765LT - road test & day at MTC
Discussion
I spent 3 hours with the pre-production car at MTC back at the start of the year, before the first covid lockdown, and have seen another car at Hatfield since then, so I won't comment on the general details. The important thing is how it drives.
Having been postponed from 5 weeks ago due to the second lockdown, I finally got some wheel time with the 765LT on Monday at MTC. I wanted a road test, as over 95% of my usage will be on road. I will drive it on track at Silverstone in summer though.
As it was forecast cold and wet, I had requested that McLaren change the Trofeos to (my hated) PZeros, just so I could get heat into the tyres. They kindly did that.
I arrived to find the stunning white car that Rory Reid tested
This car is equipped with full Senna brakes. Visually, it reminded me of my white, black & blue i8 that I had arrived in!
I had arrived early at 09:25, so we got straight on with it as it had been raining heavily all morning and was forecast to get much worse. Ambient temperature was 9C, and Woking roads were wet and very slippery with leaves and dirt after the rain.
I strapped myself into the perfectly shaped Senna seat, fired up the engine and performed my usual 720S startup routine (active on, aero on etc). The first thing I noticed was the sound and feel of the car. It was noticeably more mechanical than a 720S, with some vibration and a lot more mechanical engine noise. Nothing harsh or excessive though, and in fact a lot less NVH than I expected.
Rolling past the lake at MTC, it was already clear that the 765LT was much stiffer sprung than my 720S.
I initially tested the car in comfort/comfort, before switching to comfort Handling / sport Drivetrain. I spent about 5 minutes in these modes just getting comfortable with the car. Then I switched to Sport/Sport for about 30 minutes.
The PZero tyres reached temperature fairly quickly, which was a pleasant surprise. Testing by braking slightly hard showed there was minimal grip though, as the ABS activated and sliding was evident even with moderate braking. It was a very slippery day.
The 765LT however was astonishing in its driver feedback through the wheel and seat, and I felt extremely comfortable, right from the very start. I gradually increased pace, testing the car on all types of road and surface. Most of my time was spent on some fantastic twisty fast roads. I concluded that I could comfortably use this car for a trip from Kent to Scotland, as the NVH was not overly harsh at all. Obviously a 720S would make the same journey far more comfortably and quietly though.
I then switched to Sport Handling / Track Drivetrain for around 30 minutes. This was a revelation, as the change was far more dramatic than on any previous McLaren I've driven - even LT models. Whilst the engine had some nice burbles on lifting off in Sport, it was now far more aggressive and was burbling a lot, as well as adding gunshots to the exhaust when driven hard.
This was no engineered-in drama like on Lamborghinis. The only way to generate gunshots was to drive it hard - very hard. It sounded as good as previous LT models, but perhaps with more burbles. The Spider will sound glorious, just like existing McLaren LT Spiders.
I then tried Track/Track for the remaining 25 minutes or so. The car was perfectly usable on A/B Woking roads, and silky smooth on the motorway. This mode felt perfectly usable on road.
Overall, the 765LT was not what I expected at all on road, from the track reviews. I expected a terrifying monster of a car that would try its best to kill me, especially in the winter, wet and very slippery conditions, and on relatively poor roads. In this weather I expected it to be borderline undrivable unless I took it very easy. The car could not stop even moderately hard without ABS activating, indicating the low grip levels available on the day. The reality was so surprising that I commented on it many times to my McLaren passenger (Steve Harvey, who knew the best local routes).
The 765LT inspired complete confidence from the moment I turned out of MTC, gradually encouraging me to push it more and more, and explore all its modes. The steering, and feedback through the seat and chassis were to thank for this. I knew what the car was doing every single second, and it felt like it was actually looking after me. It sounds silly, but that was how I felt driving it. Where a 720S insulates me from the feedback and speed so much more, the 765LT did none of that. This actually allowed me to push it far harder than I would have dared in my 720S. Astonishing given the brutal power of this car.
I tried launch control three times, on varying surfaces all of which were equally slippery, but varied in surface quality and camber. Each time the 765LT span its rears, and kept them spinning through the gears, without any drama or nervousness, or tendency to spin or veer off the road. All of this whilst it rearranged my internal organs with its brutal power. It was incredible. I would never dare try that in any other car, but the LT just made me feel safe as a result of its telepathic steering and chassis feedback. This is the best steering this side of an unassisted Lotus Exige S1. There is no higher praise.
It was the same with numerous full bore starts, with the wheels spinning through the gears, but the car remaining straight and true.
This reminded me of my summer F8 Tributo drive. Leaving aside that the car was inferior to a 720S, it was also incapable of even moving off on full throttle on a poor Kent B road in the dry without spinning, thudding its suspension, and sliding. The F8 interior light and switch panel also fell off when I did that, hanging from its electric cabling. And the Ferrari passenger had kittens, telling me to slow down. The McLaren passenger by contrast, on a MUCH harder and faster drive, and in the wet, never once asked me to slow down. Steve said he really enjoyed the drive in fact.
Steve even messaged back to MTC asking them to have another 765LT waiting with different sized Senna seats when I asked. Needless to say, it was waiting outside the main entrance when we returned. Attention to detail + McLaren go hand in hand.
Even more impressive was how the 765LT felt so stable in the bends, despite the low grip available. McLaren have definitely moved the game on significantly even from the 720S in terms of its active suspension. Even in Sport Handling, the suspension soaked up potholes without any harsh shocks to the chassis.
Engine vibration through the seat is slight, and only becomes harsh at the red line under full throttle. This is perfect, as it enhances your connection to the 765LT and its mechanical nature.
The brakes have great feel and felt absolutely perfect, but I was unable to use them very hard due to the lack of mechanical grip to the road surface on the day.
The 765LT is not in the least scary or difficult to drive on the road. In fact it's paradoxically less scary and easier to drive fast than a 720S, thanks to the excellent driver feedback and enhanced traction and stability assistance, which is amazingly transparent and unobtrusive. This is quite simply the best road car I've ever driven.
Some of us feel that hyper/supercars are losing what really matters, in the rush to ever greater power and straight line speed. Personally, I'm of the view that the Bugatti Veyron started the rot, but there are other recent examples also chasing 1000-2000hp in the quest for headline records. The 765LT is a wonderful antidote to that, as is every McLaren LT. It's truly all about the driver experience and enjoyment.
The 765LT has less lag than 675LT, but honestly all three LT models are so different to each other, offering a different experience that no LT driver is short-changed in any way. These cars are an abundance of riches in terms of driving pleasure and there is no bad choice amongst them.
The 765LT is absolutely flawless on the road, delivering raw excitement and wide grins even at relatively slow speeds.
A few technical points you might not find elsewhere. I learned that almost all of the 765LT is carbon fibre, even front and rear bumpers, and also including the large aero blades on the doors, which are composite on 720S. The fenders are aluminium, but with a no-cost option to switch to vented carbon fibre fenders with louvres. That's a no-brainer option.
The stated 80kg saving compares a standard 765LT to standard 720S, so for example a 720S comfort edition with electric seats would be even heaver, and the weight saving greater. The standard 765LT carbon fibre P1 seats are 18kg lighter than standard 720S seats, which are themselves 13kg lighter than electric seats if I recollect correctly. The Senna seats option saves a further 7kg over the standard P1 seats. The 765LT should be left on a trickle charger, as its battery is lighter than 720S, with 30 days life instead of 45 days. There also other option weight savings, so it's possible to save far more than the claimed 80kg.
The great news is that unlike F8 Tributo, the new McLaren still has no Gas Particulate Filter deadening the exhaust sound. Could the 765LT Coupe and Spider be the last such McLarens?
I absolutely loved the 765LT, and have thought of little else since driving it. The drive was 90 minutes, but I was offered more seat time if I wanted. I didn't, but only because I wanted to get on with specifying my own car. So we headed inside to do that, which took until 17:00.
Mine is a Spider, so I obviously can't say anything about that car. I will however mention that the entire UK coupe allocation of 60 cars is now sold out, bar 3 cars. USA, Asia and South America are fully sold out. If you want one, I'd hurry. I fully expect Spiders to be even harder to get.
I cannot commend McLaren highly enough on how welcoming and warm they are. They were extremely patient during the specification, telling me it would take as long as I needed and there was no rush. I need to commend Steve Harvey (sales director), Ian Howshall (global product manager) and Josh Riches (MSO) who were there virtually from start to finish during the process. Sarah Rothwell (customer services) too, for so efficiently looking after the schedule for my day.
George Farquhar (VIP manager) kindly also joined us for part of the specification session, as did Rob Melville (design director) who kindly gave his input too, and signed his 720S design in my book. I only caught up momentarily with Mike Flewitt (CEO) however, as there was understandably a lot going on at McLaren this week (in the news). Amanda McLaren and her husband Stephen Donnell very kindly came and had a chat too, and Amanda signed all my McLaren books.
What a wonderful, amazing company and group of talented people there are at McLaren. It is impossible to feel any more valued as a customer than McLaren makes you feel. Every time I visit MTC, it feels like visiting family.
Easily my best day of 2020. Bravo McLaren!
Having been postponed from 5 weeks ago due to the second lockdown, I finally got some wheel time with the 765LT on Monday at MTC. I wanted a road test, as over 95% of my usage will be on road. I will drive it on track at Silverstone in summer though.
As it was forecast cold and wet, I had requested that McLaren change the Trofeos to (my hated) PZeros, just so I could get heat into the tyres. They kindly did that.
I arrived to find the stunning white car that Rory Reid tested
This car is equipped with full Senna brakes. Visually, it reminded me of my white, black & blue i8 that I had arrived in!
I had arrived early at 09:25, so we got straight on with it as it had been raining heavily all morning and was forecast to get much worse. Ambient temperature was 9C, and Woking roads were wet and very slippery with leaves and dirt after the rain.
I strapped myself into the perfectly shaped Senna seat, fired up the engine and performed my usual 720S startup routine (active on, aero on etc). The first thing I noticed was the sound and feel of the car. It was noticeably more mechanical than a 720S, with some vibration and a lot more mechanical engine noise. Nothing harsh or excessive though, and in fact a lot less NVH than I expected.
Rolling past the lake at MTC, it was already clear that the 765LT was much stiffer sprung than my 720S.
I initially tested the car in comfort/comfort, before switching to comfort Handling / sport Drivetrain. I spent about 5 minutes in these modes just getting comfortable with the car. Then I switched to Sport/Sport for about 30 minutes.
The PZero tyres reached temperature fairly quickly, which was a pleasant surprise. Testing by braking slightly hard showed there was minimal grip though, as the ABS activated and sliding was evident even with moderate braking. It was a very slippery day.
The 765LT however was astonishing in its driver feedback through the wheel and seat, and I felt extremely comfortable, right from the very start. I gradually increased pace, testing the car on all types of road and surface. Most of my time was spent on some fantastic twisty fast roads. I concluded that I could comfortably use this car for a trip from Kent to Scotland, as the NVH was not overly harsh at all. Obviously a 720S would make the same journey far more comfortably and quietly though.
I then switched to Sport Handling / Track Drivetrain for around 30 minutes. This was a revelation, as the change was far more dramatic than on any previous McLaren I've driven - even LT models. Whilst the engine had some nice burbles on lifting off in Sport, it was now far more aggressive and was burbling a lot, as well as adding gunshots to the exhaust when driven hard.
This was no engineered-in drama like on Lamborghinis. The only way to generate gunshots was to drive it hard - very hard. It sounded as good as previous LT models, but perhaps with more burbles. The Spider will sound glorious, just like existing McLaren LT Spiders.
I then tried Track/Track for the remaining 25 minutes or so. The car was perfectly usable on A/B Woking roads, and silky smooth on the motorway. This mode felt perfectly usable on road.
Overall, the 765LT was not what I expected at all on road, from the track reviews. I expected a terrifying monster of a car that would try its best to kill me, especially in the winter, wet and very slippery conditions, and on relatively poor roads. In this weather I expected it to be borderline undrivable unless I took it very easy. The car could not stop even moderately hard without ABS activating, indicating the low grip levels available on the day. The reality was so surprising that I commented on it many times to my McLaren passenger (Steve Harvey, who knew the best local routes).
The 765LT inspired complete confidence from the moment I turned out of MTC, gradually encouraging me to push it more and more, and explore all its modes. The steering, and feedback through the seat and chassis were to thank for this. I knew what the car was doing every single second, and it felt like it was actually looking after me. It sounds silly, but that was how I felt driving it. Where a 720S insulates me from the feedback and speed so much more, the 765LT did none of that. This actually allowed me to push it far harder than I would have dared in my 720S. Astonishing given the brutal power of this car.
I tried launch control three times, on varying surfaces all of which were equally slippery, but varied in surface quality and camber. Each time the 765LT span its rears, and kept them spinning through the gears, without any drama or nervousness, or tendency to spin or veer off the road. All of this whilst it rearranged my internal organs with its brutal power. It was incredible. I would never dare try that in any other car, but the LT just made me feel safe as a result of its telepathic steering and chassis feedback. This is the best steering this side of an unassisted Lotus Exige S1. There is no higher praise.
It was the same with numerous full bore starts, with the wheels spinning through the gears, but the car remaining straight and true.
This reminded me of my summer F8 Tributo drive. Leaving aside that the car was inferior to a 720S, it was also incapable of even moving off on full throttle on a poor Kent B road in the dry without spinning, thudding its suspension, and sliding. The F8 interior light and switch panel also fell off when I did that, hanging from its electric cabling. And the Ferrari passenger had kittens, telling me to slow down. The McLaren passenger by contrast, on a MUCH harder and faster drive, and in the wet, never once asked me to slow down. Steve said he really enjoyed the drive in fact.
Steve even messaged back to MTC asking them to have another 765LT waiting with different sized Senna seats when I asked. Needless to say, it was waiting outside the main entrance when we returned. Attention to detail + McLaren go hand in hand.
Even more impressive was how the 765LT felt so stable in the bends, despite the low grip available. McLaren have definitely moved the game on significantly even from the 720S in terms of its active suspension. Even in Sport Handling, the suspension soaked up potholes without any harsh shocks to the chassis.
Engine vibration through the seat is slight, and only becomes harsh at the red line under full throttle. This is perfect, as it enhances your connection to the 765LT and its mechanical nature.
The brakes have great feel and felt absolutely perfect, but I was unable to use them very hard due to the lack of mechanical grip to the road surface on the day.
The 765LT is not in the least scary or difficult to drive on the road. In fact it's paradoxically less scary and easier to drive fast than a 720S, thanks to the excellent driver feedback and enhanced traction and stability assistance, which is amazingly transparent and unobtrusive. This is quite simply the best road car I've ever driven.
Some of us feel that hyper/supercars are losing what really matters, in the rush to ever greater power and straight line speed. Personally, I'm of the view that the Bugatti Veyron started the rot, but there are other recent examples also chasing 1000-2000hp in the quest for headline records. The 765LT is a wonderful antidote to that, as is every McLaren LT. It's truly all about the driver experience and enjoyment.
The 765LT has less lag than 675LT, but honestly all three LT models are so different to each other, offering a different experience that no LT driver is short-changed in any way. These cars are an abundance of riches in terms of driving pleasure and there is no bad choice amongst them.
The 765LT is absolutely flawless on the road, delivering raw excitement and wide grins even at relatively slow speeds.
A few technical points you might not find elsewhere. I learned that almost all of the 765LT is carbon fibre, even front and rear bumpers, and also including the large aero blades on the doors, which are composite on 720S. The fenders are aluminium, but with a no-cost option to switch to vented carbon fibre fenders with louvres. That's a no-brainer option.
The stated 80kg saving compares a standard 765LT to standard 720S, so for example a 720S comfort edition with electric seats would be even heaver, and the weight saving greater. The standard 765LT carbon fibre P1 seats are 18kg lighter than standard 720S seats, which are themselves 13kg lighter than electric seats if I recollect correctly. The Senna seats option saves a further 7kg over the standard P1 seats. The 765LT should be left on a trickle charger, as its battery is lighter than 720S, with 30 days life instead of 45 days. There also other option weight savings, so it's possible to save far more than the claimed 80kg.
The great news is that unlike F8 Tributo, the new McLaren still has no Gas Particulate Filter deadening the exhaust sound. Could the 765LT Coupe and Spider be the last such McLarens?
I absolutely loved the 765LT, and have thought of little else since driving it. The drive was 90 minutes, but I was offered more seat time if I wanted. I didn't, but only because I wanted to get on with specifying my own car. So we headed inside to do that, which took until 17:00.
Mine is a Spider, so I obviously can't say anything about that car. I will however mention that the entire UK coupe allocation of 60 cars is now sold out, bar 3 cars. USA, Asia and South America are fully sold out. If you want one, I'd hurry. I fully expect Spiders to be even harder to get.
I cannot commend McLaren highly enough on how welcoming and warm they are. They were extremely patient during the specification, telling me it would take as long as I needed and there was no rush. I need to commend Steve Harvey (sales director), Ian Howshall (global product manager) and Josh Riches (MSO) who were there virtually from start to finish during the process. Sarah Rothwell (customer services) too, for so efficiently looking after the schedule for my day.
George Farquhar (VIP manager) kindly also joined us for part of the specification session, as did Rob Melville (design director) who kindly gave his input too, and signed his 720S design in my book. I only caught up momentarily with Mike Flewitt (CEO) however, as there was understandably a lot going on at McLaren this week (in the news). Amanda McLaren and her husband Stephen Donnell very kindly came and had a chat too, and Amanda signed all my McLaren books.
What a wonderful, amazing company and group of talented people there are at McLaren. It is impossible to feel any more valued as a customer than McLaren makes you feel. Every time I visit MTC, it feels like visiting family.
Easily my best day of 2020. Bravo McLaren!
Edited by LotusJas on Sunday 20th December 20:52
Thanks guys 
But yes, I will keep the spec under wraps until its delivered
650spider said:
Great Post!
Thanks for taking the time and inserting so much detail.
Can you reveal you colour choice or keeping spec under wraps for just now?
I've actually not quite settled on colour in fact. MSO are creating a unique colour for me, based on the requirements I gave them. If I like it more, I will use it. If not, I will use an existing standard colour.Thanks for taking the time and inserting so much detail.
Can you reveal you colour choice or keeping spec under wraps for just now?
But yes, I will keep the spec under wraps until its delivered
IMI A said:
Top write up.
Thank you This YouTuber accurately portrays the driving, and driver, experience I had. Except that the road conditions I had were very poor by comparison.
I recommend jumping forward to 31 mins.
And watch his face & eyes when he tries launch control
Can stop watching at 40 mins if preferred, as he just compares it to other cars.
Edited by LotusJas on Sunday 20th December 20:51
IMI A said:
Thanks super watch - would your 720s be bobbing around on the canyon?
I wouldn't suggest the 720S would be bobbing around. More that it provides less driver feedback than 765LT, and insulates you a lot from the speed, resulting in you driving it feeling more nervously than in the confidence inspiring LT. Secondly, the handling (thanks to suspension updates and also software improvements) results in the LT being more secure at speed.To put it into context, 720S is FAR more capable than a F8 Tributo or Huracan Performante for example, and provides far more driver feedback, particularly through the steering.
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