McLaren 675 LT

675LT figures at a glance

By our calculation the V8 delivers about 131 kW per litre, and the coupé carries only 2.5 kg of dry weight per kW. For comparison, the 650S it is based on needed about 2.8 kg per kW on the same dry basis. Our power-to-weight calculator lets you check other supercars the same way, and the car comparison tool puts two of them side by side.

What "LT" means at McLaren

LT stands for Longtail. The original was the McLaren F1 GT of 1997, a road car with extended front and rear bodywork that McLaren built so that the F1 GTR racing car could use the same long body under FIA homologation rules.

When the name returned in 2015, McLaren turned it into a recipe for its road cars: a longer body with more aerodynamic bodywork, less weight, more power and a sharper chassis. The 675LT was the first of these modern Longtails. The McLaren 600LT applied the same idea to the Sports Series in 2018, and the McLaren 765LT followed in 2020 with the 720S as its base.

How the 675LT differs from the 650S

McLaren described the 675LT as a reworked car rather than a 650S with a power upgrade. The main changes over the McLaren 650S were:

• Engine: more than half of the powertrain components replaced, including revised turbochargers, a new camshaft, lighter connecting rods, a higher-flow fuel pump and a titanium exhaust. Output rose from 478 to 496 kW.
• Weight: 100 kg less, using carbon fibre for the front bumper and splitter, underbody, side skirts, rear wings, rear deck, diffuser and Airbrake.
• Aerodynamics: an Airbrake 50% larger than on other Super Series cars and 40% more downforce in total.
• Chassis: front track widened by 20 mm and springs about 27% stiffer at the front and 63% stiffer at the rear, according to the Spider launch data.
• Gearbox and tyres: faster shift software for the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, which McLaren said gave up to 6% more grip than the 650S's P Zero Corsa.

The old version of this page also gave 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes, which match the cars offered at auction today.

Inside: stripped but usable

The cabin follows the same idea of saving weight. McLaren fitted carbon-shell racing seats, used Alcantara on most surfaces and gave the steering wheel an Alcantara rim with carbon spokes. A front luggage compartment remains, as in the 650S, so the car can still carry a weekend bag. The old version of this page described the central portrait touchscreen for navigation and media and the carbon-framed door mirrors, both carried over from the 650S family.

Performance in numbers

The 675LT is not much faster than the 650S at the top end. Its advantage is acceleration and grip: it reaches 200 km/h about half a second sooner, and it was designed to lap a circuit faster thanks to the extra downforce and lower weight.

Coupé, Spider and special versions

Coupé. McLaren announced the car in February 2015 and limited it to 500. By July 2015 the whole run was sold, at 259,500 pounds before options such as additional carbon parts.

Spider. Revealed online in December 2015, also limited to 500, with deliveries from the summer of 2016. Its folding hard top adds about 40 kg. Top speed is quoted as 326–327 km/h, depending on the source, and 0–200 km/h takes 8.1 seconds.

Carbon Series Spider. 25 cars with about 40% more carbon-fibre body panels than the standard Spider.

MSO HS. A McLaren Special Operations version based on the 675LT and inspired by the P1 GTR, with 506 kW (688 PS), an adjustable rear wing and 220 kg of downforce at 241 km/h. 25 were made.

675LT against its rivals and successors

When it was new, the 675LT's closest rivals were the Ferrari 488 GTB and the track-focused Ferrari 458 Speciale; the Lamborghini Huracán Performante arrived two years later. Each Longtail that followed was quicker to 200 km/h, but the 675LT set the formula that both later cars copied.

Values today and what to check

Because only 1,025 road cars were built, the 675LT is now a collector's car. At RM Sotheby's St. Moritz sale in 2023, a 675LT Spider formerly owned by nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb was estimated at €275,000–340,000; it did not sell. That range is comparable to the Spider's original UK list price.

Before buying a 675LT, go through these points:

1. Service history from a McLaren dealer, with the gearbox and engine software updated.
2. Carbon parts: the bumpers, splitter and diffuser are expensive to replace, so look for cracks and repairs.
3. Carbon-ceramic brakes: disc wear is costly; ask for a measurement.
4. Front-axle lift: useful in daily use and worth having if you plan to drive the car.
5. Tyres: the Trofeo R is close to a track tyre and wears quickly; check the date codes.

Who it suits: collectors and drivers who want the purest McLaren of the 650S era. The coupé is the more focused car and the one most buyers target, while the Spider gives almost the same performance with an open roof. If you want the Longtail experience for less money, the 600LT is the cheaper entry; if you want maximum performance, choose the 765LT. The full story of the Woking company is in our history of McLaren.