McLaren's new 675LT will take pride of place in the firm's supercar range when it is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next week. Based around the current 650S, the newcomer is more focused, powerful and lighter and aimed squarely at the Ferrari 458 Speciale. The cost is expected to be in the region of £260,000. 

Sitting above the McLaren 650S, the 675 'Longtail' name references the Woking firm's F1 GTR Longtail race car that dominated Le Mans back in the nineties. The newcomer has been comprehensively re-engineered, with a third of its parts modified to suit its more track-focused nature.

Visual updates over the 650S aren't revolutionary, with a subtly reshaped front bumper featuring a new carbon fibre front splitter. At the rear an extended active ‘Longtail’ airbrake has been added which is 50 per cent larger than before for increased downforce, while there's larger dual air intakes on the flanks.

The carbon and aluminium body of the 650S has now been completely redesigned with lightweight carbon fibre, resulting in a 100kg weight reduction. That and the new titanium exhaust brings the dry weight of the McLaren 675LT down to 1,230kg, making it 60kg lighter than the 458 Speciale. 

Power from the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is increased from 641bhp to a 666bhp, while torque is boosted to 700Nm. McLaren says 50 per cent of the internals from the 650S’s engine have been replaced, with new turbos, a new exhaust manifold and upgraded cylinder heads all added.

The result is 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds, and a top speed of 205mph – 0.1 seconds and 3mph quicker than its 458 Speciale arch-rival. Another noticeable improvement is the 0-124mph time, which is cut from 8.4 seconds in the 650S to just 7.9 seconds. 

The changes continue inside, with McLaren adding a pair of P1-derived carbon fibre bucket seats trimmed in Alcantara to the driver focused cabin. The 675LT will be offered in five ‘By McLaren’ specifications featuring matching interior and exterior trim.