McLaren 765LT Gets a Test Drive— and a Thumbs Up
Mark Frankel test drives the McLaren 765LT supercar, and finds it light, powerful and surprisingly fast.
The fourth variation of McLaren’s ‘Longtail’ series- the 765LT – managed to stir up quite a lot of excitement when it was first unveiled to the world. Mark Frankel, creator of YouTube channel 888MF, was invited by McLaren Hatfield to test drive a 720S and cover the 765LT, and offers a detailed look at the British car manufacturer’s lightweight offering.
The 765LT is a lighter and more powerful version of the 720S and this is where the supercar starts distancing itself from the quintessential McLaren. The brand’s road-going iterations have typically been clinically-designed demonstrations of the company’s engineering prowess and its drive to deliver fine-tuned performance, rarely bothering to indulge in exercises like achieving the fastest lap time or producing the most power in its class. In 2020, however, it’s obvious that the McLaren 765LT has been designed with the sole purpose of taking on the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lamborghini Huracan Performante.
McLaren’s new-found compulsion to outperform the competition may come at the cost of reliability, however. Frankel points out that the British automaker has developed an image problem which causes its models to depreciate rapidly. Having owned several McLarens in the past, Frankel claims that they are prone to technical issues. According to him, the primary factor contributing to McLaren’s unreliability is the sheer amount of technology offered in the cars which also makes them a joy to drive as long as all goes well. “When they work, they are probably the best cars on the planet”, says Frankel.
With a 0 to 60 MPH acceleration time of 2.7 seconds, the McLaren 765LT is 0.1 seconds faster than Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lamborghini Huracan Performante. The 765LT is also more powerful than its Italian rivals thanks to a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 which produces 755 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of peak torque. However, the Huracan Performante’s top speed is rated at 218 MPH and the F8 Tributo caps out at 211 MPH which makes the 765LT the slowest of the trio with a top speed of 205 MPH.
The 765LT does get a wide range of carbon fiber elements that enhance the car’s overall handling characteristics. The front splitter works in tandem with the all-new longtail active rear wing and creates 25% more downforce, and future videos will hopefully explain how the different active-aero setups eventually contribute to the performance differences between these supercars in his future videos.
Frankel is clearly impressed by the 765LT’s aesthetics, “I think it looks better than anything else in the market right now.” And sure, the 765LT is an awe-aspiring sight but can it really compete with the Ferrari F8 Tributo’s elegant form or the Lamborghini Huracan Performante’s sharp silhouette?
In the past, McLaren’s design approach has been quite tastefully restrained, harking back to Gordon Murray’s legendary F1 supercar to the company’s more recent MP4-12C offering. The flowing curves that adorn the 765LT are part of the design language that McLaren first introduced in 2015 along with its three-tier product structure. McLaren 765LT is a striking car but we would be remised if we dubbed it the prettiest in the segment.
For instance, the shape of 765LT’s quad-exit exhaust is quite basic which is surprising as we expected the company to highlight it’s first-ever all-titanium exhaust system with a more eye-catching design. A spoiler that is 20% larger than the one on the 720S adorns 765LT’s rear end and features a gap that has been designed to accommodate the flames that it spits at high speeds.
The 765LT is a commendable advancement in the direction McLaren is heading with its all-new product structure and it is heartwarming to learn that passion still dictates the purchase decisions of McLaren enthusiasts. As Mark so eloquently stated,” Let’s face it most people buy these cars with their heart and not their head.”