The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

McLaren’s most powerful convertible supercar proves that lightweight savings can push its performance further than its rivals. Jada Brookes is amazed by the 765LT’s speed and aerodynamic performance.   bitecars T o match the serial number of the new McLaren 765LT Spider, only 765 of the supercar will be built to customer order; the same individually num- bered total as the sold-out LongTail coupé version unveiled last year. The convertible with butterfly doors in- corporates the coupé’s dynamic and aerodynamic DNA with no structural compromise and has a minimal weight increase of 49 kg and weighs just 1,388 kg (DIN weight), 80 kg lighter than the 720S Spider and 100 kg lighter than its closest competitor. The story goes that the LongTail name became a legend nearly a quarter of a century ago, when an extremely light- weight version of the Le Mans-conquering McLaren F1 GTR race car, wearing a stretched body, swept all before it in the 1997 FIA GT Championship. Its principles of ul- tra-low weight, enhanced aerodynamics, extreme perfor- mance and absolute driver engagement from that racing car were revisited in 2015 when McLaren introduced the 675LT and has continued into the new 765LT Spider. What Drives This Power Mod- el?  Currently, the British marque’s most powerful-ever con- vertible supercar, performance is ferocious thanks to its 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 M840T engine. With a pro- duction output of 765PS, this gives the 765LT Spider a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio of 598PS-per-tonne at the lightest dry weight and 800 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. In a lightning 2.7 seconds from 0-60 mph with a maximum speed of 205 mph, the new LT Spider takes 10 seconds to cover 400 metres (¼ mile) from a standstill. The new model has a quicker steering rack ratio and stiffer torsion bar that is added to McLaren’s lauded electro-hy- draulic steering system. Originally used on the 720S, the linked-hydraulic Proactive Control II suspension benefits the 765LT-specific software updates. These feature re- vised algorithms derived from those developed for the McLaren Senna and SpeedTail programmes and hard- ware changes including the new lightweight dual springs. The aerodynamic package measures, developed for the 765LT coupé, remain the same for the Spider which ben- efits from the same 25% increase in downforce over the 720S as the coupé. This key aero difference is the calibra-

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