I sure hope not. I’m planning to buy a 7xxLT, but if it’s hybrid I will probably pass.

 

Nope... Ain't happening. No way they will make the track version so much heavier, it ain't about a single lap of the Nurburgring. The 7xxLT is about laps of the ring, that was plural ?

 

Highly unlikely in my opinion. I expect McLaren to exactly follow the 570S>600LT paradigm, in other words factory body kit, top exit race exhaust, small bump in horsepower, and MSO roof scoop option. I'd expect the wing to remain active but maybe redesigned to be more aggressive. Weight reduction of course too, although I'd guess < 50kg compared to a 720S configured with minimal weight options - there just is not much fat to cut on these cars. It seems likely that all cars introduced after the 720S will have hybrid powertrains, so very possible the 7XXLT might be the last McLaren running solely on gasoline.

That said, McLaren could unexpectedly drop a new hybrid series production car in the $500-600k range to compete with the SF90 Stradale... basically a detuned/simplified Speedtail drivetrain dropped into a car built on the 720S platform, just like the mules we have seen. Without the requirement for 250 mph VMax, flexible carbon fiber, center steer configuration, etc. and with say 1000+ rather than 106 units produced, the price could drop right into that target range. Only other new car occupying that price segment is the Aventador SVJ, which is lacking in performance outside the Nurburgring, and maybe the FGT too although it's also an underperformer and not something you can just walk into a dealer and order if you have the cash. If McLaren indeed did this, it would not make sense to sell it as an 'LT', as that moniker is reserved for low weight, track-focused cars. Hybrid will add hundreds of pounds, it would be called something else entirely.

I do think McLaren found a sweet spot between power, weight, and efficiency (drivetrain and aerodynamic) with the 720S. The extra power from hybrid designs comes with a big weight penalty and I'm not convinced it will be worthwhile. And you can count on spending 10% of the original MSRP in 6 years when the high voltage battery is toast.

 

theoretical they could ... the P1 hybrid components weighted around 110kg (Flewitt said this in an interview) and the regular 7XX LT should be aimed at being 100kg lighter than the 720s (again said by Flewitt in another interview) ... so basically, if they chose a quiet simple 1 engine hybrid layout only supporting the back wheels, as the one ,the P1 has, and not some layout with powered front axis and multiple engines like the SF90, an LT with around the 720s weight and about 950hp seems possible if not more needs to be changed than an added hybrid system

 

I share everyone’s concerns about vehicle weight, battery replacement costs and repeatable performance. My thought is that the government regulations are baked - on the books and aren’t likely to be going anywhere. I don’t believe any of the manufacturers are going hybrid on their own volition, but to satisfy the whimsy of the regulators. That being said I think it’s entirely possible. We’ve now seen 720s mules with a hybrid drivetrain. A hybrid sport will be released ahead of a 7XXLT as well. This tells me it can be done at a low cost. Im not 100% convinced that Ferrari would have made the SF90 a portly hybrid If they didn’t have their hand forced by silly regulations. Hope I’m wrong but when I asked the dealer, they told me they haven’t heard but agree it’s possible.

 

I agree with your reasoning, but where would they fit 110kg of extra stuff?
It would seem so much easier to follow the 675/600 template for the 720 variant (for which we know there would be a market) and go hybrid from then on. As I see it, Ferrari and the others are choosing hybrid for the start of their next generation of cars, whereas the 7xxLT will be the end of McLaren's current generation of cars.

 

765LT will be pure combustion, not hybrid. Thankfully...as that will make it the last great non-hybrid McLaren.


Obviously the next Super series will outperform the 765LT as a result.

 

oddly, i will keep my 720, skip LT and get new gen 720s hybrid. by then, the tech should be more mature. its 3-4 years from now.

 

IIRC the P1 battery also has packaging plastic (maybe carbon fiber) around it which makes it look even larger than the photo Chris showed.

The NSX battery is mounted low behind driver/passenger seats, and is more representative of current tech. Looking forward to seeing what McLaren offers on the Sport Series!
https://acuranews.com/channels/nsx-press-kit/releases/2017-acura-nsx-press-kit-power-unit

 

Just a wild guess but I'm going with govt safety regulations for $1000 alex. Its not a trivial thing to relocate a gas tank, which located in the structurally safest part of the crash structure. Although if you prefer your thermonuclear reactor above or below your combustible fuel source, probably doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

 

Battery technology is not progressing quickly. Lithium ion packs with reasonable capacity are bulky and heavy and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Rimac is the industry leader, and they are now offering their battery packs to OEMs with (I think) Koenigsegg being the first customer with the Regera.

I'm pretty sure a production Super Series hybrid would need to be lengthened to accommodate the battery near the center of the car, between the cabin and engine, where it would not wreak havoc with the weight distribution or center of gravity that McLaren got so right with the 720S. Even the P1, with its tiny rear window and tight passenger compartment with no luggage space, is 2" longer than the 720S. And the Speedtail is 23" longer (!). The 720 based hybrid mules which have been photographed may have a V6 inside. They are very compact engines so would free up some space for a battery pack... and they could well be mules for the 570S replacement.

On the other hand a rear motor could easily be accommodated without much change. They could simply replace the Graziano DCT with something like the Xtrac P1010 for torque-fill, short range EV mode, and KERS for peak power on demand. That would be the minimum weight solution, similar to the LaFerrari. Adding more motors up front for AWD, like the NSX, 918 Spider, and now the SF90 Stradale will add even more weight and also eliminate much if not all of the boot stowage.

 

I have to say i see zero chance of the LT being hybrid...

 

High battery is also terrible for centre of gravity.

As is a battery behind the middle, given the cars already have a rear bias to weight.


765LT will be all the better for not having a battery, and the weight and complexity. Which makes me happier to buy one (and I like Hybrids!).

Hybrids work well only when they are designed as such from a clean sheet (e.g. i8). The alternative is a SuperFat car e.g. SF90.

 

Combustion only for P14R from my understanding. From what I've been told, the next generation of cars will be hybrid powered, featuring BMW V6 engines

 

Interesting if they actually use BMW V6 engines. Although I like the fact they're going to smaller displacement/lighter engines but the problem is they're supplementing it with electric powertrain.

 

What we know so far about the 765lt:
765 hp
700 coupes and 700 spyder
next Geneve
production start next summer
lots of aero part/ hope not over the top
pre orders to sign probably in 2-3 weeks at the dealer
Need a superserie cars to be classified for the 765lt

Thats what i heard

 

I was told 750/750 and Winterball next year ...

 

Man- that seems super early. The 720 was launched as a 2018 model. So they are going to have a 3 year run and LT comes out???? Spiders would have a 1 year run??

I was assuming at least a 4 year 720 run and then LT version comes out in 2021. If they do this, either the 720 coupes skyrocket in value because its the last production NA car or they tank.

Hard to believe that Mclaren would put so much into the 720 only to replace it so quickly.

 

Could also be to the new regulation euro6D witch mclaren has to full fill (even as considered a small manufacture with less than 10000 cars per year) latest per 2021.
I guess if they would launch the car per 2021 they need particular filter and much lower emission.
On the otherhand if Gb finaly leavs EU, the are not under EU law, and could ignore EU, if they decide to not sell to EU country.
It is getting very tricky

 

Is there even space in the chassis to fit large batteries?

 

For the Speedtail -- "The e-motor is powered by a 115-lb battery that sits beneath the fuel tank, the latter of which is molded around the Speedtail's two passenger seats. The battery is four times more power-dense as the one in the P1, at half the weight, though McLaren hasn't released information about the battery's energy storage capacity." So it seems the more modern battery does not weigh much or take up too much space.
But again I don't think that the 765LT will be hybrid.

The McLaren Speedtail's Electric Motor Alone Makes More Power Than a Honda Civic Type R

McLaren's hybrid hypercar combines a twin-turbo V8 and a 308-hp electric motor to make 1035 hp in total.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

The boys and girls at Woking are clear that the first 'volume' hybrid model will be the 570 replacement, a V6 announced this Autumn.

The 7xxLT , as part of the 720 model line will be V8 turbo.

The replacement for the 720 model line is expected to be hybrid to comply with Euro regs and the wider Green Mentality Compliance ( a state of mind usually developed from a poor understanding of birth to death pollution reality)

 

The 7xxLT will be very fast.

 

I'll also cast my vote for the 7xxLT not being a hybrid. The idea that McLaren push out 1500 iterations of the LT in a year isn't very far fetched. The Super Series production line was pretty much shut down for a year-ish when McLaren went from making P11 to P14. If the same thing happens when going from P13 to P16 (is that right for the 2nd gen sports series?) there will be plenty of workers on the line looking for things to put together. Not to mention, McLaren is making, what, 4,000 cars a year? 1500 LTs... very doable!

 

I generally like the hybrid concept, but they definately have their issues. I dont think its ready for prime time. I dont see ppl paying 100k+ for a new battery every 3 years.

 

Hybrids really makes more sense in a vehicle like the NSX or i8, where efficiency and performance somewhat balanced. For maximum all around performance, weight is really tantamount to power and I just don't think battery technology is at a point where the extra sprung mass can be compensated for by additional HP, at least for more than a very short period of time. It is cheaper to add power than to remove weight, so I expect the next generation of supercars to be generally chubby with a significant bump in HP... 1000 hp could become the new normal.

Exception is a car designed for extremely high straight line speed, i.e. Speedtail, Chiron, Regera, etc., where weight becomes largely irrelevant compared to HP and aerodynamic efficiency.

The P1, 918, and LaF were obviously trendsetters achieving 800-900hp range with their hybrid technology, at a time where 600hp supercars were the norm. But how 800hp is achievable with just a gas engine... and in the case of the Senna, it will smoke the entire holy trinity on a track.