McLaren 788HS: Every Dynasty Deserves a Closing ArgumentFor the supercar bloodline that began when the McLaren 720S landed in 2017 and rewrote what a series-production McLaren could be, that closing argument arrived on July 9 in the shape of the new 788HS, which took its first public bow up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.It is also the first genuinely new car out of Woking since the W1 hypercar broke cover in late 2024, and after nearly two quiet years, McLaren chose to use that comeback moment to end an era.Fitting, then, that the 788HS is the fastest, lightest, and most focused version of this platform McLaren has ever built. It is the pinnacle of the line and, by the company's own admission, the final evolution of it. Enthusiasts should read that sentence twice, because it carries more weight than a normal spec-bump special edition.Nine Years, Four Names, One Carbon TubTo understand why the 788HS matters, you have to rewind to the car that started it. The 720S showed up in 2017 with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, a featherweight carbon monocoque, and a power-to-weight ratio that embarrassed cars costing twice as much. It was so far ahead of the curve that rivals spent years catching up. From there the family branched: the hardcore, track-obsessed 765LT arrived in 2020 wearing its Longtail badge like a threat, and the 750S rolled out in 2023 as the sharpened, more livable everyday hero that quietly became the best all-rounder of the bunch.AdvertisementAdvertisementAll of them shared the same fundamental DNA, the same carbon architecture, and the same relentless McLaren philosophy of adding lightness. The 788HS is the capstone on that nine-year project. McLaren is not shy about the framing either, calling it the definitive and final evolution of the 720S, 765LT, and 750S series.What "High Sport" Actually MeansThe 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 it makes. The last two were the MP4-12C HS, built in a tiny handful of examples around 2011 and 2012, and the MSO HS, a 675LT-based skunkworks project limited to just 25 cars in 2016. Both are near-mythical among McLaren obsessives and almost never come up for sale.Against that backdrop, the 788HS's run of 200 cars, split evenly across 100 coupes and 100 Spiders, almost qualifies as mass production. Almost. Every one of them still passes through the hands of McLaren Special Operations, so no two cars will leave Woking looking exactly alike.788 Ponies, 777 of OursThe heart of the car is the familiar M840T 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, but reworked to its highest state of tune yet in this series. The name is a metric pun: 788 refers to 788 PS, which converts to 777 bhp for those of us who count in the old money, alongside 590 lb-ft of torque. Peak power lands at 7,500 rpm and the engine keeps spinning to 8,500, which is a genuinely thrilling place for a turbocharged V8 to live.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe upgrades are the good kind of nerdy: lightweight forged pistons, ultra-low-inertia twin-scroll turbochargers for sharper throttle response, and twin fuel pumps to keep it all fed. The numbers that follow are exactly what you would hope for. Zero to 60 mph takes 2.8 seconds, 124 mph arrives in 7.0 seconds flat, and it will run on to a 205-mph top speed.A quad-exit titanium exhaust and revised induction and exhaust symposer tech promise a soundtrack with more intensity across the rev range, and a unique engine-mount calibration is designed to wire the powertrain more directly into the driver's spine without ruining it for a long motorway slog.Lighter Where It CountsMcLaren's oldest party trick still applies. The 788HS carries a dry weight of just 2,789 pounds, which works out to 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 added aggression and downforce while still cutting mass, a combination that plenty of rivals talk about and few actually deliver.That obsession shows up everywhere. The monocoque is carbon, the entire new aerodynamic package is carbon, and the interior sheds weight wherever it can. For buyers who want to lean fully into the ethos, McLaren offers an optional Visual Carbon Fibre body in gloss or satin that leaves every exterior panel bare, a moving advertisement for just how light this thing really is.McLaren 788HSMcLarenAero and Chassis: Raiding the Senna Parts BinThe bodywork is not 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 louvred under-wing panel for cooling, and a Formula 1-inspired rear diffuser. Together, they generate 10 percent more downforce than the already-serious 765LT.AdvertisementAdvertisementUnderneath, the linked-hydraulic Proactive Chassis Control III suspension gets bespoke HS tuning and adaptive dampers, plus a front ride height dropped 5mm versus the 750S for a keener, more planted front end. Braking comes courtesy of carbon-ceramic discs derived from the mighty Senna, clamped by black six-piston forged aluminum monoblock front calipers with integrated cooling ducts. Best of all for the spec-sheet crowd, the 788HS introduces the first center-lock wheel setup ever fitted to this series, paired with a new Super Lightweight Forged Alloy design. Coupes even get a roof scoop feeding cool air toward that hungry V8.The Send-Off, and What Comes NextInside, the driver-focused cabin gets a lightweight carbon-fiber center console, bespoke HS branding, a unique upholstery perforation pattern, and a dedication plaque that lists the whole lineage, 720S through 788HS, with each car's build number. It is the automotive equivalent of a signed farewell letter.McLaren has not confirmed pricing, but with every example flowing through MSO and the 750S already starting north of $365,100, expect the final invoices to climb well past that. The bigger story sits 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 toward an electrified successor and even a long-denied SUV.In other words, the 788HS may be saying goodbye to more than three cars. It could be the last pure-combustion, mid-engine Woking supercar as we have known it. If so, McLaren picked a very loud, very lightweight way to close the book.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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