A McLaren development car believed to be the next track-focused Longtail model has been spied testing at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany.
The spy shots, posted by Autocar, feature a matte black test car being pushed to its limits around the 12.9-mile circuit. The supercar sports a more aggressive front-bumper than the regular 720S, suggesting that the car in the photographs is a new performance model.
Although the test car doesn’t feature an “extended rear end”, a distant feature of Longtail models, the motoring magazine notes that the “extended spoiler plastered in tape” hints that more bodywork revisions are on the way.
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Other details about the new Longtail are scarce, but though PistonHeads predicts that the car will sport “reduced weight, a more track-focused chassis and, yes, increased power”.
Here’s what else we know about the newcomer:
What will it be called?
McLaren’s next track-focused car is widely referred to as the 750LT, a reference to the car’s anticipated power boost and Longtail (LT) form.
How much will it cost?
Given that the old 675LT cost £259,500, around £65,000 more than the 650S on which it’s based, the 750LT is likely to have a price tag nearing £300,000.
What will it look like?
Judging by the latest spy shots, the Longtail is will look similar to the standard 720S - albeit with a some minor bodywork tweaks to improve downforce.
The most recent development cars, for example, feature a front splitter and a pair of small winglets either side of the bumper to improve downforce.
It should also be marginally longer than the current 720S to warrant the Longtail name, too. The extra bodywork is typically used to accommodate a large carbon-fibre rear diffuser, helping the car generate more aerodynamic grip than the regular model.
What about power?
Autocar predicts a “minimum” power output of around 740bhp, based on comments made by McLaren Automotive boss Mike Flewitt at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Flewitt - who’s made no secret of McLaren’s intentions to produce a 720S-based Longtail - told the motoring magazine that the supercar’s power gain will be “at least” as much as the jump made between the 562bhp 570S and the 592bhp 600LT.
However, he admitted that his engineers were struggling to lose the 100kg now expected of LT models, “because we made the 720S as light as we could in the first place”.
