If a new Porsche 911 comes on the market, you can bet that there will also be a GT3 variant. That special track-oriented model is lighter than the original and also more powerful. Several manufacturers are now using the same trick. The Ferrari 488 GTB was also available as a Pista, the Lamborghini Huracán can be bought as a Performante and McLaren has started betting on LT versions of its sports cars.
McLaren 765LT Spider has a ‘Long Tail’
LT stands for ‘Long Tail’. The expression harks back to the McLaren F1 Long Tail, which was used during the Le Mans 24 Hours in the 1990s. The racing F1s were actually a lot longer than the street variants (especially for aerodynamics). With the McLaren 600LT (based on the 570S), 675LT (based on the 650S) and this new 765LT Spider, you have to look for the long tail. They all have a wing that extends a little further back. And that’s the difference in length.
From standstill to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds
The McLaren 765LT is based on the McLaren 720S. Both have a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. In the 720S, the block delivers 720 horsepower, in the 765LT – you guessed it – 765 horsepower. The Spider version of the 765LT goes from standstill to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, to 200 km/h in 7.2 seconds (!) and has a top speed of 330 km/h. He weighs 1388 kilos. And that is a saving of 80 kilos compared to the 720S Spider.
Competition from Lamborghini Huracán Performante
The McLaren 675LT Spider hardly has any competition. Lamborghini delivers the 640 hp Huracán Performante Spyder, which weighs about 120 kilos more than the McLaren and sprints to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds (would you notice the difference?). The Ferrari F8 Spider is rather an opponent of the McLaren 720S Spider. But in time there will also be a Speciale, Pista, Scuderia or Challenge Stradale version (whatever Ferrari will call it).