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New McLaren 788HS: hardcore Super Series feels like the end of an era
► Track-ready McLaren 788HS revealed
► Extreme aero package, limited numbers
► Last of the 720 platform Super Series cars
McLaren has announced its latest and final Super Series car as we know them: welcome to the 788HS.
That name means something pretty special, because HS stands for High Sport – a name that McLaren has only used two other times previously, namely via the 12C High Sport and the 688HS. That 12C HS is rarer than an F1 LM, while the 688HS helped kick off McLaren’s Special Operations division. For this new 788HS, just 100 coupe models and 100 Spider convertibles will be made.
But the HS tag is more than just about tarting up existing cars and charging extra money for them. They’re also hardcore machines that use motorsport technology and engineering to their advantage – just like with this new 788HS. McLaren says they want to leave nothing on the table when it comes to performance.
So, to kick off, the 788HS has the most aggressive aerodynamics package ever fitted to a Super Series car and that doesn’t sound like an overstatement. Yes, the fundamental car looks largely the same as a 750S for example, but special attention here has been paid to aero.
The new front end incorporates a much more substantial front aero splitter and an S-duct to send as much air over the car cleanly as possible. If you get the coupe, that’s then fed into an air scoop. At the back, an active rear wing has its own DRS mode like a Formula 1 car (albeit not like this year’s crop, anyway) and a beefy rear splitter helps keep the car stable at high speeds.
Inside, not much has changed at all bar some plaques and a carbonfibre centre console. But you can now optionally spec bucket seats that are almost exactly like the ones you got on a Senna hypercar.
As for performance, the recipe is largely the same. There’s still an M840T twin-turbo V8 to play with, revving to 8500rpm and generating 777bhp (or 788 metric horsepower). That’s good for an un-slow 2.8sec 0-62mph time and a top speed of 205mph – regardless of whether you choose the coupe or Spider.
That said, McLaren is keen to point out that the engine has had some work done to make it sound even more tuneful with unique engine mounts as well as a physical diaphragm piping in the best bits of the engine noise directly into the cabin.
Disappointed by the lack of gains in powertrain performance? The HS is more about shaving seconds off your lap time, with that aero package being designed for maximum high speed stability.
Each HS also comes with bespoke forged alloys with centre locks, painted-on tyres and carbon ceramic brakes derived from a Senna. Every HS built will also be put through the MSO customisation programme that enables McLaren’s clients to (largely) go wild with colours, trims and special details. And, for the privilege of owning one, you’re likely looking at a price well north of £300k.
So there we have it: the end of the Super Series lineage. With McLaren Automotive’s new owners promising more electrified or even fully-electric models going forward, as well as ones that don’t just have two seats… we may never see anything like the Super Series as we know it ever again.
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