The king is dead; long live the king! This could be a way to describe the stellar quarter-mile performance the McLaren 765LT delivers straight from the factory, which has recently been demonstrated with an independent trip to the drag strip. However, comparing the mid-engined machine to the previous holder of the crown, the 9.65s-capable Dodge Demon, can be seen as an apples-to-oranges game, especially given the fact that you could buy four such Challengers for the price of the Macca.
With that out of the way, we have to mention that many enthusiasts keeping an eye on the drag racing scene saw an uber-impressive number coming, given the fact that the McLaren 720S can delivers high-9s passes in stock form and the 765 Longtail is its gym-visiting version.
Of course, neither that nor the fact that the British automaker announced an official quarter-mile time of 9.9s for the 765LT could fully prepare one for seeing the newcomer delivering a 9.4s run at 150 mph (241 kph) on the factory tires (we're talking about Pirelli P Zeros, the non-Corsa version).
Note that the feat was achieved at the Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida, with the atmospheric conditions being mentioned in the video below.
YouTuber Brooks of the Drag Times channel, who owns the machine, took full advantage of the updates this received compared to the 720S, from using the burnout feature to maximizing the weight advantage (think: 175 lbs/80 kg) by only keeping a limited amount of fuel in the tank.
Speaking of dinosaur juice, once the said shenanigans were done, the McLaren received Sunoco 260GT 100 octane fuel, while getting a pair of McLaren 720S wheels shod in Toyo R888R rubber.
With these goodies, which are street-legal (the fuel isn't allowed on Californian roads, though), the velocity toy managed to shave about 0.1s off its 1,320-ft time.
The 0-60 mph run was completed in an astounding 2.1s, albeit with this involving the sticky surface of the track and the one-foot rollout (this is the distance the vehicle travels before the timing lights are triggered).
As for what comes next, the aftermarket race to the 8s run is obviously on, while the eagerly anticipated release of the tri-motor Tesla Model S Plaid, which should take place late this year, is expected to bring a new chapter in the ICE-vs-EV velocity war.
Meanwhile, if you happen to be in a rush, you should know that the sprinting action kicks off at the 6:03 point of the clip.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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