The beating heart of most of McLaren’s road car lineup? The powerhouse M840T engine. Propelling seven current (and past) McLaren models, this 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 can produce anywhere from 612 horsepower—in the sedately-tuned McLaren GT—to 824 horsepower when howling inside the Sabre. With range like that, expect to see the M840T continue in production cars, even as McLaren moves toward hybridization. To paint some context, let’s take a trip down memory lane. The M840T is the successor to the M838T, a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8. That itinerant powered McLaren’s first road-going salvo, including the MP4-12C, the 650S, the 570S, and 570GT, even the P1 (with the addition of an electric motor). The M838T is derived from the VRH35 engine, developed by Nissan for the GT1 Le Mans car back in the late 90s. McLaren bought the rights from Tom Walkinshaw Racing, who had planned to use the mill in IndyCar but never did. McLaren then..
