McLaren chose the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed to close one of the most important chapters in its modern history. The new McLaren 788HS, revealed today, is the final development of the supercar platform that began with the 720S in 2017 and went on to spawn the 765LT and 750S. With 777 hp (788 PS), a dry weight of 1,265 kg, and production capped at just 200 cars worldwide, the 788HS is both a farewell and a statement — the most focused pure-combustion McLaren the Super Series will ever produce.
The timing is no accident. McLaren Automotive, now under Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings following its 2025 acquisition, is preparing a full range overhaul for 2028 that is widely expected to lean heavily on hybridization — part of a broader industry shift we explored in the end of loud supercars. That makes the McLaren 788HS something collectors have learned to prize above almost anything else: the last of a breed.
What Is the McLaren 788HS?
The 788HS is only the third road car in McLaren history to carry the High Sport designation. The first was the MP4-12C High Sport of 2011, a McLaren Special Operations commission originally limited to five cars. The second was the 2016 MSO HS, a 675LT-derived special capped at 25 units that sold out before its official unveiling. Both are now blue-chip McLaren collectibles, and both established the HS formula: take the most extreme series-production car available, then push power, aerodynamics, and exclusivity beyond it.
The McLaren 788HS applies that formula to the 750S generation. Where the 765LT was the raw, stripped-out Longtail interpretation of the platform, the High Sport takes a different path — matching the LT’s performance while delivering a more rounded, more customizable, and far rarer package. McLaren describes it as the most dynamic and engaging driving experience the platform has ever produced, which is a bold claim for a lineage that includes the 765LT.
McLaren 788HS Engine and Performance Specs
At the heart of the McLaren 788HS sits the familiar M840T 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-plane V8 — the engine that has powered every Super Series car since the 720S — reworked here to its highest series output yet. Power rises to 777 hp (788 PS) at 7,500 rpm, a 23-hp gain over the 765LT, while torque holds steady at 590 lb-ft, delivered at 5,500 rpm. The redline climbs to 8,500 rpm, and the revised specification includes lightweight forged pistons, twin-scroll turbochargers, and twin fuel pumps.
| Specification | McLaren 788HS |
|---|---|
| Engine | M840T 4.0L twin-turbo V8 |
| Power | 777 hp (788 PS) @ 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 590 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm |
| Redline | 8,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 7-speed SSG dual-clutch |
| Dry Weight | 1,265 kg (2,789 lbs) |
| Power-to-Weight | 623 PS per tonne |
| 0–62 mph | 2.8 seconds |
| 0–124 mph | 7.0 seconds |
| Top Speed | 205 mph |
| Production | 200 units (100 coupe / 100 Spider) |
The resulting power-to-weight ratio of 623 PS per tonne is the highest of any car derived from the 720S platform. The 0–62 mph sprint takes 2.8 seconds, 124 mph arrives in 7.0 seconds flat, and top speed is 205 mph — figures that mirror the 765LT on paper. The 788HS is not about beating the Longtail in a straight line; it is about how the performance is delivered.
To that end, McLaren developed a bespoke engine-mount calibration that transmits more vibration and mechanical feedback into the cabin without making longer road trips unbearable. Sound was another priority. The M840T has never been celebrated for its voice, so the 788HS gets a revised titanium exhaust terminating in four center-exit outlets — a visual nod to the 765LT — paired with retuned induction acoustics and an integrated sound symposer that channels genuine engine noise into the cabin in both coupe and Spider.
Aerodynamics: 10% More Downforce Than the 765LT
The McLaren 788HS carries the most advanced aerodynamic package ever fitted to the 720S-derived platform, generating ten percent more downforce than the 765LT. The headline elements read like a GT3 homologation sheet:
- Formula 1-inspired S-duct in the hood that reduces front-end lift — impressively, without consuming the front trunk
- Multi-zone front splitter managing airflow across the nose
- Raised active rear wing with DRS and airbrake functionality
- Louvred under-wing panel that doubles as powertrain heat extraction
- F1-derived rear diffuser accelerating air out from beneath the car
Coupe versions add a roof-mounted intake feeding the mid-mounted V8, and the entire body is carbon fiber. Through McLaren Special Operations, buyers can specify full exposed carbon bodywork in gloss or satin clearcoat finishes, with remaining exterior trim in gloss black.
Design: Function-First Carbon Fiber
Visually, the McLaren 788HS reads as the most aggressive interpretation of the 720S silhouette yet — and unlike many limited-edition specials, none of it is decoration. The exposed carbon fiber body is a genuine weight-saving measure, the roof scoop feeds the engine rather than a styling brief, and the raised rear wing sits on swan-neck-style mounts that keep airflow clean across its underside. Even the louvres beneath the wing pull double duty, extracting heat from the powertrain bay while managing pressure at the rear axle.
The gloss black exterior trim, center-lock wheels, and quad center-exit exhaust give the 788HS an unmistakable identity next to a 750S, while the optional satin carbon finish pushes it closer to the raw-prototype aesthetic collectors associate with the MSO HS of 2016. It is a car designed to be recognized at fifty feet by people who know exactly what they are looking at — and ignored by everyone else.
Chassis: Senna Brakes and a Platform First
Underneath, the 788HS retains McLaren’s Proactive Chassis Control III linked-hydraulic suspension from the 750S, retuned with model-specific springs, dampers, and geometry, and a front ride height 5 mm lower than the 750S. Braking hardware is lifted from the McLaren Senna: carbon-ceramic discs clamped by six-piston forged aluminum front calipers with integrated cooling ducts.
The most significant hardware milestone, though, is at the corners. The McLaren 788HS is the first car on the 720S platform to run center-lock wheels — a new lightweight forged-alloy design wrapped as standard in Pirelli Trofeo R tires, with a more road-biased alternative available. It is a detail that underlines the car’s GT3-inspired brief and separates it visually and mechanically from every Super Series car before it.
Coupe or Spider? The 48 kg Question
Production splits evenly: 100 coupes and 100 Spiders. Thanks to the inherent rigidity of the Carbon Fibre Monocage II, the Spider requires no structural reinforcement and posts identical performance figures on paper, carrying only a 48 kg weight penalty over the coupe. For a car whose defining trait is the sound and feel of the final pure-combustion McLaren V8, the open-air variant may prove the more coveted of the two — history suggests HS and LT Spiders command premiums at resale.
Interior and MSO Personalization
The cabin gets a lightweight carbon fiber center console, a column-mounted instrument display, and steering-wheel controls for powertrain and handling modes — a layout shared with the 750S but trimmed to HS specification. Upholstery features an HS-specific perforation pattern, model identification, and a dedication plaque. Buyers choose from three seat designs, spanning full track-style buckets to comfort-oriented chairs.
Then MSO takes over. The level of individualization on offer means no two 788HS builds are likely to look alike. Everything from the exhaust tip finish to the color of the “HS” lettering in the badge is customizable, and MSO can execute paint-to-clearcoat fade effects that make the finish appear to be tearing away at speed. Expect optioned cars to climb well beyond the base price — carbon packages on cars in this class routinely add six figures.
McLaren 788HS Price and Availability
McLaren has not published official pricing, but the anticipated starting figure sits beyond £500,000 — roughly $600,000-plus in the US market before options, and before any applicable tariffs. With only 200 examples worldwide and McLaren’s most loyal clients first in line, allocation will function the way it always does at this level: if you have to ask your dealer, you probably aren’t getting one. Reports from the McLaren owner community suggest allocations were effectively spoken for well before today’s reveal.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed Debut
McLaren revealed the 788HS on the opening day of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the choice of venue was deliberate. Goodwood has become the de facto launchpad for Britain’s most significant performance cars, and McLaren has used the hillclimb to debut everything from the Senna to the 750S. The 788HS will run the famous 1.16-mile hill throughout the weekend, giving the public its first chance to hear the retuned titanium exhaust at full throttle.
The reveal also traced the full lineage of the platform, with the 720S, 765LT, and 750S displayed alongside the new car — a deliberate framing of the McLaren 788HS as the closing chapter rather than just another derivative. For a company that has spent the past two years restructuring under CYVN Holdings ownership, the message to collectors was unambiguous: this is the send-off for the pure-combustion Super Series, and there will not be another.
Why the 788HS Matters: The End of an Era
The 720S platform is arguably the most successful product line in McLaren Automotive’s history. It restored the brand’s benchmark status against Ferrari and Lamborghini in 2017, produced one of the great modern driver’s cars in the 765LT, and matured into the 750S. The McLaren 788HS bookends that nine-year run at the precise moment the company pivots toward an electrified future under new ownership.
That context is exactly what drives collector behavior. The market has repeatedly shown that final-of-line, pure-combustion specials from major marques outperform the broader segment — a dynamic that has helped push exotic car prices to record levels in 2026. The 788HS checks every box in that playbook: last of its platform, no hybridization, extreme rarity, motorsport-adjacent hardware, and a direct lineage to two HS predecessors that already trade far above their original list prices.
There is one wrinkle worth noting for the secondary market: the 788HS complicates the 765LT’s standing as the “last hardcore” 720S-platform car, a title that has underpinned strong LT values. Whether the HS pressures 765LT pricing or lifts the entire platform’s collectibility — as halo variants often do — will be one of the more interesting market stories to watch through 2027. It also lands squarely against Maranello’s own analog swansongs, which we broke down in our 2026 Ferrari lineup guide.
McLaren 788HS vs 765LT vs 750S
| Model | Power | Dry Weight | 0–62 mph | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren 750S | 740 hp | 1,277 kg | 2.8 s | Series production |
| McLaren 765LT | 754 hp | 1,229 kg | 2.8 s | 765 coupes + 765 Spiders |
| McLaren 788HS | 777 hp | 1,265 kg | 2.8 s | 100 coupes + 100 Spiders |
The numbers tell the story: the McLaren 788HS is not a stripped-out Longtail sequel. It weighs slightly more than the 765LT because it carries more equipment, yet it delivers more power, more downforce, better brakes, and a fraction of the production run. The LT was built for the track day; the HS is built for the collection — and, McLaren insists, for the road.
How the McLaren 788HS Stacks Up Against Its Rivals
The 788HS arrives into the most competitive limited-run supercar market in a decade. Ferrari’s 296 Speciale answers with 880 cv of hybrid V6 firepower and Maranello’s signature electrified response, while Lamborghini’s Temerario has pushed the class toward 10,000-rpm hybrid theatrics. Against that backdrop, the McLaren 788HS is deliberately contrarian: no electric motors, no battery weight, no synthesized augmentation — just the most developed version of the M840T V8 in the lightest practical package.
That contrast is the entire pitch. Where rivals chase headline output figures with hybrid assistance, McLaren is selling purity: a 1,265 kg dry weight that undercuts every hybrid competitor by a wide margin, hydraulic steering feel that electrified platforms struggle to replicate, and a naturally mechanical character that is rapidly disappearing from the segment. On specific output per kilogram, the 788HS matches or beats cars with hundreds of additional horsepower — and it does so while remaining the kind of car an owner can service, tune, and enjoy without a high-voltage system in the equation.
The exclusivity math is equally lopsided. Ferrari will build thousands of 296 Speciales across coupe and Aperta variants. McLaren will build 200 examples of the 788HS, full stop. In a collector market that consistently rewards scarcity and final-of-line status, that production delta may prove more important than any performance figure on the spec sheet.
Market Outlook: What Early Signals Suggest
If the two previous High Sport models are any guide, the McLaren 788HS is positioned to appreciate from day one. The MP4-12C High Sport and MSO HS both sold out before their public reveals and now change hands well above their original list prices, and reports from the McLaren owner community indicate 788HS allocations followed the same pattern months before Goodwood. Early speculation in owner forums has already turned to option-list strategy, with heavily carbon-specified cars historically commanding the strongest secondary-market results.
The one open question is timing. The car arrives as the broader collector market rewards analog, final-of-line specials more richly than at any point in recent memory — but 200 units is small enough that the 788HS will trade on relationships and provenance rather than open-market dynamics for its first several years. For most enthusiasts, the realistic play is not chasing an allocation but watching how the halo effect flows down to the 765LT and 750S, both of which stand to benefit from the renewed attention on the platform’s finale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much horsepower does the McLaren 788HS have?
The McLaren 788HS produces 777 hp (788 PS) at 7,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm from its M840T 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, with an 8,500 rpm redline.
How many McLaren 788HS units will be built?
Production is limited to 200 cars worldwide: 100 coupes and 100 Spiders. It is the rarest car built on the 720S platform.
How much does the McLaren 788HS cost?
Official pricing has not been announced, but the starting price is anticipated to exceed £500,000 (roughly $600,000+ in the US) before MSO options, which can add six figures to heavily specified cars.
What does HS mean on a McLaren?
HS stands for High Sport, a designation reserved for McLaren’s most extreme limited-run specials. The 788HS is only the third HS road car, following the MP4-12C High Sport (2011) and the 675LT-based MSO HS (2016).
Is the McLaren 788HS the last non-hybrid McLaren Super Series car?
Yes. McLaren has confirmed the 788HS as the finale of the Super Series platform that began with the 720S in 2017. The company’s next-generation lineup, expected around 2028 under CYVN Holdings ownership, is anticipated to feature significant hybridization.
When does McLaren 788HS delivery begin?
McLaren has not published a delivery timeline. The car debuted at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 9, 2026, with first customer deliveries expected to follow as a 2027 model year vehicle.
Is the McLaren 788HS faster than the 765LT?
On paper the two are nearly identical — both hit 62 mph in 2.8 seconds. The 788HS carries 23 hp more and generates 10% more downforce, so it should prove quicker on a circuit, while the lighter 765LT remains marginally more raw. McLaren positions the 788HS as the more complete and engaging car of the two rather than simply the faster one.
Is the McLaren 788HS a hybrid?
No. The McLaren 788HS is purely combustion-powered, with no hybrid assistance of any kind. That distinction is central to its appeal, as it is expected to be the final non-hybrid car built on McLaren’s Super Series platform before the brand’s electrified next-generation lineup arrives.
Where was the McLaren 788HS revealed?
The McLaren 788HS made its world debut on July 9, 2026, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, where it is running the famous hillclimb throughout the event alongside the 720S, 765LT, and 750S that preceded it.
The McLaren 788HS made its public debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
