Sometimes the rules really are holding us back.

The British performance specialists have finally unveiled their latest Le Mans racer, the MCL-HY. Even more exciting, though, is the customer version, the MCL-HY GTR, which may be the more hard-core of the duo since it doesn’t have the rules.

With the success McLaren has achieved in Formula 1 over the last two years, it’s little wonder that the marque is ready to give the 24 Hours of Le Mans another go. Despite taking the overall checkered flag in 1995, the automaker has precious little experience at the famous race. That’ll change next year, though, when McLaren Racing rejoins the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The ultra-sleek MCL-HY, which will be driven by Mikkel Jensen with support from Gregoire Saucy and Richard Verschoor, is powered by a hybrid-assisted 2.9-liter V-6 that’ll pump out a combined 697 hp.

The race car, which was shown off in a livery Papaya inspired by the McLaren M6A prototype from the 1960s, is a true speed machine, but the customer version takes things even further. That’s because the MCL-HY GTR won’t be subject to any road or race regulations. The primary result of this is the automaker has retained the race car’s six-cylinder but chosen to forgo the FIA-required hybrid system. The mill, unburdened by the extra hardware and competitive restrictions, is even more potent, generating as much as 720 hp.

Not only is the customer version more powerful than the race car, it’s also lighter. McLaren hasn’t said how much the final MCL-HY GTR will weight, but it will be less than Le Mans’s minimum 2,271-pound limit. That means it’s already superb power-to-weight ratio will be even better.

McLaren has yet to mention a price tag for the MCL-HY GTR, but you can expect it to be one of the less-accessible vehicles the automaker has in the works. The company has previously said the car will only be offered to hand-picked “VIP” clients through its Project: Endurance program. Testing will begin later this month, with deliveries slated to begin before the end of 2027.