McLaren Customer Racing has confirmed that an unrestricted version of its 720S GT3 race car is now available to order through McLaren Motorsport Retailers. Designed and developed in-house by the GT motorsport arm of McLaren Automotive, the GT3X is for track use only but is not homologated for any racing class or championship. Without the need to comply with competition regulations, increased levels of power and performance have allowed McLaren Customer Racing to further exploit the chassis and aerodynamic characteristics of its latest-specification, race-winning 720S GT3 to optimise circuit driving enjoyment.
The 720S GT3X features a lightweight but inherently strong carbon fibre chassis as seen at the core of every McLaren for more than 30 years, utilizing the MonoCage II chassis which underpins the current 720S range. Performance comes from the familiar 720S engine, optimized to combine features from the road and track variants. Coupled to a six-speed sequential motorsport transmission, a unique version of the hand-built 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine includes a blueprinted cylinder head, strengthened pistons, ‘Diamond Like Carbon’ (DLC) technology and a lightweight performance exhaust system. The 720S GT3X has been fitted with track-focused components and systems to produce 710bhp, with a further 30bhp boost function (Push-to-Pass System) available to the driver through a steering wheel-mounted button.
The McLaren 720S GT3X tips the scales at just 2,668lbs
The lightweight 720S GT3X tips the scales at just 2,668lbs, making it more than 440lbs lighter than the road-going 720S supercar on which it is based. The severe weight-saving efforts have seen all non-essential or luxury items removed where possible, leaving the driver with just what they need to extract the best performance. Each of these measures combine to see the 720S GT3X boast a power-to-weight ratio of 587bhp-per-ton.
The development program has seen a focus on pure engineering, innovative aerodynamics and efficient design, taking place across thousands of track kilometers in Europe and the Middle East. The 720S GT3X is an optimized version of an already-bespoke GT3 race car, with the bodywork design and the flowing lines developed using ‘Computational Fluid Dynamics’ (CFD) and Formula 1 wind tunnel technology. The aerodynamically sculpted shape is hand-finished in metallic MSO Carbon Black paint. A refined pinstripe in heritage McLaren Orange, a subtle nod to the historic race-winning McLaren Formula 1 cars of the 1960s, accentuates the lower edges of the ground-hugging body shape and the outer rim of the gloss black center-locking wheel rims, while an ‘X’ graphic stretches across the upper canopy.
The McLaren 720S GT3X delivers a new level of ownership experience
The stripped-out cabin features extensive use of lightweight carbon fibre and is designed around outright track performance and functionality. A carbon fibre and Kevlar FIA-approved race seat hugs the driver and weighs just 22lbs, while the pedal box and steering wheel adjust to ensure the perfect driving position. The ergonomically-designed race steering wheel is fitted with all key functions via intuitive rotary switches and buttons meaning everything is at the driver’s fingertips. Thrill seekers are also able to experience the speeds and exhilaration of the race track as the interior of the 720S GT3X has been designed to accommodate a fully safety-compliant passenger race seat, complete with six-point race harness. Modifications over the race track car include a revised design to the roll-cage and enhanced crash structures around the occupant safety cell.
In addition to delivering a new type of performance on the track, the 720S GT3X delivers a new level of ownership experience. As part of the purchase and ownership package, the motorsport division of McLaren Automotive provides dedicated technical support to each owner at the first running of their new 720S GT3X. This program is carried out by the customer support engineers from the in-house McLaren Customer Racing division – the team that has designed and developed the model alongside the 720S GT3 global customer race program.
The 720S GT3X offers a unique opportunity to experience a fully-fledged GT3 car
“Due to GT3 balance of performance requirements, the 720S GT3 car has to run with a considerably reduced power output than the road-going 720S Spider and Coupe variants. The brief for the GT3X project was to unleash the full potential of the 720S GT3 car using a massively increased power output to fully exploit the aerodynamics and chassis dynamics of the car. Additionally, the car is now able to carry passengers for the first time, thanks to the re-design of a new bespoke roll-cage and passenger seat installation. Brake cooling has also been improved to cope with the additional demands of increased speed and the mass of a passenger. The 720S GT3X now offers a unique opportunity to experience a fully-fledged GT3 car. The lap time is significantly reduced from the GT3 benchmark through both the huge standard power increase and the additional 30bhp from the push-to-pass button. The end result is a car that offers a truly unique experience.” Ian Morgan, Director of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive
The 720S GT3X is available to order now in North America from the 6 official McLaren Motorsport Retailers
McLaren Automotive has enjoyed significant success with its range of pioneering sports and supercars since the start of production in 2011. Alongside its road-focused models, the company has been winning races with motorsport derivatives of key models since 2012. Based on the highly-accomplished 720S road car, the 720S GT3 debuted in 2019 with private race teams competing at the highest level – and proved immediately successful. In fact, in its first race, the 720S GT3 took pole position and went on to score its first ever race win against a field of world-class opposition, proving that McLaren had designed and developed another race-winner.
The 720S GT3X is available to order now in North America from the 6 official McLaren Motorsport Retailers: McLaren Beverly Hills, McLaren Houston, McLaren Newport Beach, McLaren Philadelphia, McLaren San Francisco and McLaren Toronto. Each McLaren Motorsport Retailer can offer technical and servicing support for the track-only model.
Discover more on the 720S GT3X here:
https://cars.mclaren.com/gb-en/customer-racing/models/720s-gt3x