McLaren's sold-out 675LT Spider returns with a full carbon fiber skin

By Ronan Glon December 13, 2016

McLaren’s Special Operations (MSO) division has introduced a lighter, more exclusive version of the sold-out 675LT Spider to demonstrate the experience it has acquired in working with composite materials.

The model is dubbed Carbon Series LT. As its name implies, it’s essentially a new variant of the 675LT Spider whose body panels are made entirely out of exposed carbon fiber. Other components such as the bumpers, the giant air scoops that direct air into the engine compartment, the gas filler lid, and the mirror caps are also crafted out of the weight-saving material.

MSO hasn’t revealed how much the Carbon Series weighs; for what it’s worth, the standard 675LT Spider tips the scale at 2,800 pounds, a figure that already makes it one of the lightest supercars on the market. The new variant boasts 40 percent more carbon fiber than the 675LT.

There are no major mechanical modifications to report. The Carbon Series LT is powered by a stock, 675LT-sourced 3.8-liter V8 engine that uses a pair of beefy turbochargers to deliver a diabolical 666 horsepower at 516 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed automatic transmission sends the eight-cylinder’s mighty grunt to the rear wheels. The lower weight should help the LT hit 60 mph from a stop in 2.9 seconds, and keep on accelerating until it hits 203 mph.

MSO will build just 25 examples of the Carbon Series LT, and the first cars will reach customers before the end of the year. Pricing information hasn’t been released yet, though it’s of little importance because the entire production run is already sold out, according to Motor Authority.

The Carbon Series LT isn’t just a high-profile exercise in styling that’s as expensive as it is exclusive. McLaren is expected to apply the weight-shedding lessons learned by MSO to future models, including the 720S that will replace the 650S when it makes its public debut during next year’s edition of the Geneva Auto Show.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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