McLaren 788HS Caps 720S Bloodline With 788PS and Just 200 Cars Built

McLaren has revealed the 788HS, a strictly limited supercar that closes out the run of models built on the 720S platform after the 750S and 765LT. Only 200 examples will be built worldwide, split evenly between coupe and spider body styles, and each one carries the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 tuned to produce 788PS, the highest output the series has offered.

The 788HS wears McLaren’s “High Sport” badge, a designation the brand has used only twice before, on the MP4-12C HS and the MSO HS. That rarity is deliberate. McLaren built the 720S, then evolved it through the 765LT and 750S, and the 788HS exists to mark the end of that particular bloodline before a new generation of McLaren supercars takes over.

The Numbers Behind the Badge

The M840T V8 revs to 8,500rpm and hits peak power at 7,500rpm, with 800Nm of torque available lower down the rev range. McLaren quotes 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0-200km/h in 7.0 seconds and a top speed of 330km/h, or 205mph. The car tips the scales at 1,265kg dry, giving a power-to-tonne figure of 623PS, the best the 720S-based series has produced.

Every 788HS gets carbon ceramic brakes borrowed from the McLaren Senna, gripped by six-piston forged aluminium monoblock calipers at the front with their own dedicated cooling ducts, aimed at keeping stopping power consistent after repeated hard braking on track. The car also introduces a centre-lock wheel mechanism, a first for this supercar series, paired with new Super Lightweight Forged Alloy wheels that shed unsprung mass compared with a conventional multi-bolt fitting.

Suspension is McLaren’s linked-hydraulic chassis control system, tuned specifically for the 788HS and set 5mm lower at the front than the 750S for sharper turn-in. McLaren has recalibrated the adaptive dampers to work with that lower ride height, aiming for tighter body control through corners without making the car uncomfortable on the road. The steering column carries the instrument binnacle so the dials move with the wheel, and the Powertrain and Handling mode switches sit on the steering wheel itself, letting the driver adjust the car’s character without taking a hand off the rim.

Built by McLaren Special Operations

McLaren Special Operations, the brand’s in-house personalisation division, finishes every 788HS individually. The standard aerodynamic package already uses carbon fibre throughout, including a new S-Duct bonnet, a raised active rear spoiler, a multi-zone front splitter and a Formula 1-inspired rear diffuser, together producing 10 per cent more downforce than the outgoing 765LT. Buyers who want the most dramatic look can go further and specify full Visual Carbon Fibre bodywork covering every exterior panel, in gloss or satin finish, an MSO option that puts the car’s lightweight construction on show rather than hiding it under paint.

Gloss black accents run across the standard body, including a roof scoop fitted to coupe versions only. Inside, a lightweight carbon fibre centre console sits ahead of dedicated HS badging, a unique upholstery perforation pattern and a plaque naming each car as part of the limited run. A quad-exit titanium exhaust, tuned with new induction and symposer technology, is designed to make the V8 sound more intense at higher revs than in the 750S, with a sharper start-up note that McLaren says was engineered specifically for this car.

“The new McLaren 788HS has been designed and engineered with a singular focus, to deliver a visceral experience and captivating drive through its precise balance of performance, sound, dynamism and individuality,” said Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Chief Commercial Officer at McLaren Automotive. Wilhelmsmeyer described the car as the highest expression of the supercar series that began with the 720S, and only the third McLaren to wear the brand’s HS designation, calling it a fitting finale for a much loved and critically acclaimed car.

What the Scarcity Means for Buyers

McLaren has built plenty of limited runs before, but capping the 788HS at 200 cars worldwide, split between coupe and spider, puts real scarcity behind a car that already sits at the technical peak of its platform. With production restricted and MSO personalisation built into the ownership experience from day one, no two examples are likely to look identical by the time deliveries begin.

The 788HS closes a chapter that started with the 720S nearly a decade ago and continued through the 765LT and 750S, each one lighter, more powerful and more aerodynamically refined than the last. Buyers who missed out on the 765LT, which itself carried a limited build number, now have one final chance to own the most extreme version of this particular McLaren supercar before the next generation replaces it.

McLaren has not yet released UK pricing for the 788HS, though given the car’s positioning above the 750S and its restricted production run, expect it to command a significant premium over the standard car when order books open.