A complete carbon fiber body will reduce copious amounts fat.
McLaren has been showing off the 600 Longtail virtuallly since last week, but the supercar marque based at Woking is eager to discuss the next big thing in its Sports Series. Paul Burnham, chief engineer at McLaren, stated that he supports the idea of a hardcore version with more power derived from the 570S GT4.
“We want it to be done and I am lobbying hard for it.”
The 600LT has lost 211.6 pounds (95.9 kg) in comparison to the 570S Coupe, but the new supercar will be lighter due to a carbon fiber body. This allows for a dry weight that is well below the Longtail’s 2,749.2lbs (1,247kg).
McLaren’s CEO Mike Flewitt had just announced a lighter version of the car. This comes just days after McLaren said that U.K. automakers should be replacing “power” with “weight.” The McLaren Composites Technology Center will open in Yorkshire, U.K. later in the year. Future McLarens will likely weigh substantially less than current models.
However, a lighter car doesn’t mean a lesser power output. McLaren could dial the biturbo V8 engine further to increase the 592 horsepower and 457 lbft (620Nm) of the 600LT. The GT4 road car is expected to have close to 670 horsepower, which would only be 40 more than the Super Series’ 720S. If the 670 horsepower number is true, it could be speculated that the model will be called 680LT. 680 PS converted into horsepower is 670 HP. The Longtail suffix will likely remain.
The new flagship model in the Sports Series could lose weight and gain power. It may also have a more aerodynamic body inspired by the race car. All of this adds up to McLaren’s latest winner.