McLaren has revealed a new, track-focussed version of its entry-level ‘Sport Series’ model called the 600LT. Priced from $242,500, the new 600LT is fitted with a suite of new performance and aesthetic upgrades over the standard 570S, in a similar mould to the brilliant 675LT that brought the nomenclature back to McLaren’s model range after nearly 20 years since it was first used on the F1 GTR of 1997.
Power is still provided by the ubiquitous twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine, but with an improved cooling system and reduced back pressure from a new exhaust system. The upgrades result in a power upgrade to 592bhp, a 30bhp lift over the current 570S, while torque meanwhile is 457lb ft. That exhaust system is particularly interesting, as the outlets have moved from their usual place within the rear bumper, to atop the rear deck, not dissimilar to the Porsche 918 Spyder.
New carbonfibre bodywork adorns the exterior, lengthening the overall car by 74mm, as the ‘Longtail’ nomenclature would suggest. The aggressive front splitter, sills, diffuser and rear wing are all now made from carbonfibre, and simultaneously reduce weight and increase downforce. The new stacked rear wing is fixed, with a heat-proof coating in its centre due to the heat from the new high-mounted exhaust outlets positioned just in front of it.
The bodywork will be manufactured by McLaren Special Operations, and together with other weightsaving elements in the interior, reduces the 600LT’s weight to a DIN figure of 1247kg, 96kg down on the 570S. The reduced mass gives the 600LT a power to weight ratio of 474bhp/tonne; for context, 25bhp/tonne more than the Ferrari 488 GTB. Weight savings from inside the cabin are, in-part, from carbonfibre bucket seats first seen in the P1 hypercar, and the reduction of sound deadening and the liberal use of alcantara.
The chassis has also been fettled, with new, forged double wishbone suspension at all four corners, Pirelli Trofeo R tyres, a quicker steering rack and improved response rates from the throttle and brakes. McLaren has also fitted dramatically stiffer engine mounts, trading a little refinement to better keep the mid-mounted V8 in check under hard cornering.
The 600LT will be built for a (maximum) 12 month period alongside regular McLaren models produced at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking. As all of the panels are constructed my MSO and hand assembled, numbers will remain low however, although McLaren aren’t releasing any specific numbers.
At $242k, the 600LT sits alongside more powerful rivals like the Ferrari 488 GTB and Lamborghini Huracan. Nevertheless, the McLaren will be a rarer, and more hardcore proposition, and is more likely to be pitted against cars like the 911 GT3 RS. We are already very fond of the standard 570S, so the 600LT promises to be something special indeed.
This article originally appeared at evo.co.uk
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