With an 8,500-rpm redline from a twin-turbocharged V8, the 600LT screams just as hard as the naturally aspirated V12 of the Aventador S. But more impressively, the two are worlds apart as far as the segment is concerned. And better still, the RWD setup of the McLaren model allows it to pull smokin’ donuts as the driver sees fit.
The newcomer of the Sports Series made its dynamic debut at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and along the 1.16-mile hillclimb, the car also performed a couple of one-wheeled burnouts to the cheers of the public. Make no mistake about it, the 600LT can be as silly when you want it as it can be serious on the racetrack.
The headliner of the Sports Series costs £185,500 in the United Kingdom, and production is confirmed to kick off in November 2018. As the name implies, the engine develops 600 PS (592 horsepower) and 620 Nm (457 pound-feet) of torque. Almost 100 kilograms lighter than the 570S thanks to the Clubsport Pro package (£28,480), the car can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just about 2.9 seconds.
Both turbochargers ensure the engine pulls hard in every gear and through most of the rev range, and in seventh gear, the 600LT is much obliged to act as a land missile at 328 km/h (204 mph). The top speed is made possible by lots of changes to the bodywork, including the longer tail indicated by the LT in the car's name.
74 millimeters (almost 3 inches) longer than the 570S, the 600LT doesn’t have a limited-slip differential either. Even the multi-million-dollar P1 hypercar comes with an open differential, though McLaren does know a thing or two about setting up a chassis.
The braking software is engineered to operate the brakes of the rear wheels, compensating for the lack of a limited-slip differential. In other words, the brakes modulate whichever of the two wheels at the rear is spinning faster than the other.
Considering that the 600LT comes with Senna know-how, does it come as a surprise McLaren will keep this bad boy in production for one year, regardless of how many orders the automaker receives? Fret not, however, for the spider body style will follow right after McLaren begins to wind down production of the coupe.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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