McLaren's hard-core 440kW 570LT gets top pipes

McLaren's faster, lighter, more powerful and hard-core 570LT will come equipped with a set of top pipes, the British car-maker has revealed.

Releasing a picture overnight of the LT's rear boot lid, the hard-core 570S will be the first McLaren this side of the Ultimate Series P1 to feature twin top-exit exhausts.

The benefit of top pipes is they not only save weight but can reduce back-pressure in the exhaust, helping liberate more power.

The position of the exhaust should also provide for a better soundtrack, compared to the regular car.

Following on from the image released last week that showed a complete absence of the standard car’s exhaust outlets, it's now clear that moving the exhaust system has helped McLaren optimise the standard car's aerodynamics.

This means the fourth member of the ‘Sport Series’ McLaren line-up will feature a larger rear diffuser that appears to be supplemented by subtle carbon-fibre side blades bolted to the corners of the rear bumper.

Likely to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2018, the 570LT is set to follow in the tyre tracks of the Super Series 675LT.

If so, expect the ‘Long Tail’ 570S to come with a stretched body that will enhance aero to maximise downforce for track work.

The LT is tipped to produce more power, which could prompt a name change, but it’s not known if McLaren will shoehorn in the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 from the 720S or if the baby Macca will get a boosted version of its existing 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8.

Whatever the case, the 570LT will produce around 440kW, according to rumours – a sizeable jump over the 419kW of the 570S.

That means the LT should hit 100km/h in less than three seconds and 200km/h in less than nine.

Despite the improved performance, the LT's biggest gain over the standard 570S will be on track, where the combination of more power, better aero and less weight should make the British supercar significantly quicker than rivals like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

It's not been confirmed how McLaren will save weight over the already-featherweight 570S, but it's thought the 570S will lose its carpets and air-conditioning and come with super-light wheels, Perspex glass and carbon-fibre body panels.

Finally, expect the 570LT to adopt stiffer springs and dampers plus bigger brakes more suited to track work, while the engine will get an optimised cooling system.

Once launched, a 570LT Spider is almost certain to follow, some time in 2019.

Despite its track focus, the fastest 570LT -- like the 675LT -- should still be useable on the road, although it leaves the door open for an even faster road-legal version of the 570S to arrive later.

Like the 675LT, production will be limited, although we expect McLaren to make more than the 500 LT Coupes and 500 LT Spiders it made last time on account of a significantly lower price tag.

That said, the 570LT could still weigh in at a considerable $450,000 – a healthy premium over the standard coupe, which is priced in Australia at $379,000 (plus on-road costs).

McLaren is expected to continue to tease the junior LT until its public unveiling later this month.