Is the Mclaren 600 LT Spider the most desirable sub 200k?
Discussion
Stu-nph26 said:
Your car is absolutely stunning OP and the 600LT is imho easily the best-looking Mclaren.
I don't have 200k but I'm looking to get something for about 140k later in the year, which makes the 600LT an option, their main competition for me is the 488GTB. I have my money down on a new 991.2 GTS but I think I will get my deposit back and plum for one of the two above they just seem far more special than a 991 GTS. Despite how genuinely brilliant I thought the GTS was.
I noticed you previously owned a 458 too that was also under consideration but I've come to the conclusion that the 488 is the better option for me. I take it the 458 and the LT are chalk and cheese?
I still own the 458. I don't have 200k but I'm looking to get something for about 140k later in the year, which makes the 600LT an option, their main competition for me is the 488GTB. I have my money down on a new 991.2 GTS but I think I will get my deposit back and plum for one of the two above they just seem far more special than a 991 GTS. Despite how genuinely brilliant I thought the GTS was.
I noticed you previously owned a 458 too that was also under consideration but I've come to the conclusion that the 488 is the better option for me. I take it the 458 and the LT are chalk and cheese?
I could write a book about both cars but I shall try to narrow it down:
458: Has to be the coupe, for me the Spider has too much scuttle shake, but some owners don't mind or don't notice. The best adrenalin rush modern supercar for the road around speed limits you will buy. I often attack a b-road or a-road and due to the short gearing, frantic acceleration and elastic rev range I often find myself having fun and feeling like I am absolutely flying to look down at the speedo and often find myself around 70-80mph and having great fun and enjoyment. The 458 does that magical thing that almost all other supercars from that period and post fail to do which is delivery fun and engagement within and around legal speeds. Instant NA response from as little as 2000rpm, short gearing and relatively light car with epic sound track all aid with this. The cars E-diff, traction system is also still amongst some of the very best ever, think its an area Ferrari excel at is how they tie the TC system in with the E-Diff, literally in Race mode you feel like a hero as TC is helping you but it does so and you hardly notice it. Flick to CT Off and you can happily slide the car around at will, even at low speeds, another element of fun. Owned mine 5 years now and covered 15,000 plus miles in it and it has been very enjoyable, the car did suffer a gearbox oil leak, spotted before driving so the gearbox got rebuilt by Ferrari and some other preventive maintenance at same time such as new sensors, diff seals etc at a cost of £8000. If the leak had occured during a drive and gone un-noticed to the point of the car throwing an error the bill would of no doubt been far higher, mine is a 2014 car by the way so gearbox issues can arise on all years. Only other minor issues have been the corrosion all 458's suffer from, easily remedied by any decent bodyshop.
600 LT Spider: Only buy a Spider, zero scuttle shake been a carbon tub and only a 50kg weight premium which you will never notice. Though it does not sound remotely as good as a 458 to passers by to you the driver the 600 LT sounds superb, but again highly amplified in the Spider with roof or back window down. On the road to truly enjoy it you will find yourself somewhat breaking speed limits on NSL roads by some margin, so restraint is called for. The power delivery is savage and fun, its a mega fast car even on part throttle but dare mash the pedal and it is like engaging warp drive on starship Enterprise, a shockingly fast car. Although its an LT so a more track focused model I often drive on the road with the suspension in sport or track, it is firm but never uncomfortable to myself. The car does vibrate a lot due to the direct engine mounts but it is all part of the LT thrill, of course for some it might be too much but I am easily annoyed by rattles and horrible droning and I find the 600 LT fine, I am already 3000+ miles into my ownership and loving it. Park the 458 and 600 LT next to each other at a show, both bright special paint colours (Giallo Triplo Strato on Ferrari & Volcano Red on McLaren) but as good looking as the 458 is, the McLaren totally steals the show everytime and with all ages, but the colour is helping dramatically. All the car shows we take it too, and there is some truly impressive machinery at such shows but I will often get people come over just like the poster above saying my car is their favourite and one of the best looking cars they have ever laid eyes on. With the 600 LT McLaren just nailed the design, of course the top mounted flame throwers of a huge bonus to me, not many cars with that feature. So far the 600 LT has been reliable but I've had it one year, it has some minor corrosion which McLaren will fix when I am ready to have it done, no doubt over a Winter when I will use car less but mechanically so far it has been spot on. Also the gear change settings are perfect, comfort for seamless, sport or crazy ignition cut aggressive kicks and bangs, then track for inertia push without upsetting balance. Sport can be very entertaining on road. Been sport series car the passive damping gives amazing feedback and as with all McLarens the hydraulic steering is perfectly judged and just magical to use, McLaren truly have the best steering of any modern supercar and by some distance, Porsche EPAS is not even close!
I can't really split the two, both equal greats but as I have owned the 458 for a long time now, then it is that car that I shall probably move on in coming months or next year and will probably renew the warranty on the 600 LT for another 2 years in 2025, also extended warranty on Ferrari is pointless it covers so little whereas the extended warranty on McLaren though not perfect is a better warranty.
A couple of pictures of each.
Edited by Gibbo205 on Thursday 24th August 12:36
Edited by Gibbo205 on Saturday 26th August 14:10
Geoffcapes said:
Fastest thing on track by miles!
The way it builds speed is bonkers!
The torque out of corners is what I was really loving, the two 2nd gear corner exits is just a giggle fest and now you also realise why I love the sound of the 600 LT so much because that is the real authentic engine noise in the cabin as I had the gopro mounted inside on the back screen with it down nearly an inch, at which point those top exit exhaust fill the cabin with the lovely soundtrack. Even in track mode the exhaust still whip cracks and bangs, never drove in sport on track for obvious reasons but in sport mode the car is even more vocal. The way it builds speed is bonkers!
Stu-nph26 said:
Bloody hell that looks quick
It was like having a cheat code on, I am quite experience at Donington and driven a lot of stuff there, single seaters, Caterhams, Exige, GT3, 458 etc. 600 is quickest I have driven yet but what also really impressed me was just how engaging the chassis was and how much fun it was. I was also generally driving at 7/8 of my ability for mechanical sympathy, hence you see me short shifting a lot but at same time with such a quick car, I will happily admit there is no way I have the ability to pilot the car to its maximum potential, so I was braking early and lifting off a lot where I could stay flat, also because I don't want to throw a 150k car at the scenery which I cannot replace, not exactly many Volcano Red 600 LT's Spiders about......For its ability it remained huge fun and deeply engaging, at no point did I feel I was driving a computer game around, also on the odd time I messed up my line the car and tyres gave me options, car was also just running basic road alignment, needless to say its capable of going much quicker.
12pack said:
Very interesting perspectives. My problem these days is after experiencing the gut-punch of 765-in-the-dust EV acceleration, and the adrenaline rush of the Atom, my 641 hp Mac feels like a cruiser for relaxed, sunny, open- top days.
An Atom is on my list to try at some point. Edited by 12pack on Friday 25th August 11:58
Gibbo205 said:
Even in track mode the exhaust still whip cracks and bangs, never drove in sport on track for obvious reasons but in sport mode the car is even more vocal.
So the cracks and bangs are louder and more plentiful in Sport mode than Track mode, in order to pass noise limits when on track ?mogg said:
So the cracks and bangs are louder and more plentiful in Sport mode than Track mode, in order to pass noise limits when on track ?
Well its a lot more vocal in sport mode going both up and down the box, but not sure it would be beyond 98Db drive by. The main reason I kept it in track is because the gear shifting is inertia push and won't unsettle the car.In sport mode the gear shift uses ignition cut and is really harsh and aggressive, so could unbalance the car mid corner on track, but for road driving the sport powertrain mode is quite a lot of fun as it really kicks hard on shifting and is louder.
Like the video, weirdly I’ve only come across other 720s whilst out on track (whilst in the GTR) so was interested to compare times, from that video (and as you said) it looked like there was lots more to come.
I had to use your braking zone for the hairpin as the timed point as I was on the different layout, but it was 2 secs shy of the GTR, are you running cup2s on it?
I had to use your braking zone for the hairpin as the timed point as I was on the different layout, but it was 2 secs shy of the GTR, are you running cup2s on it?
Kerniki said:
Like the video, weirdly I’ve only come across other 720s whilst out on track (whilst in the GTR) so was interested to compare times, from that video (and as you said) it looked like there was lots more to come.
I had to use your braking zone for the hairpin as the timed point as I was on the different layout, but it was 2 secs shy of the GTR, are you running cup2s on it?
Best lap was 1:44s but unfortunately all laps had traffic and I am leaving a lot on the table. Car was on Nankang AR1 tyres. Clear lap, more courage be sub 1:40 quite easily, but for my first go in it quite happy. I had to use your braking zone for the hairpin as the timed point as I was on the different layout, but it was 2 secs shy of the GTR, are you running cup2s on it?
Gibbo205 said:
Best lap was 1:44s but unfortunately all laps had traffic and I am leaving a lot on the table. Car was on Nankang AR1 tyres. Clear lap, more courage be sub 1:40 quite easily, but for my first go in it quite happy.
Would be good to see it go faster, 1.44s is Caterham 310R (1.6 basic NA Ford engine with 152bhp) pace.Olivera said:
Would be good to see it go faster, 1.44s is Caterham 310R (1.6 basic NA Ford engine with 152bhp) pace.
Well I certainly can’t pedal my 420R that fast. I’m sure putting a professional lap record holder in my car or any professional driver will see my car go faster.Further more this was a track day, not a race day or not qualifying. I’m just an average driver enjoying my car on track, so it can obviously go faster if setup to do so and a professional driving, but they can do so in someone else’s 600 LT.
Edited by Gibbo205 on Friday 25th August 23:50
I think I got about 1.18 on the national layout but I really didn't want to go into the gravel at Craners I was about 20mph slower than I could have been down the hill. It's all very well chasing really quick laptimes in a cheap glorified kit car it's a bit more serious with six figures involved!
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