Overview
Lighter and more powerful than the 720S, the McLaren 765LT is a supercar that pushes the limits of performance. It is motivated by a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine that delivers 755 horsepower along with 590 lb-ft. of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is achieved in less than three seconds. You can have the 765LT in either coupe or convertible body style. Competitors include the Ferrari 812 and Lamborghini Huracán.
McLaren has retained the Proactive Chassis Control 2 setup, but lowered the front by 5mm and widened the front track, and recalibrated the dampers to suit. A bespoke Pirelli Trofeo R tyre has been developed for the car, and the brake calipers from the Senna are standard fit; the Senna’s sintered carbon discs are an option, as are its very light and supportive seats.
Interior
The driving position is superb, the wheel lovely to hold, you’re sat low in the car, and although the fundamental controls and layout are the same, the vibrations and noise in here make it feel every inch the track car. Aiding this is the £28,730 Clubsport Pro Pack (Senna seats, titanium harness bar and harnesses, three camera telemetry system, upgraded brake discs), plus enough optional carbon to keep McLaren’s new Sheffield facility buzzing – this was the first car to have components made there.
Of course, it’s shockingly fast. On a large open track like Silverstone rarely has a car felt as though it can shrink the Hangar straight like this one. Exit onto it in fourth gear, in the meat of the powerband, and the car simply shrieks for the horizon, requiring a big stop down from over 160mph in the braking zone for Stowe. The gearshifts are virtually instantaneous, the paddles perfectly sized and situated.
The real triumph of the LT is that it can operate on many different levels. Obviously, the outer reaches of its performance envelope are ferocious, but with the aid of the sophisticated traction and stability control systems it can give you as much rope as you dare, and still be there to help you get out of trouble. Or, naturally, you can switch things right off, in which situation the LT becomes a complete hooligan on the throttle…
Exterior
Yet the fact that the 765LT has more power than the regular 720S is almost an irrelevance: a necessary inclusion to justify its standing in the range and the price tag, but arguably of secondary importance to the changes found with the LT’s aero, chassis and weight saving measures.
The car is an impressive 80kg lighter (for a DIN figure of 1,339kg) thanks to a range of measures that have stripped back weight wherever it can be. The wheels are lighter, the glazing is 0.8mm thinner (the rear window is made from polycarbonate), the floor and front and rear bumpers are carbonfibre, as is almost everything you can touch, and much of the rear of the car is open to the elements, not only to save weight but to let heat escape.
The LT produces around 25 per cent more downforce than the S, with a jutting front splitter that contributes most of the additional 48mm in the car’s length. There are side blades to manage the air, extensions behind the rear wheels to keep turbulence away from the simply enormous rear diffuser and a rear wing that sits higher in the airstream, and flips up at the rear of the blade. It also doubles as an airbrake under heavy braking.
Specs
With a power to weight ratio of 564bhp/tonne, plus a shorter final drive to stack the gears more closely, the 765LT is a hell of a sprinter. On the standard Trofeo R tyres it’ll hit 62mph in 2.8 seconds, 124mph in 7.0s and do the standing quarter mile in 9.9s. To 186mph, its time of 18.0s puts it 3.4s ahead of the 720S. Maximum speed is 205mph.
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Summary
McLaren's third LT is its most ferocious yet. Take your brave pills and strap in. Its focus on pure driving comes at the expense of the more obvious and accessible charms of rivals from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. But for steering feel, chassis balance and sheer communication, this has everything else licked, up to and including the latest 296 GTB. It’s a fortune of course, and with more road noise and interior racket, plus a very firm low-speed ride, lacks the habitability that makes the 720S such a well-rounded car. This is a notch more visceral and aggressive. Don’t take liberties with it, but you don’t need to – it’s enthralling at any speed, in any conditions.
Based on 235 customers feedbacks and reviews
Ferocious speed, intense driving experience, looks sensational
Not as biddable and flattering as previous McLaren LTs. Blame the tyres