Well now. A frustratingly cropped jpeg appears on our digital doormat, sent from McLaren HQ. It bears the caption: “A new McLaren is coming. But have we forgotten something?”

Oh-oh-ho how we love a riddle. Or in this case what the PR world calls a ‘teaser’.

So let’s get sleuthing.

It’s a rear-end with the tail-lights and general outline both familiar from the 570S. So we can rule out the three-seat BP23 hypercar because McLaren has already sent sketches of that and its arse-end is not very similar at all.

So it’s from McLaren’s Sports Series family, which currently numbers the 540C, 570S, 570GT and 570S Spider.

McLaren has said it will build LT versions of most of its range. Is that what we’re seeing here?

LT is Woking’s equivalent of Weissach’s GT3, or perhaps GT3 RS or GT2. In other words, the weight-reduced, aero-enhanced, power-boosted, track-chassis’d editions. They’re derived from its already light, aerodynamic, powerful and track-friendly ‘standard’ cars.

Look then at the cut-out wheel-arches in this shot. Lose yourself in the enhanced diffuser and its carbonfibre construction. Check the extremely blocky-treaded tyres. It’s got LT written all over it.

So what, to return to the original question, is missing? Because let’s face it they haven’t actually forgotten. Or if they had they wouldn’t be pointing it out. That’d be bad PR.

Exhausts, that’s what’s absent. And there have been sightings of prototypes with central, upward-facing exhausts. If they’re good enough for the Porsche 918, they’re surely good enough here. They should shorten the system, saving weight, and bring the noise closer to the lucky driver’s ears.

Consider us teased.