McLaren’s next Goodwood headline car looks set to come from the sharp end of McLaren Special Operations.
Expected to wear the 788 HS name, the new model is shaping up as a harder, rarer evolution of the 750S, aimed squarely at buyers who want more circuit intent without stepping outside McLaren’s familiar supercar architecture.
The formula is straightforward and very McLaren: less mass, more power, more aero and a production run small enough to keep it firmly in collector territory.
At a glance
- McLaren Special Operations is expected to present the limited-run 788 HS at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
- The model is understood to be a track-focused development of the 750S, with high-downforce bodywork and around 800 hp.
- Production is expected to be capped at 200 cars, split evenly between Coupe and Spider, with pricing around $600,000.
A sharper 750S from McLaren Special Operations
The 788 HS is expected to sit above the 750S as a more exclusive, more aggressive MSO-built variant.
Both Coupe and Spider body styles are planned, with 100 examples of each, which would make the car considerably rarer than the standard 750S and more aligned with McLaren’s recent taste for tightly allocated special editions.
The HS badge also carries useful history inside Woking.
In 2016, McLaren introduced the MSO HS as a lighter and more focused take on the 675LT, giving the new car a clear philosophical predecessor rather than simply another cosmetic limited edition.
High-downforce bodywork and an 800 hp target
The car is expected to use the same lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque architecture as the 750S, with a target weight of around 1,250 kg.
Power should come from McLaren’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the same engine family used in the 750S.
In the 750S, that unit produces 730 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, while the 788 HS is expected to lift output to around 800 hp.
The more telling changes may be visible before the engine is even started.
The 788 HS is expected to receive revised exterior treatment focused on downforce, potentially moving beyond the aero concept seen on the 750S Le Mans Edition with its High Downforce Kit.
That would put the emphasis on usable circuit performance rather than simply chasing a larger power number.
Goodwood is the right stage
The Goodwood Festival of Speed remains one of the few places where a car like this makes immediate sense.
It gives McLaren a public hillclimb theatre, a crowd that understands the difference between a trim package and a properly honed special, and a setting where lightweight performance cars still feel entirely at home.
For collectors, the appeal is likely to be the combination of MSO involvement, limited production and a direct link to the 750S, which is already McLaren’s core supercar benchmark.
For drivers, the draw will be whether the 788 HS can translate its expected power and aero changes into the kind of immediacy that made earlier McLaren long-tail and HS projects memorable.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | McLaren |
|---|---|
| Division | McLaren Special Operations |
| Model | 788 HS |
| Base model | 750S |
| Body styles | Coupe and Spider |
| Production | 200 units expected, split into 100 Coupes and 100 Spiders |
| Engine | 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 expected |
| Power | Around 800 hp expected |
| Weight | Around 1,250 kg expected |
| Chassis | Lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque expected |
| Aerodynamics | High-downforce exterior package expected |
| Price | Around $600,000 expected for both Coupe and Spider |
| Debut | Goodwood Festival of Speed expected |
If the final car follows the early outline, the McLaren 788 HS won’t be defined only by its output figure or rarity.
Its real significance will be in how far MSO can push the 750S platform toward a more serious, high-downforce driving experience while keeping it recognisably connected to McLaren’s current supercar bloodline.
