UK
McLaren has revealed the 788HS, and the name is the whole pitch: 788 hp from the most extreme version yet of the twin-turbo V8 that has powered the brand’s core supercar since the 720S launched in 2017. McLaren is calling it the final and most powerful road car this platform will produce before a new supercar generation takes over.
The 4.0-litre M840T V8 gets forged pistons and is tuned to 788 hp at 7,500 rpm and 800 Nm at 5,500 rpm, up from the 750S’s 750 hp. Dry weight drops to 1,265 kg, putting power-to-weight at 623 hp per tonne. McLaren quotes 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 7.0 seconds, and a 330 km/h top speed.
The mechanical changes go beyond a power bump. Proactive Chassis Control III, McLaren’s adaptive suspension, has been retuned specifically for this car, and it’s the first model in the line to get center-lock wheels. Carbon-ceramic brakes use six-piston monoblock calipers derived from the Senna hypercar, and a titanium exhaust with four exit pipes cuts weight over the standard system. Aerodynamically, a new S-Duct routes air through the bonnet, working with a carbon front splitter, an active rear wing, and an F1-style diffuser - McLaren says the package generates 10% more downforce than the 765LT, the previous benchmark in the range.
The HS badge itself is rare: this is only the third car to wear it, after the 10-off MP4-12C High Sport in 2011 and the 25-off 675LT-based MSO HS in 2016. McLaren is building 200 examples of the 788HS, split evenly between Coupe and Spider, and has not disclosed pricing.
