McLaren’s lineup and history would be an awful lot less interesting without the Longtail models. As limited production models they aren’t the big sellers, nor are they quite so good for revenue as the Ultimate Series cars, but probably nothing has done as much for McLaren’s rep with enthusiasts as the LT treatment. Every time there’s a new Longtail, it’s the best model in the range; there’s inevitably some usability sacrifice over a standard car, but they’re so much more exciting that the compromise is by-the-by.
The 675 was the first Longtail, and remains the most significant of the lot. Nowadays we know what to expect from an LT because of the template laid out in 2015. And while there was the obvious stuff - more power, less weight, even better handling - it was the way the 675 made the whole 650S package so much more thrilling that really stood out. It felt like a more significant transformation than similar track-focused supercars; using lessons from the 675LT made the standard cars in subsequent years more engaging. It also made the 675LT extremely collectable.
Even seven years after its debut, you won’t find one for less than £200,000, which is impressive for a car with an RRP of £260k. The 600LT that followed is available for a similar discount despite arriving years later and costing less in the first place. And while there’s no such thing as an undesirable 675LT - the most affordable one on PH right now is this stunning Lantana Purple example - there are some even more revered than most. The Spiders still command a premium, the 688 HS remains megabucks and then there LTs like this one, chassis 67501 - an Experimental Prototype.
You’re probably familiar with McLaren’s XP cars by now. F1s with the XP designation were used for those first extraordinary top speed runs and road tests; four Senna XPs were reworked by MSO and McLaren Beverly Hills into one-offs celebrating the man himself. The Experimental Prototypes (or Production, depending on where you read it) are used for development ahead of being rebuilt for very special customers. This one apparently went to a McLaren director, example.
Chassis 67501 gets even more interesting as a Club Sport car (including roll hoop, harnesses and extinguisher) with the roof snorkel. There aren’t many right-hand drive cars like this anyway - fewer than 10, it’s believed - let alone XP cars. Indeed the selling dealer suggests that this one is the only 675 Longtail Experimental Prototype in existence. So it’s pretty rare.
As such, there is a premium to be paid. Amazingly enough, there is one of the Club Sport/roof snorkel cars also on PH, and that’s £320,000 with 17k miles. The XP car is more again, at £400,000. Which, yes, if very nearly twice as much as those common-or-garden Longtails. But for what might be a unique example of a seminal McLaren supercar, it’s a price that’s easy to understand. Cheaper than getting into any other McLaren XP, too…
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