LT is a time-honoured acronym at McLaren. The first to sport the name was the F1 GTR "Longtail" (hence the letters), a racing car spawn from the legendary street-legal F1 and created on the experience gained by the Formula 1 team. Weighing in at just 915 kilos, it was 135 kilos lighter than the F1 GTR that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995. The car was very successful in the FIA GT championship straight off the bat, collecting up five wins in eleven races and finishing first and second in the GT1 class at Le Mans.
It was the engineering masterpiece that created that LT legend. "The LT is not only a quicker car on track, but it allows the driver to push harder on track than was possible before", explained McLaren test driver manager Chris Goodwing. The latest addition to the stock is the McLaren 600LT, the fourth chapter in LT history. With a dry weight of 1247 kilos, its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 revving up on the starting line is capable of delivering 600 hp. Other sensational performance ratings are acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, a top speed of 328 km/h and the ability to brake from 200 km/h to standstill in just 117 metres. Clinging to the asphalt. To achieve this performance, McLaren chose Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R types specifically developed for the 600LT. The Trofeo R tyres are included in the Pirelli Motorsport catalogue created for the spare parts market and engineered for fans who long to unleash their horsepower on the racing track. For the first time, a car has rolled off the assembly line fitting these tyres as original equipment, further evidence of the true racing spirit of the McLaren 600LT.
Staying true to the LT heritage, the new McLaren is made of carbon fibre and other lightweight materials without forgetting that its main task was to remain glued to the ground. New aerodynamics, combined with a flat carbon bottom, guarantee 100 kilograms of load on the rear at 250 km/h, which means that it gets around corners even faster than the more powerful 675LT. There is more. Ground clearance is 8 millimetres lower and the front track is 10 millimetres wider to the benefit of driving accuracy. And how does it stop? Its carboceramic braking system shaves 4 kilograms off the scale. So, it needs just 117 metres to stop from 200 km/h, just one metre more than the extreme McLaren P1.
An important name and impressive numbers for a latest, important chapter in the history of McLaren and its LTs, which once again embody that well-known racing attitude that has filled the shelves with trophies and exciting memories in Woking.
