Check out the McLaren 720S modified by Jay Leno, 1016 Industries

Improving the McLaren 720S is tough, but Miami-based 1016 Industries has found a way. The company has produced a carbon fiber body kit that reduces the McLaren's body weight by 400 pounds, and CEO Peter Northrop recently showed it off in Jay Leno's garage.

This is not a bolt-on. As Northrop explains in the video, all the panels on the 720S have been replaced. While McLaren makes extensive use of carbon fiber, not all factory components are made of the lightweight material. For example, replacing the stock doors with carbon fiber components saved 75 pounds, said Northrop, a former engineer for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now Sterantis).

Although the stock 720S is a low-volume production car, it is still a production car because it must be designed with ease of manufacture in mind. As an aftermarket tuner, 1016 Industries focused purely on weight reduction, modifying the carbon fiber layup in certain areas to maximize strength while minimizing weight.

"This is already a car that does the unexpected," Northrop said of the 720S. That made him want to test how far they could go in terms of performance, he said.

Also, Northrop says, it was easy to develop the body kit because the rear quarter panels were designed to be easily removed. This is because the engine must be removed to access it, which is convenient for tuners but inconvenient for owners who need to change the oil. And 1016 can even deliver body kits faster than McLaren can deliver replacement body panels, Northrop claims.

Compromises had to be made. The kit was tested for aerodynamic performance with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, which resulted in the addition of a roof scoop that did not actually work. Although it would not draw air into the engine (as in the McLaren 765LT), it would reduce wind noise. The fixed rear wing creates substantial downforce, but the stock movable wing required a complex software workaround because of its connection to suspension and transmission operation.

Also, while the bodywork is carbon fiber, the wheels are not. There was no extra weight savings compared to aluminum wheels to justify the additional cost of fabricating custom wheel barrels for the wide-body McLaren offset, Northrop explained, adding that the metal handles loads better than carbon wheels and creates a better ride quality

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The twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 is not stock. Northrop claims that the 1016 drew 1,150 hp from this engine primarily through turbo modifications.

There are many more geeky details of this thoughtfully modified McLaren. See the full video for more.