driver.

McLaren’s first road car of recent times was pretty and functional, but during the intervening years the style and impact of each model has consistently improved.

The 675 LT is both dramatic and attractive, with the aero package adding to the race car look. It gives the bigger (and much more expensive) P1 a run for its money in terms of looks.

On the image front there’s very little to touch the 675 LT. Not only does it benefit from being limited to just 500 examples, the racing pedigree can’t be bought.

You’ll want to leave the shopping at home, although if you’re a bit of a show-off you can head for the local supermarket and return with 144 litres of goodies.

More importantly the cabin space is good; the dihedral doors open up and away, and although the bucket seats are slim and require a little care, once you’re in, the driving position is excellent and the view out is good.

There are also a few areas to store odds and ends, even cup holders, but you won’t want to use those if you’re exploiting the performance.

The 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 delivers 666bhp (675PS in metric, hence the name) and 516lb/ft of torque, and with a kerb weight of just 1,230kg the performance is utterly spectacular.

A sub-3 second to 62mph is a given, but the 0-124mph time of 7.9 seconds is borderline ludicrous.

It might be turbocharged but the engine is hugely flexible and responsive, and in the right engine mode the quick-snap gearchanges are accompanied by glorious pops from the exhaust.

The way the 675 LT behaves on road and track is equally stunning. With the scant restrictions of the track to worry about you can revel in the grip, the balance and the delicacy of its behaviour, even at high speeds and with big g-forces.

As well as the aero changes the 675 has tweaked ESP settings that are separate from the Handling mode, so you can have softer suspension on the road but still with a loose safety net or the complete opposite on the track. It’s surprisingly friendly yet enormously involving, and of course huge fun.

There is a substantial premium for the 675 LT over the 650S, but it’s worth remembering how much of the car is different.

The unique exterior, revised suspension, lightweight parts and extra performance give a notably different feel from its sister car. Even the telemetry system, which gives you the kind of data level that Mr Button and Mr Alonso get to play with at weekends adds to the experience.

And say it quietly, but a car like this limited to just 500 worldwide won’t lose too much money in a hurry.

Any lucky so-and-so in the fortunate position to buy one should be queuing up for a 675 LT.

There’s always a market for ‘everyday’ supercars but over and above that the track-focused versions are seemingly more in demand; the idea being you can drive your steed to the track, enjoy some hot laps and drive it home again, all without having to do anything other than fill it with fuel.

You’ll need to be on good terms with your McLaren dealer though; apparently all 500 are spoken for.