McLaren’s Already Considering An Even More Extreme 600LT

McLaren has extended the limits of its Sports Series with the launch of the new 600LT. But maybe it’s not done just yet.

Speaking with Australian publication Motoring at a preview event for the new Longtail model in London last month, the company’s engineering chief, Paul Burnham, said he’s pushing for an even more hardcore variant.

“It’s amazing how useable the 600LT is on the road. Sure, it’s a little louder but it still rides well, which got us thinking we should make an even faster version,” said Burnham. “We want it to happen and I’m lobbying hard for it.”

The inspiration behind the more extreme Sports Series model, according to the report, is the 570S GT4. The racing model would provide many of its performance upgrades for the road version, but without GT4-class restrictions to abide by, it stands to be even more powerful.

As it is, the 600LT is already more potent than the original MP4-12C that was the modern McLaren Automotive’s first model in 2011. They share the same essential 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, producing the same 592-horsepower (441-kW) output, but the 600LT’s unit is torquier at 457 lb-ft (620 Nm) than the 12C’s 443 lb-ft (601 Nm). And with less weight (along with other advancements), it can be even quicker.

Since the 720S (Woking’s current Super Series model) has gone even further in terms of power and performance, there is more room for the Sports Series to move up. But McLaren may prove hesitant to push the envelop too much, as it would like to keep the Super and Sports Series at a safe distance from each other.