The G5

I GAVE UP ON SLEEP LONG AGO. THERE’S STILL TOO MUCH ADRENALINE coursing through my system, too much of the experience to absorb. Plus my ears are still ringing. These cars are loud. Better to reflect on the day, let the still-burning memories set, and replay events in my mind. It started many hours/a lifetime ago; five of the world’s best driver’s cars slinking into a quiet side road, a nondescript meeting point chosen to avoid instant Instagram infamy via passing smartphones. Slinking? It’s hard to avoid attention in a gold-wheeled Lamborghini, a deepest blue Ferrari, a lurid green Porsche Cayman, and a 911 Turbo with arches wider than the Darién Gap. And the new McLaren 765LT, a car with the visual drama to make them all recede into the background. Even painted don’t-look-at-me grey.

This is our first meeting with McLaren’s latest Longtail in the wild and on the road. From its louvred front arches to the longer, semi-raised spoiler that justifies its name, it radiates purpose and aggression. It’s the remarkable 720S, weaponized.

Some donor car. And the number of components changed is in the hundreds. New internals, fuelling, oil system, and exhausts increase the twin-turbo V8’s power from 720 hp to 765 hp, ruthless dieting and exotic materials have slashed 80 kilograms from the kerb weight and clever aero surfacing dices, guides, and holds on to airflow to not only increase downforce but, more importantly, ensure it’s usable, balanced downforce. The LT might look evil but McLaren say the goal was to retain controllable and consistent responses; to scare you just the right amount, without