New McLaren 788HS is 'extraordinary finale'
High Sport version of original 720S formula gets 788hp - but that's only the start of long goodbye to Super Series
McLaren has revealed its most extreme Super Series model, the 788HS and confirmed that it will be an ‘extraordinary finale’ to the range that first launched in 2017. Not only does the 788hp, 1,265kg-dry GT3-inspired newcomer supersede the 765LT as the top Super Series dog, it also provides a bookend for McLaren Automotive, which was purchased by Abu Dhabi firm CYVN Holdings in 2025 and is set for a full range revamp in 2028. We’re expecting lots of hybridisation with that changeover, so this 788HS is potentially the last and most bonkers blend of ‘pure’ combustion ingredients.
For starters, it doesn’t get the new 4.0-litre V8 of the W1 hypercar but rather a heavily re-worked version of the twin-turbocharged M840T that’s been powering the Super Series since the 720S. Proof of the 90-degree flat-plane block’s evolution comes with its new output, which beats the 765LT by 23hp at an identical 7,500rpm peak, though since torque is unchanged at 590lb ft and the 788HS is slightly more kitted out (more on that shortly), its dry kerbweight actually measures a tad more than the Longtail’s, meaning an identical 2.8-second 0-62mph time and 205mph top speed.
Nevertheless, the 788HS’s extremeness comes with how it offers 765LT-matching performance in a more rounded, ‘High Sport’ package, with the car shown to PH in Woking bearing no shortage of MSO options. Start ticking these and the car’s (anticipated) beyond half a million quid asking price will seem more like a jumping off point. Although with just 100 coupes and the same number again in Spiders due to be produced, this is clearly not a series run model for your average punter. Don't expect to get much of a look in if you’re not already known as a special somebody by your local dealer.
For the lucky bunch who are, however, the powertrain enhancements are just part of the HS story. The car bears the most advanced aerodynamic package of the Sports Series family, with a Formula 1-inspired S-duct at the front (which impressively, doesn’t fully eat into the front boot’s space) reducing lift on the nose, an active rear wing with DRS and airbrake functions providing downforce at the back, and a diffuser that forces air out from under the car all contributing to its tarmac-hugging demeanour. The bodywork is carbon fibre and you can have it finished with a clearcoat to emphasise that fact.
New lightweight forged rims with a centre lock come wrapped as standard in Pirelli Trofeo Rs, but a more road-focused alternative can be fitted as well. The suspension, using McLaren Proactive Chassis Control III tech familiar from the 750S, works with adaptive dampers to give the car a 5mm lower ride height than its sibling. Despite its look, the High Sport is billed as a more rounded car than the 765LT - and yet it’s also said to offer “the most dynamic and engaging driving experience the platform has ever produced”.
One factor in that offering is sound. For all the M840T's muscle, it has never been the most tuneful motor, which explains a new exhaust system that sports four tailpipes and an integrated sound symposer. This channels authentic engine sounds into the cabin in both coupe and Spider variants, with the latter being identical in performance on paper thanks to its unaffected Carbon Fibre Monocage II rigidity, and only a 48kg weight gain versus the coupe.
As with previous Super Series cars, the Spider might be the iteration to go for when you consider the negligible downsides of going topless - and I’ve put my (fake) money where my mouth is because we were invited to create a bespoke MSO version while visiting MTC. While it’ll never actually see the light of day (short of a Euromillions win), it provides a pretty good representation of the customisation you can apply to the 788HS’s exterior and interior. If you’re wondering, the blend of red stripe and details on a bright silver body is inspired by late-'00s McLaren F1 cars. The yellow PH smiley on the headrests represents Lewis Hamilton’s yellow helmet in his early years.
As is often the case with cars of this price range, no two 788HSs will look the same thanks to the level of individualisation on offer. If you’ve got pockets deep enough, details from the finish of the exhaust tips to the colour of the HS in 788HS are totally customisable. MSO could even produce a car with a paintjob that fades from full colour to clearcoat, providing an effect that looks like the car’s paint is being torn off by speed. While inside, you can option more or less carbon, choose between three types of seat (from full-on track style to comfort), and there’s no shortage of material and colour options for the fabrics that wrap them either. Heck, you can even change the seven-speed SSG ‘box’s shift paddles if you want.
Having spent time with McLaren's configurator, it's clear the 788HS is not just a maximisation of familiar Super Series performance, but also a fresh demonstration of MSO’s knack for turning dreams (no matter how garish) into automotive reality. Naturally there is profit making side to that service - but it's hard to begrudge the mind-boggling array of possibilities, not when we're talking about a car that seems destined to bring the curtain down on an era that can trace its roots back to the influence of Ron Dennis. Given the enduring talent of the Super Series, and the 765LT specifically, the 788HS will likely live up to its billing - let's hope McLaren can be similarly confident about what comes next.
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