- Who would’ve said 5 years ago that McLaren would be going toe-to-toe with Ferrari’s most important ‘affordable’ model, the 458 Italia? The 12C was great, but wasn’t quite good enough. Now, several years down the line, the 650S is able to go head-to-head with the 458 Speciale, the P1 is ready to take on the LaFerrari, and as Ferrari have just revealed the 488 GTB ahead of Geneva next month, McLaren is reviving the historic Longtail name to take on the newest Ferrari.
The 675LT derives its name from the McLaren F1 GTR, which during the 1997 racing season developed the Longtail nickname due to its aerodynamic styling. The iconic silhouette of the F1 GTR will live on with the LT designation in future McLaren models.
The LT designation will join McLaren’s existing C and S model ranges, but the 675LT will be lighter, quicker, and purer than all the rest. Think of the 675LT to McLaren as what the Speciale was to Ferrari’s 458. The 675LT will debut in Geneva next month alongside the P1 GTR, and will be hoping to steal away some of Ferrari’s limelight. For now though, we’ve only got a few teasers and some specifications for you.
Built on the same platform as the 650S, using the same carbon fibre chassis and twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 engine, the 675LT develops an evil 666HP (497kW – 4kW more than the Ferrari 488 GTB). Torque will likely be stepped up a notch too, to 700Nm, and in combination with an aerodynamically efficient body and weight reduction plan, the 675LT could well see a 0-100km/h time of just less than 3 seconds.
The 675LT will be available as a coupe only, unlike the 12C and 650S, but along with the 650S Coupe and Spider, the three will form the McLaren ‘Super Series’ of vehicles, slotting above the Sports Series range.
Further details on the 675LT will be released nearer the reveal, which will take place on the 3rd of March 2015, in Geneva.
