McLaren 720S GT3X is a regulation-free track monster with a passenger seat

McLaren Customer Racing has just unveiled an unrestricted version of its 720S GT3 race car, called the 720S GT3X. It’s designed for track use only, and is not homologated for any racing class or championship. It’s an all-out track weapon that is not bound by any competition regulation, so customers can experience the most cutting-edge version of the 720S that McLaren can currently offer.

The GT3X is based on the 720S GT3 race car, and gets powered with the same hand-built M840T 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Upgrades include blueprinted cylinder head, strengthened pistons, ‘Diamond Like Carbon’ (DLC) coating and a lightweight performance exhaust system. Standard output is the same as the road car (720 PS), but an additional 30 PS boost function can be had via a ‘push-to-pass’ button on the steering wheel, temporarily raising power to 750 PS.

What’s incredible is the fact that the GT3X weighs just 1,210 kg. This translates to a power-to-weight ratio of 620 PS-per-tonne. No performance figures have been released, but expect it to obliterate the century sprint in well under three seconds.

McLaren had to strip the cabin of the 720S GT3 bare, leaving only the carbon-fibre and Kevlar race seat (with six-point racing harness) for the driver. A passenger seat can also be specified, if needed. The steering wheel comes with rotary switches for the driver to access all key functions, and the cabin also features a newly designed roll-cage. As part of the purchase and ownership package, GT3X customers will be given dedicated technical track support by engineers from the McLaren Customer Racing division.

McLaren Customer Racing director, Ian Morgan said: “Due to GT3 balance of performance requirements, the 720S GT3 car has to run with a considerably reduced power output than the road-going 720S Spider and Coupe variants.”

“The brief for the GT3X project was to unleash the full potential of the 720S GT3 car using a massively increased power output to fully exploit the aerodynamics and chassis dynamics of the car. Additionally, the car is now able to carry passengers for the first time, thanks to the redesign of a new bespoke roll-cage and passenger seat installation. Brake cooling has also been improved to cope with the additional demands of increased speed and the mass of a passenger.”

“The 720S GT3X now offers a unique opportunity to experience a fully-fledged GT3 car. The lap time is significantly reduced from the GT3 benchmark through both the huge standard power increase and the additional 30 PS from the push-to-pass button. The end result is a car that offers a truly unique experience,” he added.