McLaren 765LT

McLaren 765LT at a glance

The 765LT follows the McLaren 675LT in the line of Longtails and is based on the McLaren 720S. All McLaren models are listed in the McLaren catalogue.

The base: McLaren 720S

The 765LT is built on the McLaren 720S, which was launched at the Geneva motor show on 7 March 2017 as the second all-new car of McLaren's Super Series and the replacement for the 650S. It was the first new model in McLaren's plan to launch 15 new cars by 2022, and McLaren described it as 91% new compared with its predecessor.

The 720S itself was a fast car: McLaren quoted 0–200 km/h in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 341 km/h, and its aerodynamics produced 50% more downforce than the 650S. It collected many awards, including Top Gear's Supercar of the Year 2017 and the World Performance Car title at the 2019 World Car Awards. An open 720S Spider followed in December 2018, and a 720S GT3 racing car was revealed in August 2018.

What makes a Longtail

McLaren uses the "LT" (Longtail) name for the most track-oriented versions of its series cars. A Longtail is not simply a more powerful version: it is lighter, has more aggressive aerodynamics and sharper responses. The 765LT continued this tradition after the 675LT, which was based on the 650S.

Compared with the 720S, the 765LT received:

• 33 kW (45 PS) and 30 Nm more than the 720S;
• 80 kg less weight in its lightest configuration;
• new aerodynamic parts producing 25% more downforce;
• a ride height 5 mm lower;
• a quad-exit exhaust made entirely of titanium.

Owners could also order, at extra cost, brake calipers derived from the McLaren Senna; McLaren says their material has four times the thermal conductivity of carbon-ceramic.

Engine and performance

The engine is the M840T, a 3,994 cc twin-turbo V8 that evolved from the M838T of the 650S. For the Longtail it was tuned for more power and torque, which go to the rear wheels.

McLaren quotes 0–100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0–200 km/h in 7.0 seconds and a quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds. The top speed is lower than the 720S's - 330 km/h against 341 km/h. Independent tests varied: Road & Track recorded a quarter-mile of 11.6 seconds with a US-specification car, while DragTimes measured 9.33 seconds at 242.8 km/h.

Chassis and aerodynamics

The 765LT uses the same carbon-fibre structure as the 720S, the MonoCage II, and the Pro-Active Chassis Control II suspension. In the 720S, the MonoCage II tub was already 18 kg lighter than its predecessor and the suspension 16 kg lighter than in the 650S. For the Longtail, McLaren lowered the car by 5 mm and reworked the aerodynamics for 25% more downforce than the 720S.

The 765LT Spider

The open 765LT Spider was unveiled on 27 July 2021 and was also limited to 765 cars. Its engine is identical to the coupé's. At 1,388 kg it is 80 kg lighter than the 720S Spider and 49 kg heavier than the 765LT coupé. For comparison, the 720S Spider uses a modified carbon tub, the MonoCage II-S, weighs 45 kg more than the 720S coupé, and its hard top opens in 11 seconds at speeds up to 50 km/h. The 765LT Spider arrived about ten months after the first coupés reached customers in October 2020.

The 720S family: special editions and the 750S

The 765LT was one of several special cars built on the 720S. In 2019 McLaren offered the Apex Collection: 15 cars in five designs. Each design is dedicated to a famous corner of a European circuit: Abbey at Silverstone, the Mobil 1 corner at Hockenheim, Signes at Paul Ricard, Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps and the Ascari chicane at Monza. In June 2020 the 720S Le Mans edition went on sale. It marked 25 years since the McLaren F1 GTR number 59 won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, and its chassis numbers begin with 298, the number of laps the winning car completed.

In 2023 the 750S replaced the 720S. It is a facelifted 720S with 552 kW (750 PS) and the same torque as the 765LT. It weighs 30 kg less than the 720S, has a 15% shorter final drive and gains an 8-inch screen with Apple CarPlay. About 30% of its parts were changed.

Legacy

The 765LT was the last Longtail derived from the 720S. In 2023 the 750S took over - McLaren's final model powered only by a combustion engine. The 765LT therefore stands at the end of a line of purely petrol-powered McLaren super series cars. For the company's background, see our history of McLaren.

Photo gallery