The new 720S GT3X shows what McLaren can do with a track car that isn’t bound by racing regulations. As the name of the car suggests, it is based on the standard 720S GT3 that competes in various racing series around the world. Modifications made to the GT3X start with the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that now delivers 200 hp more than the standard racer, resulting in the same 710 hp as the street car, although that figure jumps by an extra 30 hp with the available ‘push-to-pass’ button.
To achieve this extra grunt, McLaren has
fitted larger turbochargers, larger manifolds, a blueprinted cylinder head, and
makes each engine by hand. There’s also an upgraded cooling system to ensure
the car can sustain lengthy stints on track without losing any of its
performance.
Underpinning the GT3X is the same carbon
fiber MonoCage II monocoque as the 720S road car and the standard GT3. Thanks
to the revised roll cage and packaging, the GT3X can be ordered with an
optional passenger seat, something that isn’t available on the GT3 race car.
Various aerodynamic modifications have
also been made, including the fitment of an enlarged rear wing, new dive planes
at the front, an extended front splitter, and a revised rear diffuser. McLaren
says the car is significantly faster around a racetrack than a normal 720S GT3,
without however providing any figures.
