A sled dog is a dog, but it’s not really a pet. A hypersonic missile flies, but it’s not a plane. In the same vein, a McLaren Longtail has wheels, seats, and a cupholder, but it’s not really a car. Driving it feels more like wearing an engine. It is at once fantastically futuristic and primally raw. As a get-around vehicle, it’s exhausting and annoying. But when you’re driving to drive, it’s nothing short of soul-stirring.
Just getting into the driver’s seat of the 765LT requires some athleticism. When I review cars for dog-friendliness, I always measure the distance from the door sill to the seat bottom. This is the only car I’ve taken that measurement on where your butt lands below the bottom of the door. And it’s a long drop down from standing height, with a bit of contortion required to sneak around the upswept door.
The car closes in around you as the door comes down. Forward visibility is good, but the entire rearview mirror is consumed by the menacing maw of a snorkel-style air intake feeding the twin-turbo V8.
Unique tactical-looking controls occupy the center console. There are two separate three-position toggles for on-the-fly vehicle tuning, one for the powertrain and one for handling characteristics, that let you crank the driving experience from hardcore to really intense to terrifying. This Active Dynamics Panel is a signature McLaren feature; the British supercarmaker’s proper names for its modes are Comfort, Sport, and Track. But there’s nothing comfortable about a Long Tail. It’s loud, it’s stiff, the climate control is mediocre, and the stereo (or any conversation with your passenger) is tough to hear over the engine’s unrelenting battle cry.
The only real piece of mercy the 765LT affords you is a nose-lift function that helps its front lip clear steeper driveways and some curbs. Well, that, and a truly impressive cupholder. McLaren’s beverage slot brilliantly features four firm but malleable fingers to hold a steel coffee cup firmly in place. Like, tight enough to drive the car properly without risk of spilling.
Even the steering wheel, one of the most fundamentally familiar pieces of human-machine interface, is unique. While most wheels are essentially tube-like in their girth, a circular shape for you to wrap your claws around, McLaren’s is more of a sharp oval. It appears and feels quite thin from the driver’s visual perspective, but it’s actually quite deep. The idea is to provide better access to the paddle shifters, large and dramatic blades of carbon that actuate with a spring-loaded satisfaction you don’t get on sub-super cars.
My test-drive was probably somewhat close to what an owner of a car this expensive might do: Fight NYC traffic and potholes for about an hour, collect wife from shopping center out in the ‘burbs, climb up into the mountains, and then spend a few days ripping around the Hudson Valley’s tight and hilly roads.
The only thing I couldn’t try was what the 765LT was actually built for: driving on a track.
But plenty has already been written about how mind-bendingly fast the car is when you can unbuckle its leash. I was pleased to discover that it remains delightfully engaging on the road, even at speeds that are generally socially acceptable.
Much of this is related to the same issues that casual observers often complain about. The 765LT is both light and exceptionally powerful—that’s the whole ethos of the Long Tail series. That means the car has rattles, it’s stiff, and objectively speaking, it’s pretty unpleasant to ride in if you’re not really into cars.
Quite a few supercars are described as “a racecar for the road,” but a McLaren Long Tail does a uniquely good job of delivering on that promise. Because it’s not just about being fast, it’s about feeling. Feeling the car, feeling the surface you’re driving on—the human-machine interface here isn’t just the gauges and screens—it’s the sensation of motion and weight transfer and power transmission that your body and mind download through your hands on the wheel, your feet on the pedals, and of course, your butt.
While I would strongly recommend against closing your eyes while driving any car, it’s truly remarkable just how much sensory information your body receives from this vehicle through purely tactile feedback. But seriously, don’t close your eyes while driving—just imagine it.
Many cars at this price point require track-only speeds to truly feel like they’re working hard. The 765LT talks to you even when you’re just galloping around Adirondack roads, dodging deer and tar snakes.
A McLaren Long Tail is a love letter, not just to speed, but to the art of driving. The 765LT can cost over half a million dollars and not come with floormats because it’s not about being something you can drive every day and everywhere.
If you have the serious money required to experience it, an LT really is the closest thing to a race car that’s just barely reasonable enough to drive in traffic when you have to.
Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@thedrive.com.
Automotive journalist since 2013, Andrew primarily coordinates features, sponsored content, and multi-departmental initiatives at The Drive.
Car Buying Service
