McLaren 12C, 650S, 720S, Senna and the full twin turbo V8 line

MP4-12C, 650S, 625C (M838T, TD04HL twins)

2011-2017

The Ricardo-built 3.8L M838T, with lineage tracing to the TWR-developed Nissan VRH IndyCar architecture, runs two MHI TD04HL-family turbos with McLaren-specific housings, tagged in the 49389-06000 and 49389-06010 series with designations like TD04HL-20TK32S-7.0. The cartridge architecture is proven TD04HL, which means bearing, seal and thrust support is deep. The 12C and 650S share the cast log manifold; the 650S added reworked heads.

Sports Series and 675LT (M838T / M838TE)

2015-2019

The 540C, 570S, 570GT, 600LT, 620R and 675LT continue the TD04HL twin formula with application-specific calibrations, and the 675LT and 570S share exhaust manifolds distinct from the 12C/650S log design. Same rebuild process, same matched-pair discipline, and tag photos settle exactly which specification you have.

P1 (TD05-Based twins)

2013-2015

The 903 hp hybrid flagship steps up to larger MHI TD05-family units with P1-specific flanges and tube-style manifold interfaces. With 375 cars built, these turbos get our full documentation treatment: photographed stages, preserved original hardware, factory-spec balancing.

720S, 765LT, GT, Senna (M840T twin-scroll)

2017-Present

The 4.0L M840T moved to twin-scroll turbos with low-inertia titanium-aluminide turbine wheels and electronically controlled wastegates, still MHI-based, still rebuildable. The Senna's M840TR and the 765LT push the same hardware harder, and the GT carries its own exhaust manifold design. TiAl turbine wheels demand careful handling and correct balancing equipment, which is exactly what a proper bench provides.

Artura (M630 hot-vee V6)

2021-Present

The hybrid Artura's 3.0L M630 mounts its twin turbos inside the 120-degree vee, a hot-vee layout that concentrates heat exactly where the turbos live. Early cores are only now reaching rebuild age; the failure patterns will look familiar to anyone who services hot-vee German V8s.

Why rebuild a McLaren turbo

The Economics

McLaren sells turbos as complete assemblies through dealers at supercar prices, with no factory rebuild path. Underneath the McLaren-specific housings sits proven MHI architecture with full parts support. Rebuilding your original pair costs a fraction of two dealer assemblies, preserves the original castings, and on limited-production cars, keeps the car numbers-correct.

Heat-soak coking in the mid-engine bay

The defining McLaren failure. Hot shutdowns bake oil in both center sections, and the carbon grinds the bearings on the next start. It is worst on track-driven cars shut down straight off a session. We clean CHRA passages to bare metal and pressure-test the water jackets on every rebuild; the idle-down habit protects the fresh pair.

Bearing wear arriving with mileage

12Cs and 650Ss are now old enough to have real miles, and their TD04HLs arrive with classic journal wear: shaft play, faint whine, oil consumption blamed on the engine. The proven cartridge architecture rebuilds routinely, and caught early the McLaren-specific housings and wheels survive.

Hardened seals on garage queens

Most McLarens sit far more than they drive, and seals harden during storage. Startup smoke that clears on a low-mileage car points at seals, not a dying engine, and the core underneath is usually excellent.

Wastegate and actuator faults (M840T)

The M840T's electronically controlled wastegates add an actuator failure mode the M838T never had: faults and boost deviations that get blamed on the cartridges. We evaluate actuators and mechanisms honestly; sometimes the fix is far smaller than a turbo pair.

One sick twin contaminating the pair

A failing twin sheds oil and debris into shared charge plumbing, and its partner ingests the evidence. Given what McLaren labor costs, replacing one side and leaving a compromised survivor is false economy. We assess and rebuild the pair and report the second unit's true condition.

Tune-accelerated wear

The 720S drag-racing scene pushes stock frames far past factory intent, and overspeed shows as compressor bore stretch, blade damage and thrust wear. Rebuildable, with uprated thrust parts and an honest conversation about the stock frame's ceiling for your power goal.