7 Reasons The 675 Longtail Is The Ultimate Track-Focused McLaren Sports Car

McLaren has pulled the wraps off its lightweight, track-focused 675 Longtail, the fastest and lightest car in its Super Series range of cars. It’s essentially a track day 650S, with a third of overall parts and components modified and upgraded. Here’s a look at exactly why this is the ultimate McLaren sports car…

1. It's faster

The name refers to 675PS, or a rather Satanic 666bhp in real money, representing a 25bhp jump over the 650S. Peak power comes at 7100rpm, with torque at 516lb ft. The power to weight ratio is 541bhp per tonne.

0-62mph is taken care of in 2.9 seconds, with controlled torque delivery helping you take off from the line towards a top speed of 205mph.

2. It's lighter

This will be the lightest car in the Super Series, thanks to a highly impressive saving of over 100kg thanks to the use of lighter components. The glass in the windscreen and rear bulkhead has been thinned to save 4.5kg, and the engine cover has been replaced with a polycarbonate piece. It’s this attention to detail that has culminated in that impressive weight saving.

3. It's more hardcore, track-focussed

The 650S is hardly for namby-pamby types as it is, but this version has received some hardcore upgrades that make it better on the limit at a circuit. The setup has been made more aggressive for track driving, though you still get the ProActive Chassis Control to make everyday driving comfortable.

The 675LT also features a 20mm wider track, front and rear, echoing the approach of the original F1 GTR Longtail. Buyers can also tick the McLaren Club Sport option for £5090, which adds a titanium roll hoop, four-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher.

4. Its gearshifts are cracking

Adding to the milliseconds matter track driving attitude is the fact that the 675LT gets a recalibrated version of the usual McLaren SSG seven-speed transmission.

Shifts are now up to twice as fast as before thanks to a new ‘Ignition Cut’ technology adopted from the Formula 1 team; the fuel spark is momentarily cut during a shift. Not only does this make the shift faster, it also contributes to a loud crack on both up and down shifts.

5. Aerodynamics have been optimised

The 650’s aerodynamics have been reworked, with the new car generating 40 per cent more downforce than previously, thanks to revised bodywork and active aero. The springs have been stiffened by 27 per cent at the front and 63 per cent at the rear to cope with that extra downforce.

6. It's exclusive and expensive

When you’ve got enough money to be buying something like this, you don’t want to see them on every corner. That’s why McLaren is limiting production to just 500 examples, and with a price tag of £259,500, it’s reassuringly expensive.

7. It shares its name with this thing

The rear spoiler on the 675LT is twice as long as it is on the 650S, hence the ‘Longtail’ name. But it wasn’t the first McLaren to wear such a moniker. Back in 1997, the F1 GTR Longtail competed at Le Mans, and a few road-going homologation specials were produced, cementing the name in McLaren history.