2017 McLaren 675LT Review

Introduction

The limited edition McLaren 675LT evokes the spirit of its McLaren F1 LongTail namesake. Just 500 were built in coupe guise and every one could have been sold many times over such was the demand. Rightly so, as McLaren took the same approach it would to creating a racing car; the 675LT might be related to the 650S, but every area has been honed to remove weight, add speed and up the engagement. Power swells to 675hp, while the weight drops by 100kg - no mean feat given the 650S is already a light car. The net result of those changes is an incredible, captivating and sensationally quick supercar, which McLaren’s own development drivers say is a little bit too close to its own P1 hypercar performance for comfort.  

 

 

Did you know? McLaren’s weight saving measures get as freakishly obsessive to go so far as moving the window switches to shorten the wiring loom.

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

 Verdict: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (8.6/10)

To produce the 675LT in the short history of McLaren Cars is nothing short of extraordinary, but then this is the company that produced the F1 as its first ever road car. The 675LT is, in all but top speed, faster than that iconic F1, underlining just how far we’ve come - and McLaren Automotive’s incredible attention to detail and focus. Although based on the 650S, the 675LT ups the intensity markedly; no element in its make-up, be it engine, transmission, aerodynamics or suspension, were unchecked in the pursuit of greater performance. The result is spectacular, as the lighter, sharper 675LT adds some real attitude and engagement to its 'Super Series'. That just 500 were built ensures it’ll remain a coveted car, collectable in the future, though McLaren did effectively add another 500 for eager customers by creating the 675LT Spider to complement it.

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Design & Exterior: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

The LT moniker might be a reverential nod to the McLaren F1 Longtail that was a necessary homologation development to retain competitiveness on the race track in GT racing, but the 675LT’s tail is only marginally longer than that of the 650S. Nonetheless, every panel aft of the windscreen is unique to it. What is more credible for that Longtail link is the attention to detail McLaren went to in producing the 675LT, the engineers poring over every aspect of the car in pursuit of improvements. By way of example, the LT generates some 40 percent more downforce; the light titanium exhaust exits out through the upper middle of the rear; while the air brake above it is some 50 percent larger in its surface area for greater stability under braking from the higher speeds the 675LT is so easily capable of. There’s a wider track front and rear and the front splitter is some 80 percent larger in surface area than the 650S's, all to the benefit of performance. And appearance, if we're being honest, as the 675LT looks incredible, especially if all those additional aero elements are left in their bare carbon fibre finish.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Interior & Comfort: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

The changes inside, like those outside, are all focused on upping the engagement and thus are centred on removing weight. There are body-hugging lightweight seats from the McLaren P1, which are not just beautifully comfortable and supportive, but look sensational too. The interior can be covered in any mix of materials you wish, be it leather, Alcantara or carbon fibre, and the personalisation options are only limited by your imagination. McLaren’s obsessive weight savings go so far as to repositioning the electric window switches to the doors to remove extra wire from the loom - yes, seriously. Everything else will be familiar to a 650S owner, including McLaren’s low scuttle (meaning the view out front is actually quite good for a supercar), though over the shoulder visibility is somewhat restricted. What’s impressive about the 675LT is that, despite its clear increase in focus, if you set the suspension to comfort mode, it rides with compliance and comfort that’s in a different league from the supercar norm. That makes it a genuine everyday proposition.

Practicality

The doors, which rise up and forwards, give great access to that low-slung cabin, though squeezing over those sports bucket seats’ deep bolsters with any finesse requires some practice. There is some luggage room in the nose of the car, but you’ll need to pack light if you’re going away anywhere as there’s little more than enough space for a soft overnight bag. It’s a supercar though, and owners aren’t likely to be overly concerned about practicalities, as its appeal lies elsewhere entirely.  

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Technology & Connectivity: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

The focus for the technology here is largely on how the 675LT drives, opposed to any luxury or comfort. Nonetheless, this is a quarter of a million pound purchase, so buyers still expect the best of everything - and they get it. The infotainment system is unique to McLaren and not without its quirks; the satnav is notoriously poor, though you can connect your phone and stream music via Bluetooth. The audio equipment is excellent, and there’s always the MSO route if you want anything improving. Optional equipment includes McLaren’s track app package, which adds cameras and telemetry for you to record your performance on a race circuit.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Performance & Handling: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)

McLaren’s Formula One pedigree is apparent in its approach to the 675LT. It, like the 650S, features a suspension system that does away with conventional mechanical anti-roll bars and instead utilises McLaren’s ProActive Chassis Control, which links the adaptive dampers and compensates for roll-stiffness, allowing both taut control and a comfortable ride. In the 675LT the spring and damper rates have been adjusted to suit its greater performance, yet it still manages to ride with real composure, aided by wheels that are lighter by nearly a kg each, which reduces the unsprung mass. Impressive as that is, it’s the 675LT’s shocking pace that defines it. Some 50 percent of the engine’s internals have been renewed to liberate the 3.8-litre twin-turbo unit’s 675hp, which is enough, when combined with the collective 100kg of weight savings, to propel the 675LT to 62mph from rest in just 2.9 seconds. The top speed is, conservatively, quoted at 205mph.

What’s so beguiling about the 675LT is the level of driver engagement. While early McLarens were criticised for being a bit lacking in soul, the 675LT is brimming with it. The suspension geometry has been altered to this end, as has the speed of the steering, while the seven-speed paddle-shifted SSG automatic transmission delivers even quicker and more decisive shifts by utilising what McLaren describes as ‘inertia push’ to leave no let-up in performance when changing gears. The steering is key to the 675LT’s appeal, McLaren retaining a hydraulic system, which is to the enormous benefit of feel - the steering wheel rim is rich in information and feedback.

Ally that plentiful feel to the engine’s ferocious performance and immediate response (despite its turbocharging) and you’ve got a car of quite staggering ability. McLaren allows you to properly exploit it too, by separating its ESC electronic stability control settings from the variable drive settings. In ESC Dynamic mode it’ll let you power out of corners on track with plenty of corrective lock, safe in the knowledge that the systems are working in the background should you run out of talent. A ridiculously quick and capable car, then, but also one that’s exploitable and engaging, whether in Track mode on a circuit, or just out on the road in day-to-day driving - its breadth and depth of ability is absolutely mesmerising.   

Recommended engine: 3.8 twin-turbo V8

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Safety Features: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

Key to the 675LT’s safety is its construction, as it's built around a carbon fibre 'monocell' that’s both incredibly light and strong. That’s the same sort of construction as an F1 car, so you should be safe inside it, even if the McLaren has never been independently crash tested. There’s tyre pressure monitoring, a sophisticated traction and stability control system and airbags, though, unsurprisingly, the 675LT is short of the sort of anticipatory crash prevention, driver monitoring and active lane keeping systems you’ll find in more mundane modern cars. All that stuff is heavy and, here, largely surplus to requirements, as we cannot envision when you’re driving a 675LT and not paying it your full attention, and respect. Carbon ceramic brakes might just help stop you in time before any potential collision, too.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Specs and Trim Levels: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)

Colours

Pick a colour, or combination of them, and McLaren will paint it for you. It’ll leave elements in naked carbon fibre, too; at this level it is possible to have exactly what you desire.

Trim Levels

There's a sole trim level as such, though in this part of the marketplace the expectation is you’ll want to specify some optional extras. That could be anything from premium audio to a titanium half roll cage, to bespoke finishes inside and out. The quarter million pound price is just a starting point, then, McLaren saying it’s not unusual for customers to spend between 10 and 20 percent more on individual options. Must be nice…

Size and Dimensions

It might be named after a Longtail, but the current car is only fractionally longer than its 650S relation. It’s not easy to park, but then neither are any of its mid-engined rivals.

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Running Costs & Fuel Economy: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (5/10)

Fearsomely expensive to run, but then no supercar comes cheap. Add some man maths to the equation, plus the fact it’s a limited-run McLaren and depreciation is never likely to be an issue and dropping over a quarter of a million pounds on a 675LT might just be the most sensible financial investment you’ve ever made. Regardless, you’ll not give a damn about how much fuel it uses, or the CO2 it’s emitting as it catapults you out of a bend on a track day with quite lunatic pace. Nor should you. Cars like this should be celebrated.

Reliability and servicing

Early McLarens did have some electrical woes, but that’s pretty much the norm for low volume sports and supercars, the expectation that all that pace comes with the odd technical frustration. Servicing is variable, or annual, at least, depending on usage.  

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Pricing: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)

Ten out of ten for a car costing over £250,000: have we lost leave of our senses? No, the 500 limited run status means the 675LT will always be a sought-after, collectable car. That it sold out the day it was revealed underlines that, and McLaren sneakily doubling production by adding a Spider version to the model-mix has done little to dent its appeal. Consider too how close the 675LT is to its P1 relation in performance and it starts to make sense, even if a good number of owners will have a 675LT alongside their P1, anyway. It’s not just a plaque and paint job either, as the level of detail McLaren went to to make it is genuinely extraordinary. Start looking at it like that and the price begins to look like something of a bargain.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

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