High Sport is a designation McLaren uses very rarely and only on their very, very special models. So count yourself lucky to be alive and witness the launch of a new one of these models, the McLaren MSO HS 688. Not that you can buy this car, even if you can afford it, because all 25 units are already pre-sold.

If you know your McLarens you’ll only need to take a sideways glance at this car to realize what it is all about. McLaren MSO HS, in essence, is a hard-core 675 LT with, as the 688 in the name suggests, 688 horsepower, a bigger aero kit, and a tighter chassis intended for track use. The whole car is in fact a rare and, we imagine, excruciatingly expensive track toy.

So you can think of McLaren MSO HS 688 as a sort of discount P1 GTR that you can also drive on the road. Mind you, if public roads are where you intend to use this thing you can do better with a 675LT Spider because that one is cheaper, more practical and better looking as well. The HS is more of a collector’s item your children are going to see sell for big money at Barrett-Jackson 2035!

Built by McLaren Special Operations unit, the MSO HS 688 features a bespoke carbon aero kit with revised front and rear spoilers and flaps, a P1 GTR rear wing, and more prominent side skirts. The body panels are also lightened, as are the windows and brake discs, and the car comes with an on-board professional telemetry system for track geeks.