McLaren 788HS debuts at Goodwood: It’s extreme
Here’s our first look at the McLaren 788HS, a new British-built supercar and one of the stars of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The V8-powered 788HS is an all-guns-blazing last hurrah for the 720S, 765LT and 750S model line, first introduced in 2017. Developed by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the company’s in-house bespoke division, it boasts more power, enhanced aerodynamics, a sharper chassis and almost unlimited scope for personalisation.
Headline numbers for the 788HS are 788 metric horsepower (777bhp), 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds, a top speed of 205mph and a lightest dry weight of 1,265kg. Lowered suspension, a new front S-duct and an elevated rear spoiler all contribute towards 10 percent more downforce than a 765LT.
Only 200 examples of this swansong supercar will be made, with production split evenly between 100 coupes and 100 open-top Spiders. Ahead of its Goodwood debut, I visited MSO’s inner sanctum in Woking, Surrey, for a deep-dive into all things 788HS – and the opportunity to virtually configure my own car. All I lacked was the requisite funds to order one…
Woking class heroes
Walking into MSO’s clinically clean workshop, the sight of three McLaren F1s, two of them partially disassembled, stops me in my tracks. Only 64 road-going examples of the F1 – arguably the world’s first hypercar – were built between 1992 and 1998, and prices at auction have exceeded $25 million (approx. £20 million). Indeed, Jule Schulte, McLaren Automotive’s European PR manager, tells me it is now impossible to write off an F1, such is the car’s value.
MSO was born out of the customer care department for McLaren F1 owners, which looked after these near-mythical cars by flying its specially trained technicians around the world. Today, it remains the go-to place for maintaining or restoring an F1. Notable projects have included the painstaking, 18-month restoration of F1 GTR Longtail ‘25R’, which caught fire at Le Mans in 1997.
In addition to the F1, MSO also offers servicing and upgrades for the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, originally sold in the early 2000s. The SLR by MSO package – described by Max Watt, MSO relationship manager, as “like giving your SLR the Singer treatment” – includes a new aero package, uprated brakes, a lighter exhaust system and a lot more.
The McLaren High Sport story
MSO has also forged a reputation as the bespoke arm of McLaren Automotive: its equivalent of Bentley Mulliner, Lamborghini Ad Personam or Porsche Sonderwunsch.
In some cases, this might mean a unique specification, like the hand-painted McLaren Senna created to mark the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death. In others, it could be a complete vehicle, such as the futuristic McLaren Solus GT – a replica of a virtual racer from the Gran Turismo video game, later put into limited production.
There have been two MSO HS (‘High Sport’) editions so far, too. The first arrived in 2012, based on the McLaren MP4-12C, but with generous helpings of added power and downforce. Only 10 were made. This was followed by the 688HS in 2015: a track-focused twist on the 650S that incorporated learnings from the P1 project. MSO built 25 of them.
Little known – neither HS received a press launch – yet highly revered, these models are now among McLaren’s most sought-after supercars. And the 788HS looks set to follow suit.
From 720S to 788HS in nine years
The third chapter in the HS story also marks the end of the McLaren 720S and its derivatives after almost 10 years.
With a carbon fibre tub, twin-turbocharged V8, hydraulic steering and clever interlinked hydraulic suspension, the 720S bested the rival Ferrari 488 GTB when launched in 2017. Our review called it the ‘benchmark supercar’.
The hardcore 765LT followed in 2020, building on McLaren’s ‘Longtail’ legacy, with a ruthless focus on light weight and track performance. We said: ‘The 765LT outguns all but the most exotic hypercars… It sees Woking flexing its muscles and playing to its strengths’.
In 2023, the 750S arrived to effectively bridge the gap between the two, blending the supple usability of the 720S with the sheer ferocity of the LT. My review gave it the nod over a Ferrari 296 GTB, concluding: ‘While the Ferrari is a more polished package, I simply prefer how the McLaren drives.’
All of which brings us to the 788HS, the car McLaren calls an ‘extraordinary finale’ – one that ‘distills nearly a decade of engineering development into its most complete and uncompromising form’. It certainly has a lot to live up to.
More power and a higher rev limit
Modifications to the McLaren’s mid-mounted ‘M840T’ V8 are limited to ECU tweaks and perhaps a fraction more boost, plus a titanium exhaust with four sawn-off-shotgun tailpipes jutting from its laser-cut rear grille. A sound symposer channels ‘authentic engine acoustics’ into the car’s cabin (no fake noises through the speakers, in other words).
Maximum power of 788hp compares to 750hp for the 750S, achieved at an identical 7,500rpm. However, the HS can rev 200rpm higher, with its limiter set at 8,500rpm. Peak torque is still 590lb ft, available between 5,500 and 6,000rpm.
As ever, drive goes to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddles, plus an open rear differential combined with torque vectoring Brake Steer. McLaren has never been keen to quote lap times, but a standing quarter mile in 10.1 seconds (10.3 seconds for the 788 HS Spider) is blisteringly quick.
Quicker at slowing down
Being able to slow from 62mph to a standstill in 30 metres (and 124mph to zero in 113 metres) is equally impressive. The 788HS gains uprated, McLaren Senna-derived carbon-ceramic brake discs – an option on the 750S – as standard. They’re gripped by lightweight monoblock calipers with F1-inspired cooling tech for sustained track performance.
Ride height on the adaptive dampers is 5mm lower than a 750S, producing what MSO calls ‘the most dynamic and engaging driving experience the platform has ever produced’. A quick-acting hydraulic nose lift helps to keep the front splitter clear of speed humps.
The 788HS rides on new centre-lock forged alloy wheels, 19in at the front and 20in at the rear, which are wrapped in semi-slick Pirelli Trofeo R rubber. Customers who live in more inclement climates (hello, Great Britain) can specify less extreme P-Zero or P-Zero Corsa tyres instead.
McLaren 788HS: spoiler alert
The exterior design of the 788HS looks familiar, including the signature ‘eye socket’ headlights that proved so divisive when the 720S was unveiled in 2017. However, there are numerous detail differences, many of them shaped by the demands of aerodynamics.
At the front, a new S-duct channels air upwards from the reshaped splitter across the bonnet, reducing front-end lift. Coupe versions also gain a motorsport-style roof scoop, which force-feeds air to the turbocharged V8.
From the rear, the most obvious change is a taller rear spoiler – ‘positioned in clean airflow for greater efficiency’, says McLaren. This still pivots and functions as an airbrake, particularly when driving on-track. Other changes include new cooling vents atop the rear wings and a more effective, F1-inspired diffuser.
MSO can offer an unpainted, ‘full visual carbon fibre’ body, as seen on the black car in these images, plus there is a new 788-exclusive paint colour called HS Silver – as seen above.
Inside the McLaren 788HS
Inside, the 788HS feels pared-back and driver-focused, as you’d expect for a McLaren. A new carbon fibre centre console reinforces the car’s lightweight ethos, although you still get all the usual luxuries, including dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, a rear-view camera and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay connectivity.
There are three seat options to choose from, along with some bespoke fabric perforation patterns and subtle HS branding.
A build plaque behind the front wheelarch shows the evolution of the 720S model line and is individually numbered to show which of the 100 HS coupes or Spiders you are driving.
Going for gold
When it came to creating ‘my’ 788HS using the studio’s big-screen configurator, I was torn between tasteful understatement and creating the showiest supercar possible. In the end, after looking at many of the ‘inspiration’ specs suggested by Max Watt, I settled somewhere between the two. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments…
The two-tone paint is gradually blended from Burton Blue at the front – named after one of MSO’s technicians – to Atlantic Blue at the rear. I also chose a central stripe in the new HS Silver paint colour, which draws attention to the 788HS-specific S-duct and roof scoop. The brake calipers and centre-lock wheel nuts are finished in HS Silver, too.
I selected a ‘stealth’ finish for the wheels themselves, with brighter titanium for the quad tailpipes, which Max says will glow blue when hot. Keen to save weight wherever possible (without having to skip lunch), I went for a lightweight ‘electroform’ McLaren badge, which is several microns thick, 100g lighter and sits beneath the paint surface. You’ll also spot the orange ‘HS’ lettering on the spoiler end plates and ‘speedy kiwis’ on the door mirrors – the latter a retro McLaren logo first used in 1967.
As the finishing touch, and because this is my money-no-object specification, I chose a gold-plated engine heat shield in homage to the McLaren F1. Visible through the vents in the rear deck, Max says it will add around £40,000-£45,000 to the price of a 788HS. Still, in for a penny…
Destined to remain a rarity
The interior of my McLaren follows a similar theme. There is grippy Midnight Blue Alcantara swathing most surfaces, with orange (Papaya Spark) for details such as the seat stitching and steering wheel centre marker.
I’ve gone for the big-bolstered, thinly-padded ‘Senna’ chairs, which I know from previous experience – including a track session in the 600LT – are more comfortable than they look. The seat shells and side sills are finished in gloss carbon fibre, matching the car’s exterior.
Although you can theoretically buy a ‘standard’ 788HS, Max says he “expects all customers to go through the MSO process”. Indeed, many of them have already done so when ordering a McLaren W1 – Woking’s latest flagship hypercar.
You can see the McLaren 788HS on display at Goodwood Festival of Speed from 9-12 July 2026. Take a long look, though, because unless you happen to visit the secretive studios of MSO, you might never see an example of this rare, highly bespoke McLaren again.
• Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research