McLaren 788HS: The final form of McLaren’s V8 supercars

It seems like McLaren is stuck in limbo at the moment. Sure, it’s just launched a shiny new seven-figure halo car, the W1, but there hasn’t been much activity at all in the mainstream supercar realm. The last truly new series production McLaren was the Artura, and brilliant though it is, it was first revealed way back in 2021.

A new era of hybrid McLarens is coming, but before that comes a send-off for the pure V8 720/750S platform, in the form of the 788HS. Ultra limited with a more focused chassis, aggressive aero and more power, it’s a 750S pushed to the max with some LT magic in its setup

McLaren 788HS styling

McLaren is building 200, split evenly between coupes and Spiders – but its philosophy is very much the same. It’s still unmistakably 750S in its design, but the new add-ons and air pathways for the full carbonfibre body (exposed, if you wish) strike you immediately. The biggest change at the front is a new S-duct bonnet, which channels air from the nose, through the bonnet and over the top of the car, and works in conjunction with a new front splitter.

The front wheelarch louvres and side sills, the latter featuring air intake pods, are derived from the 765LT, while at the rear there’s a new, taller diffuser and a huge rear wing. It looks like a fixed item, but it can flip up as an airbrake or move into a DRS position. An air snorkel protruding from the engine lid is a nod to the McLaren F1 GTR, but isn’t actually an engine intake – rather, it provides extra cooling for the 4-litre twin-turbo V8, and thus allows it to be run harder. New centre lock forged wheels complete the visual transformation (interestingly, a traditional five-lug fixing would be a lighter solution, so the centre lock is a design-led choice), along with a 5mm lower front ride height than the 750S.

McLaren 788HS interior

McLaren does cabin ergonomics as well as anyone, and in the 788 you sit low with your thighs kicked up, and your legs stretched out to the pedals, which are well placed for left foot braking. The wheel is completely free of clutter and perfect to hold, and you’ll find rocker switches for the drive modes a finger stretch away on the instrument binnacle, with chassis modes on the left side and powertrain on the right. The bare carbon body glints at you at the base of the side windows and the windscreen, a nice touch.

McLaren 788HS engine and powertrain

McLaren’s familiar M840T V8 in a more powerful state of tune, calibration tweaks bringing it up to 777bhp – a 22bhp boost over the 765LT. Peak torque remains at 590lb ft, and the delivery should be more visceral thanks to a new titanium exhaust (with intricately textured tips) plus revised sound generators for induction and exhaust. These are physical devices that transmit real engine sounds into the cabin, rather than pumping them through the speakers.

Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and an open differential with McLaren’s Brake Steer system to manage torque between the wheels. There’s a limit to how much power you can put through a pair of rear tyres, even if they are Pirelli P Zero Trofeo Rs, so the 788’s 2.8sec 0-62mph time is identical to the 750S’s. Once up to speed, however, the 788 pulls two tenths ahead in the run to 124mph (7sec). The top speed is 205mph.

McLaren 788HS pricing and availability

McLaren is only offering the 788HS to its existing customers, and there’s supposedly already quite a big queue. And that’s despite a price tag starting at ₹6.39 crore (before Indian taxes and duties), double that of a 750S. Of course, raiding through the MSO goodie box will see the price skyrocket from there. The 788HS has all the makings of a truly great supercar. A honed and refined 765LT with even more ferocity, and a purity that newer hybrid rivals lack.