Take the McLaren 600LT for a spin
There’s plenty of fury and even fire in this Longtail, which calls for a racetrack to deliver all the supercar action, writes Toby Hagon.
Unlike wings on aircraft, those on cars are often ornamental, added for visual flair without making the car any faster. But the one on the McLaren 600LT is functional, increasing downforce to help pin the car to the road when cornering at high speed. The rear wing also has a heat-resistant coating to counteract the temperatures generated by the top-mounted exhausts – one of the features of a vehicle designed for the track. The exhausts do more than simply unleash the sound from the V8 engine. When you’re pushing hard they can pulse orange and blue flames into the air. It’s quite a spectacle from a model that dials up the pace of McLaren’s Sports Series line-up.
The LT badging denotes “Longtail”, the name given to McLarens honed for the racetrack. As well as the wing and unique exhausts, the rear has been extended 47 millimetres to improve aerodynamics.
The carbon-fibre body has been made lighter, with engineers saving weight in the electrical wiring, windscreen, carpet and brakes. The shorter exhaust contributes a further saving of
12.6 kilograms. Removal of the air-conditioning, audio and navigation systems has reduced the weight by 15.9 kilograms, although all can be added at no extra cost.
At $455,000, the 600LT is more expensive than the 540 and 570 models, on which it is based, but it delivers more power (441kW) and has a chassis tuned to leverage it. The suspension is seriously stiff, especially in Track mode, which bucks over bumps. Leave it in Normal mode and the Pirelli Trofeo R tyres will still provide superb precision and pace. Acceleration is prodigious, with the 3.8-litre twin-turbo engine easily triggering traction control in lower gears as the tyres fight for grip. There’s a seemingly never-ending thrust that suggests the top speed of 328km/h is within reach.
It all reinforces the fact that the track is the 600LT’s preferred hunting ground. The low nose, narrow carbon-fibre seats and noisy interior make driving it a chore around town. But allow it to run and the car is a thrill. Arguably McLaren’s most honed machine, it comes with one caveat: you must experience it on a racetrack.