It seems like McLaren is planning to retire the 720S model family (which lives on today in the 750S), but first, it will give the platform an aggressive final variant. Built by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) and debuting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, the 788HS is the most extreme version of the brand’s second-generation supercar, sitting at the top of the heap currently made up of the 720S, 750S, and 765LT. With more power, downforce, and handling prowess than any of its kin, the 788HS promises to be one hell of a final chapter.
High Sport, Not Longtail
McLaren 788HSMcLaren
We’ve long anticipated that McLaren would build a harder-core variant of the 750S, just as the 765LT was based on the 720S. But unlike most of its siblings, the 788 wears “High Sport” nomenclature instead of the more common “Longtail” abbreviation. The automaker has previously offered an MP4-12C HS and a 675LT-based MSO HS in the past, but those were made in very limited numbers, just five for the former and 25 for the latter. Compared to them, the 788HS is going to be positively common – McLaren promises 200 examples, split evenly between coupe and Spider bodystyles.
McLaren 788HSMcLaren
Once you start looking more closely at the 788, the reasoning behind the special branding becomes more obvious. It borrows some elements from the tasty 765LT, like the louvered front fenders, flying buttresses over the upper door skin, and the finned side skirt extensions. But downforce is up 10 percent over its direct predecessor, thanks in part to a redesigned active rear spoiler that is much taller than the more integrated active wing from the old Longtail.
McLaren 788HSMcLaren
The front splitter has also been redesigned for the 788HS, and it also gets an “S-duct” bonnet that takes air in through the front bumper and routes it out over the car, forming an air curtain to allow the Mac to cut through the atmosphere. McLaren’s F1 expertise comes through in the new rear diffuser, which enhances high-speed stability and reduces underbody drag. Each of the 788HS’ new aero elements are crafted from carbon fiber, left on glossy display for the delight of onlookers.
Now We’re Cooking With Gas
The newest McLaren backs up its aggressive good looks with a more powerful version of the automaker’s M840T engine that debuted in the 720S. Here, the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that makes 777 horsepower (or 788 metric horses) and 590 pound-feet of torque. That extra 37 hp over the 750S (and 22 hp over the 765LT) comes courtesy of special engine tuning, low-inertia twin-scroll turbochargers, two individual fuel pumps, and robust forged pistons. The quad-tip exhaust, exiting just under the rear wing, should provide the 788HS with a lovely singing voice.
McLaren 788HSMcLaren
McLaren claims a top speed of 205 miles per hour, as well as a sprint to 60 that’s over and done in 2.8 seconds. Considering the 788HS has a better power/weight ratio than the 765LT – just barely, at 3.55 pounds per hp compared to 3.58 – and the automaker claimed the same performance numbers for that model, we suspect the new variant will actually go faster.
Backing Up The Goods
McLaren 788HSMcLaren
A specially tuned version of McLaren’s linked adaptive suspension will do its best to keep that prodigious thrust under control. The system does away with conventional anti-roll bars by linking eight hydraulic fluid chambers, two per wheel, together in a closed-loop pattern. When a wheel begins to unload, as the left side might when entering a left-handed corner, the system creates pressure on the outside wheels and vacuum on the inside, helping keep the ride height level. The linked system isn’t unique to the 788HS, but the tuning and 5mm reduced ride height are.
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Carbon ceramic brake discs are a given, with six-piston forged monoblock calipers up front for greater braking force and less unsprung weight. A super-light forged wheel design will make use of the 720S family’s first-ever center-lock hub design, further reducing mass where it matters most.
McLaren also wanted to trim the fat from the cabin of the 788HS as well, which is why it comes standard with the carbon fiber racing bucket seats that are optional on the already-stunning 750S. An aggressive carbon fiber center console replaces the upholstered version on lesser Macs, and the High Sport also gets unique perforation for the upholstery. Oddly, McLaren added some weight back in the way of 788HS embroidery on the headrests and a dedication plaque in the cabin.
We doubt that’s why the newest supercar weighs 2,789 pounds dry, 80 more than the 765LT – the added aerodynamics are the more likely culprit.
Limited Appeal, Limited Production
As with its Longtail sibling, we suspect the McLaren 788HS could be a bit too intense for some, but we still suspect buyers will snap up all 100 coupes and 100 convertibles just about as soon as the order books open. If you intend to be one of those customers (or if you just want a glimpse at how the other half lives), the 788HS will debut to the public at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.
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Source: McLaren
