Remember the McLaren 720S GT3X that was unveiled earlier in March? Well, it had just won the timed shootout final at the recently concluded Goodwood Festival of Speed. McLaren factory driver Rob Bell piloted the V8 track monster through the 1.9-km track with a time of 45.01 seconds, coming out 1.19 seconds ahead of runner up Travis Pastrana in his heavily modified Subaru WRX STI with nearly 900 hp.
Bell’s time puts the 720S GT3X ahead of the fastest known lap time of 47.07 seconds, set by McLaren chief test driver Kenny Brack in a McLaren P1 LM. The 720S GT3X is powered by a hand-built M840T 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine that is upgraded with 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 at 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.
Its cabin has been stripped 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 car can be ordered through 11 official McLaren Motorsport Retailers worldwide.
McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt said: “Winning the Timed Shootout Final was the perfect end to an excellent 2021 Festival of Speed for McLaren. Rob Bell drove magnificently, showcasing the outstanding capabilities of the 720S GT3X to great effect in mastering the challenging Goodwood Hill.”
“And with so many of our cars on display and in action – including the all-new Artura making its public dynamic debut and the remarkable Elva – this was a wonderful opportunity to meet customers and fans face-to-face once again and celebrate all things McLaren,” he added. Other McLaren models on show include the 765LT and 620R.
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