McLaren 675LT revealed

The curtain has dropped on McLaren’s latest track-friendly road rocket ahead of its official bow at Geneva.

Showcasing “the darker side of the McLaren brand” according to its maker, the 675LT produces a cheeky 666 horsepower (497kW at 7100rpm) and 700Nm from a heavily revised version of the marque’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8.

It comes with a wicked trio of performance stats to: 0-100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, 0-200km/h in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 330km/h.

Designed to be more track-focused than the 650S it sits alongside in McLaren’s Super Series range, the new coupe-only model is more conventionally proportioned than the original F1 GTR Longtail racer from which its name is taken.

Its ‘longtail’ active airbrake, though, is 50 per cent larger than its stablemate’s and made from carbonfibre – in fact, McLaren says that 33 per cent of the car’s parts count is different to the 650S.

Key visual design changes include a more pronounced front splitter, extended door blades with additional cooling intakes and twin titanium exhaust pipes, though there are many more aero-enhancing devils in the details.

Tipping the scales at just 1230kg (dry), the most powerful and lightweight model in McLaren’s Super Series is around 100kg lighter than its stablemates and creates an eye-opening 404kW per tonne.

Much of the weight saving is due to the use of carbonfibre for body panels and a gram reduction strategy applied to the powertrain, chassis and body structure, its maker says.

Inside, the stripped-out and minimalist cabin features a new carbonfibre-shelled seat design inspired by the mighty P1 and trimmed in Alcantara.

To further separate the 675LT from ‘normal’ McLaren stock, it will be offered in five ‘By McLaren’ visual themes that include four new colours as well as the heroic McLaren Orange that taps the brand’s heritage.