McLaren 600LT

McLaren 600LT at a glance

The 600LT belongs to the family of the 570S and sits below the Super Series McLaren 720S. Its sister models include the road-legal McLaren 620R; all models are listed in the McLaren catalogue.

Development and launch

McLaren revealed the 600LT online in June 2018 and showed it in public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 12 to 15 July 2018. Production began in October 2018. According to Auto Bild, the price in Germany at the launch in 2018 was €230,000.

The aim was to turn the comfortable, everyday 570S into a sharper car for the track. McLaren changed about 23 per cent of the parts. The carbon monocoque was modified, and more carbon fibre was used for the roof, the cantrails and the front wings. Engine mounts were made firmer, and steering and pedals were tuned for a more direct response. McLaren Special Operations (MSO) also offered lightweight options for the coupé, including a carbon fibre roof and vented carbon front wings, for owners who wanted to save every possible kilogram.

The Longtail family

"LT" stands for Longtail. The name goes back to the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail racing car, and the 600LT was inspired by it and by the 675LT, the Longtail version of the 650S. Each LT follows the same formula: a longer body, less weight, more power and a stronger focus on driving.

In the 600LT the formula was applied for the first time to the Sports Series. The extra length is 73.7 mm, gained mostly at the front splitter and the rear diffuser. For a longer story of the earlier car, see our McLaren 675LT article.

Design and aerodynamics

The visible changes are concentrated at both ends. At the front there is a longer splitter; along the sides, new sills; at the rear, an extended diffuser and a fixed rear wing. Together they produce more downforce than on the 570S, although neither source gives an official figure.

The most striking detail is the exhaust. Two short titanium pipes exit upwards through the engine cover, close to the rear window, as on the McLaren Senna. Auto Bild noted that the system is even shorter than the Senna's, which promised a loud, direct sound.

Inside, the 600LT has carbon-shell sports seats derived from the McLaren P1 with Alcantara trim; the even lighter seats of the McLaren Senna were available as an option.

Engine, weight and performance

The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is a development of the engine in the 570S. In the 600LT it produces 441 kW (600 PS) and 620 Nm, compared with 419 kW (570 PS) and 600 Nm in the 570S. Power goes to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The weight saving of up to 96 kg is the key to the car's character. Wikipedia gives the weight of the 600LT as 1,247 kg; Auto Bild describes this figure as the best case with the lightweight options of McLaren Special Operations (MSO), such as a carbon roof and vented carbon front wings. Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tyres were fitted, and the brake system was lighter than in the 570S.

MSO Clubsport pack

For owners who planned to use the car mainly on circuits, McLaren offered an MSO Clubsport package. It removed the air conditioning and the radio and added titanium wheel nuts and the carbon fibre seats of the McLaren Senna. With the package the dry weight was 1,297 kg, according to Wikipedia.

The 600LT Spider

The open version was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2019. Because the carbon monocoque of the Sports Series was designed for an open car from the start, it needed no extra reinforcement. The Spider uses the same two-piece folding hard top as the 570S Spider, which can be operated at speeds up to 40 km/h, and it weighs about 50 kg more than the coupé.

Performance is almost unchanged. McLaren quoted 0–100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and 0–200 km/h in 8.4 seconds, 0.2 seconds slower than the coupé. The top speed is 323 km/h with the roof closed and 315 km/h with the roof open.

Legacy

The 600LT brought the Longtail approach to McLaren's entry-level chassis. It was followed in December 2019 by the 620R, a road-legal version of the 570S GT4 racing car with 456 kW (620 PS), carbon-ceramic brakes and an adjustable rear wing. The 620R reaches 200 km/h in 8.1 seconds, slightly quicker than the 600LT coupé, but its top speed of 322 km/h is lower. The Sports Series ended in 2021, and McLaren's entry supercar role passed to the hybrid Artura. The history of the company is told in our McLaren history.

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