McLaren 788HS: Every dynasty deserves a closing argument
For the supercar lineage that began when the McLaren 720S landed in 2017 and rewrote what a series-production McLaren could be, that closing argument came on July 9 in the shape of the new 788hsWhich took its first public bow up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
It is also Woking’s first genuine new car since W1 Hypercar The cover broke at the end of 2024, and after almost two quiet years, McLaren decided to use that comeback moment to end an era.
Then again, it’s fitting that the 788HS is the fastest, lightest and most focused version of this platform ever produced by McLaren. It is the pinnacle of the line and, according to the company’s own admission, its final evolution. Enthusiasts should read that sentence twice, as it carries more weight than the usual spec-bump special edition.
Nine years, four names, one carbon tub
To understand why the 788HS matters, you have to turn to the car that started it all. The 720S debuted in 2017 with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, a featherweight carbon monocoque and a power-to-weight ratio that embarrassed cars costing twice as much. It was so ahead of the curve that it took years for rivals to catch up. The family grew from there: the hardcore, track-obsessed 765LT arrived in 2020 wearing its Longtail badge like a threat, and the 750S arrived in 2023 as a faster, more lively everyday hero that quietly becomes the best all-rounder of the group.
They all shared the same fundamental DNA, the same carbon architecture and the same relentless McLaren philosophy of adding lightness. The 788HS is the cornerstone of that nine-year project. McLaren isn’t shy about the framing either, calling it the definitive and final evolution of the 720S, 765LT and 750S series.
What does “high sport” really mean?
The 788HS is only the third McLaren in history to wear the HS, or High Sport, designation, a badge the company reserves for the rarest and most extreme series-production cars. The last two were the MP4-12C HS, built in a handful of examples around 2011 and 2012, and MSO HSA 675LT-based Skunkworks project that was limited to only 25 cars in 2016. Both are almost legendary among McLaren fanatics and almost never come up for sale.
Against that backdrop, the 788HS’s run of 200 cars, divided equally between 100 coupes and 100 Spyders, is almost worthy of mass production. About. Every single one of them still passes through the hands of McLaren Special Operations, so no two cars will look exactly alike at Woking.
788 pony, our 777
The heart of the car is the familiar M840T 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, but in this series it has been retuned to its highest tune ever. The name is a metric pun: 788 refers to 788 PS, which converts to 777 bhp for those of us who count in old money, along with 590 lb-ft of torque. Peak power is reached at 7,500 rpm and the engine revs to 8,500, which is a truly thrilling place for a turbocharged V8 to be.
The upgrades are of the good kind: lightweight forged pistons, ultra-low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger for sharp throttle response, and twin fuel pumps to keep it all moving. The numbers that follow are exactly as you would expect. Zero to 60 mph takes 2.8 seconds, top speed of 124 mph is reached in 7.0 seconds, and it will go on to a 205-mph top speed.
A quad-exit titanium exhaust and modified induction and exhaust synthesizer technology promise a soundtrack with greater intensity throughout the rev range, and a unique engine-mount calibration is designed to wire straight to the driver’s spine without ruining the powertrain for long motorway slogs.
Light where it counts
McLaren’s oldest party trick still applies. The 788HS weighs just 2,789 pounds, working out a power-to-weight ratio of 614 bhp per tonne, the highest of any car in this entire supercar series. The genius of the recipe is that McLaren combined aggression and downforce while cutting down on mass, a combination that a lot of rivals talk about and few actually deliver.
That passion is visible everywhere. The monocoque is carbon, the entire new aerodynamic package is carbon, and the interior reduces weight wherever possible. For buyers who want to fully lean into the ethos, McLaren offers an optional visual carbon fiber body in gloss or satin that leaves every exterior panel bare, a walking advertisement for how light this thing really is.
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Aero and chassis: raiding the Senna parts bin
Bodywork isn’t just for drama. The 788HS wears the most advanced aero package ever fitted to this platform: a multi-zone front splitter, an S-duct bonnet that channels air up and over the nose, a raised active rear spoiler, a louvered under-wing panel for cooling and a Formula 1-inspired rear diffuser. Together, they generate 10 percent more downforce than the already serious 765LT.
Underneath, the linked-hydraulic Proactive Chassis Control III suspension gets bespoke HS tuning and adaptive dampers, plus the front ride height is lowered by 5mm versus the 750S for a keener, more planted front end. Braking comes courtesy of powerful Senna-sourced carbon-ceramic discs, clamped by black six-piston forged aluminum monoblock front calipers with integrated cooling ducts. The best part for the spec-sheet crowd is that the 788HS introduces the first-ever center-lock wheel setup in the series, paired with a new super lightweight forged alloy design. Coupes also get a roof scoop that funnels cool air to that hungry V8.
Farewell, and what comes next
Inside, the driver-focused cabin gets a lightweight carbon-fibre center console, bespoke HS branding, a unique upholstery perforation pattern and a dedication plaque that lists the entire lineage from 720S to 788HS along with each car’s build number. It’s the automotive equivalent of a signed farewell letter.
McLaren hasn’t confirmed pricing, but each example flown through MSO and 750S is already starting at $365,100, Hopefully the final invoices will go even further. The big story is hidden behind the car. McLaren Automotive now operates under McLaren Group Holdings, established in 2025 and part of Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings, and reporting points to an electrified successor and even a long-denied SUV.
In other words, the 788HS can say goodbye to more than three cars. This may be the last pure-combustion, mid-engine Voking supercar as we know it. If so, then McLaren chose a very quick, very light way to close the book.
