CAR /
MOTOR SHOW
March 13, 2015
From the Geneva Motor Show Floor: McLaren | McLaren
McLaren
Geneva International Motor Show 2015
From the Geneva Motor Show: McLaren
Supercars have always been the stars of motor shows. This year in Geneva,Ferrariand otherLamborghini,Aston Martin, among other powerful brands, unveiled many new machines. Amidst this gathering of established brands, one brand stands out: McLaren. Tatsuya Otani reports from the venue of the world premiere of the new "675LT."
Text by OTANI Tatsuya
McLaren's Racing Spirit
The video shown at the beginning opens with a McLaren "F1 GTR" in the Harrods colors of yellow and olive green, speeding around a typically damp British circuit. This chassis number "#06R" is the very model that finished third in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, where five F1 GTRs achieved a 1-2-3 finish in their debut. Soon, a latest model in a similar livery, theMcLaren "P1 GTR", overtakes this F1 GTR.
Thus, it impressed viewers that the P1 GTR is not only a model that legitimately inherits McLaren Automotive's racing spirit but also possesses performance that surpasses the record-setting F1 GTR. Following this video, a presentation began on the McLaren P1 GTR, detailing its various driver support and track driving programs. However, this model has already beenintroduced on OPENERS. But the opening video held another significant meaning.
McLaren F1 GTR / P1 GTR
McLaren F1 GTR Longtail
The F1 GTR, a racing version of the McLaren "F1" originally developed as a road car, debuted in the 1995 season as mentioned earlier. However, as rivals increased their competitiveness, McLaren itself worked to improve the F1 GTR's performance. The ultimate form of this effort was the "F1 GTR Long Tail," which debuted in 1997. Compared to the 1995 model, its length was extended by 855mm to improve its aerodynamic characteristics.
As a result, although it missed out on the title in the FIA GT Championship that year, McLaren secured a total of five victories, and BMW Motorsport (which supplied the BMW engine for the McLaren F1, with Schnitzer handling the actual team operations) clinched the series' second place with the McLaren F1 GTR Long Tail.
McLaren
Geneva International Motor Show 2015
From the Geneva Motor Show: McLaren (Part 2)
Limited Production of Only 500 Units Worldwide
Inheriting this tradition, the model that made its world premiere at this year's Geneva Motor Show was theMcLaren "675LT (meaning Long Tail)". While one might dismiss its origins by saying it's "just an extended 650S with a slightly tuned engine," a closer look reveals that McLaren has meticulously refined this model to an astonishing degree.
After all, although the 675LT utilizes about two-thirds of the parts from its base model, the650S, everything else has been newly developed specifically for this model.
McLaren 675LT
McLaren 675LT
For instance, the track has been widened by 20mm front and rear compared to the 650S, and the lightweight suspension springs are 27 percent stiffer at the front and 63 percent stiffer at the rear. In the same suspension system, McLaren has leveraged its experience with the P1 to lighten the uprights and improve the wishbones. Furthermore, the extension of the body has enhanced aerodynamics, increasing downforce by 40 percent. The vehicle weight has also been reduced by 100kg to achieve 1,230kg.
McLaren 675LT
McLaren 675LT
The 3.8-liter V8 twin-turbo engine's maximum output appears to have only slightly increased from 650ps to 675ps. However, in reality, nearly half of the engine components have been renewed, delivering sportier performance that surpasses the 650S. Perhaps the biggest difference between the 650S and the 675LT is that while the former is part of series production, the latter is a limited production run of only 500 units worldwide. The vehicle price in the UK has been announced at £259,000 (approximately 47.5 million yen).
Incidentally, McLaren is also on the verge of introducing a new model rumored to be in a price range that could rival Porsche's"911 Turbo". It seems we cannot take our eyes off this sports car manufacturer, directly descended from a prestigious F1 team, for the foreseeable future.