688 HP McLaren MSO HS Is Second Only To The P1

The 675LT’s reign in McLaren’s Super Series will be over once the brand-new MSO HS will be officially unveiled to the public.

Yes, this striking-looking 650S-based Macca, leaked on the internet by our friends at Jalopnik with the help from an unnamed source, will be close to the top of McLaren’s food chain, surpassed only by the almighty P1.

Like the 675LT before it, it builds upon the 650S and it features carbon-fiber bodywork that increases downforce even more (the 675LT was aerodynamically chiseled to increase downforce by 40 percent over any other model in the Super Series).

The enormous rear wing, for example, is said to be derived from the P1 GTR’s program and uses throttle mapping to adjust itself electronically for street or track use. It even acts as an air brake and generates 485 pounds (220 kg) of downforce at 150 mph (241 km/h).

Other notable body panels finished in exposed carbon-fiber are the front bumper splitter and dive planes, the sides skirts with the side intake, and the hood and the roof – which comes with an air-feeding scoop.

These add-ons are all part of McLaren’s weight-saving obsession, bringing the total weight of the car down by around 40 kg (88 lbs); even the windscreen and the side windows went through a weight-shedding process, while the engine cover was made out of polycarbonate (that’s a type of plastic, by the way, but if it’s good for the Lockheed Martin F-22’ cockpit canopy, it’s good for McLaren too).

Compared to the 675LT, the M838T 3,799cc twin-turbo V8 petrol engine under the MSO HS’ hood produces 13 PS ( 13 hp) more, bringing the total up to 688 PS (678 hp). The 700 nm (516 lb-ft) torque figure remains the same, but Jalopnik says it’s available from 3000 RPM all the way up to 7000 RPM.

Oh, and it will feature all the track goodies found on the 675LT, including the McLaren Track Telemetry – a system which analyses your lap times and details with the help of three cameras, GPS mapping, and graphical plots, in order to improve your circuit performance.

Only 25 examples are reportedly going to be built, so getting your hands on one (providing the model isn’t already sold out) is not going to be easy.