When McLaren announced the introduction of their 765LT supercar in March 2020, I fully admit that I was one of the skeptics. The manufacturer is notorious for churning out new models at a breakneck pace from its Woking plant. The McLaren 720S had only been on the market for a few years at the time, but it was already making waves as one of the best modern supercars.

Yes, the 'LT' badge, which stands for 'Long Tail,' has always meant something special at McLaren; a car that is both track-focused and road-legal, and is all about maximum driver engagement. Even so, given the'short' time frame involved, it was difficult to see how the British company could better the 720S.

Hopefully, you can see why I was skeptical, concluding that the 765LT would be little more than a replica of the old 720S. Well, I'm relieved to have been proven incorrect.

The 765LT has been a complete revelation, firmly establishing itself as the supercar to beat in a tightly competitive segment—and yes, it is much more than a 720S with a fancy kit and a few additional horsepower.

In the months following its online introduction, the McLaren 765LT was made available to motoring journalists, and it wasn't long before the reviews began to come in. We're not just talking about social media influencers who wouldn't say anything negative about the vehicle. No. The car's quick turn of pace and scorching performance astounded even seasoned automotive experts.

The 765LT was hailed by Top Gear's Chris Harris as a "absolute monster" and one of the "most intense cars McLaren has ever created." The McLaren 765LT is 'the ultimate illustration of what a track-focused supercar should be,' according to Car & Driver. Gear Patrol's conclusion was that the 765LT is a "fighter jet on wheels."

Clearly, the most recent version of McLaren's 'Long Tail' specials is a beast. So, how did the Woking plant engineers come up with such a fearsome track weapon?

Performance is Everything

The engine, a tough 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 unit, lies at the heart of the 765LT's capabilities, and it all starts with it. The 720S is propelled by the same engine. The 765LT, on the other hand, has been re-engineered and altered (in some cases using parts from the McLaren Senna) to produce something far more powerful.

What do you mean by that? How about 755 horsepower (765 PS) at 7,500 rpm and 590 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm? That's a 45-horsepower and 22-pound-feet-torque boost over the 720S. Although it may not appear to be a significant increase, it is sufficient to make McLaren's 765LT the most powerful Long Tail ever. These figures, in any event, only tell part of the tale.

The automobile is only 2,951 lbs (1,339 kg), which is 176 lbs (80 kg) less than the McLaren 720S. Because of the extensive usage of carbon fiber and other lightweight materials, this is possible.

The all-new, all-titanium quad-exit exhaust system, for example, weighs only 24 lbs, which is 40% lighter than if it were composed of steel. Plus, there's more. Optimized gear ratios, including a shorter final drive ratio made from Formula 1 grade components, give the car's already crazy acceleration a savage edge.

Impressive Design

Special emphasis should be made of the supercar's outstanding aerodynamics and overall design language. The car has a stance that is around 5mm lower at the front, giving it the appearance of always being ready to assault the tarmac. The sharply formed carbon-fibre front splitter and boldly sculpted side air intakes inspired by the last LT supercar—the 675LT—are impossible to miss.

The 765LT is no exception to the rule that no Long Tail supercar is complete without the signature elongated rear profile. The new active rear wing on the 720S is 20% larger than the previous one. It also curls upwards towards the center, which is a brilliant design that creates downforce even when it isn't deployed.

The 765LT's unique spoiler is part of an aerodynamic kit that enables it create 25% more downforce than the 720S. This is a must if the car wants to stay rooted while strutting its thing on the race tracks.

Made for Speed

McLaren supercars aren't slouches when it comes to speed. The 570S, sometimes known as the 'baby Mac,' can reach 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds. The 765LT, on the other hand, takes acceleration to new heights with a ferocious turn of speed that is impossible to grasp.

The supercar only has rear-wheel drive. However, such is the balance and precision engineering that it will rocket off the line from a standstill and reach 60 mph in 2.4 seconds; however, it is only the beginning of the narrative. Keep your foot on the gas pedal, and the automobile will reward you with a time-warping run across the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds at 146.2 mph.

That's roughly when the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport will be released! The 765LT also blazes through the 0 to 124 mph sprint in just 7 seconds flat (just 0.2 seconds shy of the hallowed P1).

These are incredible numbers, however a stock McLaren 765LT has been demonstrated to be even faster. Brooks Weisblat of Dragtimes, a prominent automotive YouTube channel, brought his 765LT to the drag strip for some speed laps last year. Using the street Pirelli PZero tires that came with the car, he ran a quarter-mile time of 9.41 seconds at 150.03 mph!

On track-oriented Toyo R888R rubber, the 765LT was even faster, clocking a mark of 9.33 seconds at 150.87 mph. Brooks ran a number of low-nine runs in a row, indicating that this is one of the fastest-accelerating cars ever built (with an internal combustion engine).

The 765LT outperforms harder rivals like the Ferrari 488 Pista, Ford GT, Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, and Porsche 911 GT2 RS thanks to performances like these. The 765LT combines McLaren's racing background and years of experience to create a strong concoction of relentless supercar performance, establishing a benchmark that might easily be used to judge the next generation of supercars.