Hennessey has had one of his ‘moments’

McLaren 600LT plus over 1,000bhp equals a cutprice Speedtail botherer

The McLaren 600LT has appeared on Hennessey’s radar, and it has been selected for detonation: prepare yourselves for a 1,000bhp+ version of McLaren’s new Sports Series star. Target? Eclipsing McLaren’s own Speedtail. Yep, that’s the 1,036bhp streamliner-GT.

“I bought my 600LT for the same reason I bought a new n Ford GT,” John tells us, “to give our team a solid benchmark for our Venom F5.”

He wasn’t was planning on modifying it at first, but after a first run, decided “It’s so good, the only thing that it’s asking for is more power.” The idea i is to give the Speedtail a “run for its money” from fr zero to 150mph, after which point the Speedtail’s Speed lower drag would give it the edge.

There are three levels of upgrade planned. A modest 708bhp upgrade (0–60mph in 2.6secs), an upgrade of 805bhp (0–60mph in 2.4secs), and the Big Daddy HPE1000. We’re talking a full 1,001bhp, 865lb ft of torque, 0–60mph in 2.1secs and the quarter-mile in 9.6secs at 156mph.

To complete such feats of speed, Hennessey will fit high-flow air filters, a Motec ECU, the company’s own stainless steel turbo headers, upgraded twin turbos, a high-flow wastegate, a better transmission system, stainless steel exhaust and a better intercooler. “I think that McLaren is building the best supercars in the world,” John told us. Lord only knows what one packing similar power to McLaren’s Ultimate Series cars feels like…