Unlike the bare-carbon P1, which was unveiled at this past Geneva auto show and featured a blue-tinted carbon-fiber body, the MSO Carbon Series LT gives its carbon fiber a special gloss finish. McLaren didn’t say whether the Carbon Series LT will also get a coupe version, but until that happens, let’s have a closer look at this all-carbon Spider model. Top speed is pegged at 203mph. Unlike the P1, which was simply a design exercise showing the company’s growing client list what its bespoke arm – McLaren Special Projects – is capable of doing, the MSO Carbon Series LT, as it has been christened, is a true production auto and one that’s guaranteed future classic status, thanks to being limited to just 25 examples. New to the MSO over the standard LT is a carbon fibre retractable roof and tonneau, as well as A-pillars, bonnet and rear deck.
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Fitted as standard is McLaren’s “track telemetry pack”, which adds three different cameras to the auto so you can easily capture any driving done on track. It is therefore not possible to retro-fit the gloss carbon fibre body to an already ordered 675LT Spider and the 25 units supplement the previously announced 500 editions of the standard auto that sold out in weeks after the car’s debut on December 4, 2015. The first, the 675LT Coupé, arrived last year resurrecting the “Longtail” name after almost 20 years.
The new model, that could be called the 700S (after around 700hp) will have yet more active aerodynamics and could be as much as 100kg lighter. Woking’s signature 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 churns out a suitably devilish 666 horsepower in the LT, propelling the two-seater to 62 in 2.9 seconds and on past the 200-mph mark. Still over half the parts in the engine have been changed, which MSO states, “ensures optimized levels of power, torque and drivability”. To optimize it for this model, the powertrain has been updated with new components, including more efficient turbos, a new camshaft with lightweight connecting rods and a faster-flowing fuel pump and delivery system.
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If you’re looking for your own Limited Edition MSO Carbon Series LT, you’ll have to wait for them to hit the used market.
