Twenty five more have been chosen to wear the prestigious LT badge – ‘long tail’ in long hand – and all of them have been sold before the world gets a chance to read about them. Following the visual triumph of the McLaren P1™ at the Geneva Motor Show, McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the bespoke division of McLaren Automotive, has wrapped the same carbon fibre skin around the 675LT Spider.
The MSO Carbon Series LT (pictured above) has around 40 percent additional carbon fibre parts over the standard car, requiring significant additional development work by the team of MSO craftsmen. Which is why, it isn’t possible to retro-fit the gloss carbon fibre body to an already ordered 675LT Spider (pictured below). Besides all the component enhancements, three track cameras are fitted as standard equipment while the front wings also feature GT3- inspired functional louvres.
The gleaming carbon fibre exterior of the new car borrows the 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 powertrain from its Coupé sibling. So, the driving figures remain unchanged – 675PS (666bhp) delivered at 7,100rpm and 700Nm (516lb ft) available between 5,000-6,500rpm. However, the powertrain is heavily revised with over 50 percent of the components replaced for optimised performance: like the new turbos that are more efficient, detail design changes to the cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and lightweight connecting rods, and a faster-flowing fuel pump and delivery system.
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes just 2.9 seconds, and 200 km/h (124 mph) is achieved in 8.1 seconds – giving away only 0.2 seconds to the more aerodynamically optimised and lighter Coupé. Controlled torque delivery in first gear minimizes wheel slip to ensure maximum acceleration using 600Nm (443lb ft). Top speed is 326 km/h (203 mph).
The MSO Carbon Series LT deliveries are expected to begin before the end of 2016.
