2018 McLaren 600LT performance figures released

This is the new 592bhp McLaren 600LT, the latest and fastest-ever addition to McLaren Automotive’s ‘Sport Series’. The limited-run model is capable of 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds, boasts a 204mph top speed and is on sale now, priced from £185,500.

Production of the Mclaren 600LT will start in October 2018 and will run for no longer than 12 months. McLaren claims the 600LT’s ‘specialist carbon-fibre body panels’ will make it ‘significantly rarer’ than other Sports Series cars.

The car’s £185,500 price tag includes expert driver tuition at a McLaren track day. Previous limited-run LT (‘Longtail’) models sold out quickly, so prospective customers of McLaren’s latest should act fast.

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The 600LT is set to be the lightest, most powerful and quickest car in McLaren’s Sport Series, with performance encroaching on that of the brand’s Super Series cars. Thanks to its 592bhp 3.8-litre V8 engine and lightweight body, 0-62mph takes 2.9 seconds and 0-124mph just 8.2 seconds; top speed is 204mph. The result is a car that’s roughly as quick as the old McLaren 675LT.

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Equally as impressive is the McLaren 600LT’s claimed braking performance, courtesy of its new carbon ceramic brakes and McLaren Senna-inspired brake booster: the car needs just 117 metres to come to a stop from 124mph.

Based on the McLaren 570S, the 600LT is set to challenge rivals like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS as a track-focused development of an existing car. Track-suited Pirelli Trofeo R tyres and uprated suspension mean the new car should be sharper to drive than other Sports Series models.

The car’s bodywork is the most dramatic change over other Sport Series McLarens. New front and rear-end treatments, top-exit exhausts and a larger spoiler all set the 600LT apart, as well as reducing its weight and improving downforce. With every optional lightweight part fitted – including the super-light seats from the McLaren Senna hypercar – the 600LT weighs just 1,245kg. Two new lightweight alloy wheel options also feature.

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Inside, the McLaren 600LT is similar to the 570S but offers the same focus on weight reduction. Carbon-fibre seats (previously seen in the McLaren P1 hypercar) and swathes of Alcantara are standard, while the aforementioned super-lightweight versions can be had as a near-£5,000 option. The glovebox, air con, sat nav and stereo have all been removed to save weight but can be reinstalled at no extra cost.

If buyers feel their McLaren 600LT isn’t quite exclusive enough, an optional MSO Clubsport Pack can be added for just over £24,000. This adds the carbon fibre interior upgrade as found in the McLaren Senna, which includes lightweight seats, extended gearshift paddles, steering wheel spokes and surrounds for the car’s IRIS infotainment all made from carbon fibre – plus a host of exterior trim parts in the same material.

The MSO Clubsport Pro pack is the next step up and costs a shade over £28,000; it adds a harness bar and six-point harnesses to the Clubsport pack for track use.

The McLaren 600LT follows the discontinued 675LT in paying homage to the iconic and successful McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ racing car of the 1990s, which brought the manufacturer a one-two finish in its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997.