Autoblog Podcast #542
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As far as horrific accidents go, this McLaren 720S wreck which happened this weekend during the Corsa Rally 2018 has to be high up there. The event took place just outside Las Vegas in the Mohave Desert. The driver of the McLaren reportedly walked away from the accident, the carbon fibre crash cell protecting her from injury. The car was less fortunate.
The photos show a car that has evidently rolled a number of times, crushing the passenger side A-Pillar and causing a small engine fire which looks to have been smothered quickly. The wreckage makes the 720S look completely unrecognisable, save for those tell-tale doors.
The driver took to the forums to explain that she misjudged a corner and lost control of the car. She reckons it rolled twice causing her passenger very minor injuries and her, some broken ribs. She makes the point that the car’s final act was to prove just how safe it was. The strength of the carbon fibre cell evidently superior to that of a normal steel construction example.
It remains to be seen whether the owner will order a replacement car. We suspect she might having walked away from this horrifying accident with a minimal amount of injuries!
By way of reminder, the McLaren 720S features a 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 720 hp and 770 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. It manages a 100 km/h sprint in 7.8 seconds with 300 km/h in 21.4 seconds and a top speed of 341 km/h.
Supercars are capable of many amazing things, but those generally require pavement. Anything other than glassy smooth tarmac is liable to end in disaster for low, stiff speed machines. And yet, this Dutch duo defied the odds, taking a McLaren 720S where probably no 720S has gone before. Or really, should go.
As seen above, this McLaren 720S somehow ended up on a somewhat rutted, undulating dirt road, and one of those ruts halted its progress altogether. As such, the passenger hopped out, and revealed that he should be a professional off-road spotter. He seems to be giving directions on where to maneuver the sports car so that the dangerously low front spoiler doesn’t get wedged in the dirt and snapped off. It’s amazing to see it come through without so much as a light scrape across the dirt.
The thing is, as impressive as this feat is, we’re left with so many questions. Where were these guys going that required driving on a dirt road like this? And if they knew they were going to be on a dirt road like this, why drive a McLaren 720S? Surely a person with the means to own a 720S owns other vehicles with greater ground clearance. Also, was this the only obstacle they had to overcome? Did they make it to their destination with an unscathed car? Is this actually the Netherlands’ answer to the Rubicon trail?
We may never know the fate of the marvelous mystery McLaren crew, but we hope the best for them.
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McLaren has brought a special edition of its already stunning and supremely quick 720S supercar to this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Designed by McLaren Special Operations, this one-of-a-kind creation is finished in “Atlantic Blue” paint and comes with a tastefully understated “Saddle Tan” leather interior with contrasting grey stitching.
To drive the point home that this car is unique, McLaren’s press release offers the gentle reminder that “even the floor mats are bespoke.” So, don’t expect to find suitably stylish replacements at your local NAPA auto parts store, ladies and gentlemen.
McLaren’s MSO branch is basically the British automaker’s tailor-made service for its range of performance cars. Oftentimes the creations are true one-offs, entirely commissioned by well-heeled clientele who want their car to stand out from the masses. Not that McLaren creations are exactly clogging up parking lots, but, hey, if you have it then why not flaunt it?
MSO does occasionally build a limited series of vehicles, like the 10 race-inspired 570S sports cars finished in paint jobs similar to the liveries of McLaren F1 GTR race cars from the 1990s.
If you have to ask the price, well, then you probably shouldn’t be shopping for customized McLarens.
The standard McLaren 720S starts at approximately $288,000, putting it right in the middle of the company’s lineup. Considering the owner of the Geneva Motor Show car didn’t specify gold-flake fenders, or an interior constructed out of platinum-plated Lego blocks, it’s safe to assume this car doesn’t streak too ridiculously far into the fiscal stratosphere.
Engine power remains the same. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 nestled in the carbon fiber chassis produces 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Punch the gas pedal, and the 720S needs less than 3.0 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour. The top speed is 212 mph.
And did we mention how incredibly fast all this feels in real life? In our review of this ballistic British supercar, Mike Austin summed up just how rapid your first impression will be. “The 720S is so fast that there’s no warming up to it. Almost immediately you’re driving at speeds that, in pretty much any other car would mean imminent calamity.”
He also praised the fact that getting the most out of the 720S demands attention and skill, not just a heavy right foot. “In our world of point-and-shoot supercars,” he summarized, “McLaren made the 720S a true driver’s car.”
So the car is special. And the one at Geneva? Just a little more special.
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Here’s a unique regional spin on a supercar: It’s a bespoke McLaren 720S designed by McLaren Special Operations done in Zenith Black paint with satin finish and gold accents, including an inspirational quote from the company’s founder on the rear wing done in Arabic lettering stylized to echo the Dubai skyline. It’s showing at the Dubai International Motor Show, after which the unnamed new owner will take delivery.
McLaren says achievement was a key theme behind the commission, both for the British luxury carmaker itself and the United Arab Emirates and Gulf states themselves, which form a key client and shareholder base for the company. The quote on the rear wing reads “Life is measured in achievement, not in years alone,” part of a longer quote from Bruce McLaren’s 1964 memoir “From the Cockpit.” A plaque inside the car identifies it as a “1 of 1” MSO commission.
Offsetting the satin black finish are gold accents, such as gold-colored alloy wheels, a 24-carat (!) gold engine heat shield and gold-colored interior components. Also added were carbon fiber exterior packs encompassing the front splitter and air intakes, rear bumper and roof panel. Inside, the trim is a mix of black leather and black Alcantara complemented by MSO Defined carbon fiber sill panels, fascia vents and steering wheel, plus a regular carbon fiber interior upgrade pack. The gearshift paddles are satin gold-painted, and each door inner panel gets a satin gold-colored appliqué.
The car is equipped with the 720S’s standard 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that goes 0-124 mph in 7.8 seconds and boasts a top speed of 212 mph.
McLaren says the personalization added more than 120 hours to the production process, including 30 hours alone to complete the rear wing stencil graphic.
A Kia Stinger GT is not a concept car. Neither is the Fux Fuschia McLaren 720S or Lamborghini Huracan Performante. The Maserati Gran Turismo is certainly not – it’s almost a classic at this point. Yet, look beyond some of the questionable inclusions for the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Concept Car Lawn, and you’ll see a diverse selection of concept cars from carmakers ranging from Infiniti and Genesis to Pagani and Aston Martin. Volkswagen even made an appearance with its I.D. Buzz.
It’s always cool to see concept cars outside studio and auto show lights, and Pebble Beach is one of the few opportunities to do so. The cars featured include these notable models:
Enjoy the gallery, and stay tuned for more coverage from Monterey car week.
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Need proof that McLaren is willing to build literally anything a customer could possibly want, regardless of how outlandish it may seem? Witness this 720S, which was just delivered to noted McLaren enthusiast Michael Fux on the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Concept Lawn. As you can see, it’s pink. Or purple. Somewhere in between, really.
Actually, it’s Fux Fuchsia, a color originally created by Rolls-Royce for Mr. Fux and held back as an exclusive shade by McLaren Special Operations for future vehicles. And, considering the car collector already owns three McLaren models, we’re thinking this won’t be the last of Fux Fuchsia you’ll see on one of these British supercars.
Besides the retina-searing shade of exterior paint, the inside door appliqués, a pinstripe on the steering wheel, and the rear-view mirror are all finished in in Fux Fuchsia. The rest of the interior is done up in white leather with white stitching. The floormats are also white, but finished in Alcantara.
Want a custom McLaren of your own? Jolyon Nash, McLaren Automotive Executive Director, Global Sales and Marketing, commented, “MSO provides McLaren owners with virtually limitless possibilities to tailor a car exactly to their needs and tastes. … Beyond this there are opportunities all the way up to complete vehicles designed to individual specification.” All you need, we imagine, is a suitably large bank account.
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At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, McLaren brought a bright orange 720S constructed almost entirely of Lego bricks. The only parts not obviously made of the little plastic pieces were the wheels and tires. As cool as the finished product is, one of the most fun things about building with Lego bricks is building it, and seeing everything come together. Fortunately, McLaren let us get a peak at the process by releasing this time-lapse video of the process.
According to the video, the final model used 280,000 bricks, and it took a whopping 2,000 man hours to finish it. It’s all condensed into a one-minute video. One of the impressive things to note during the build is that the vast majority of the car really is made of the plastic pieces. Only a metal base and two structures on which to mount the wheels and tires weren’t made of Legos. The Lego 720S also is clearly quite sturdy, as there are a number of times when builders are sitting on the hood section without any issue. It’s a fun way to spend a minute of your day, so check it out above.
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Cars & Coffee events are a nice way to gather enthusiasts together to appreciate a common passion. Plus, sometimes you get to see rarities like the McLaren 720S. Any time you get motor vehicles together, whether it’s at an event or just a routine commute, there’s a potential for drama, and that’s what appears to have happened at this Cars & Coffee gathering in Palm Beach. The video above shows the aftermath of a situation where a McLaren 720S hit a motorcycle after leaving the event.
The video shows a rider picking up their motorcycle to the side of the McLaren, while another biker walks around the car yelling, at one point telling another person filming to call the police. As the shot moves toward the front of the car, we see a second bike laying on its side in front of the McLaren, and the biker moves to the front of the car and continues yelling. The driver of the car, whose driver’s side door is still open, pulls away from the scene and turns right through the intersection, while the biker yells, “I got your license plate!”
The video description, as well as a post on Reddit, tells a larger story. According to those accounts, the motorcyclists cut off the McLaren, blocking it in. The driver of the car stepped out to talk to them, but forgot to engage the parking brake. The car rolled into the bike in front of it. The bikers, the accounts say, responded by punching and kicking the McLaren, with one taking a swing at the driver, who then drove away to call the police from a safer location.
The person who posted the account on Reddit also says the bikers claimed the McLaren came close to hitting them as it left the event, which is how the incident began. Of course, we don’t see what happens leading up to the beginning of the video, so we can’t verify any of the accounts. It doesn’t appear that anyone was hurt, but this doesn’t look like fun for anyone involved.
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The McLaren 720S goes around a racetrack the way the Earth goes around the Sun, inasmuch as the numbers involved are very difficult to comprehend. The Earth is very large, and the sun is even larger and very far away, such that a relative speed of 67,000 miles per hour seems crazy but is barely noticeable. The McLaren, however, puts you in a more immediate frame of reference, such that everything pertaining to its speed is not just noticeable, but alarming.
The 720S is so fast that there’s no warming up to it. Almost immediately you’re driving at speeds that, in pretty much any other car would mean imminent calamity. Even the non-alarming voice the driving coach in the passenger seat uses to tell you to go faster seems alarming.
Best of all, though, McLaren reminds you that rewards come with skill, not just speed, which is weird for a car this fast. You can’t just point the steering wheel, mash the gas and let the electronics sort everything out. You have to, you know, actually drive, paying close attention to weight transfer and smooth inputs. That also sounds weird, but it’s rare these days. In our world of point-and-shoot supercars, McLaren made the 720S a true driver’s car.
So, how did we get here? In brief, after dipping a toe in the carmaking pool with the McLaren F1 in 1992 and the Mercedes-McLaren SLR in 2003, racing juggernaut McLaren started McLaren Automotive in 2010 and got into the business full time. That lead to the MP4-12C (later just 12C), P1, and eventually the three-tier Sport, Super, and Ultimate series lineup present today. The 720S sits in the middle, replacing the 650S and 675LT. Since the start, McLaren has launched at least one new model or derivative every year. So expect a variant of the 720S in 2018.
This is the first of McLaren’s second-generation regular production cars. It uses a carbon-fiber underbody the company calls Monocage II, an evolution of the P1’s monocoque that replaces the previous carbon fiber tub. It has all the things that come with structual evolution: light weight, lower side sills, higher rigidity. The new carbon monocoque also results in amazing rear visibility, thanks to a C-pillar located at the far edge of the car, bolstered by another thin strip of carbon fiber with glass covering the space in between.
Visbility also benefits from the fighter-jet profile of the 720S. The wedge-shape of the previous McLarens gives way to a canopy-like roof that recalls cars like the Pagani Zonda or original Acura NSX. McLaren goes a step further by folding the air inlets for the radiators into the doors, so that you can’t see them from the side of the car.
Every crease and curve in the 720S leads to some kind of aerodynamic function. And then there are the eyeholes. The blacked out area in the nose houses the daytime running lamp light bar, the headlights, and inlets for more heat exchangers. The motivation was to avoid having more inlets that disrupt airflow or make the styling too fussy. In person, they’re fine. Otherwise the 720S is a beauty of sweeping, organic shapes. It makes the previous McLaren cars, which were attractive in their own right, look heavy and dowdy.
Open up the out-and-up hinged dihedral door and climbing to the 720S is easy, provided you’re not interacting with the optional racing buckets. Those seats have a deep hip bolsters, which makes exiting about as elegant as getting up from a bean bag chair. On the plus side, they’re nearly as comfortable as the standard seats and more supportive in hard cornering, which the 720S does well and often. The rest of the cabin is familiar McLaren territory with a couple of parlor tricks thrown in for good fun. The main attraction is the tilting dashboard, that goes from a full digital display to a horizonal tachometer and digital speedometer. McLaren sees your head-up display, and decided it doesn’t need it. The other trick is deep storage pockets in the doors, which latch closed when the door swings up to prevent any unwanted spillage of whatever McLaren owners stash in the doors. Is it gum wrappers and receipts like the rest of us?
Anyway, fire up the 720S with the start button (make sure the brake pedal is firmly pressed, lest embarrass yourself by cycling through the on, off, and accessory modes to no effect), and the new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 comes to life. It doesn’t roar to life or howl, it just starts. And that’s the biggest fault of the McLaren 720S. For a $288,845 starting you don’t get much in the engine noise department. The optional sports exhaust elevates the soundtrack from bland nothingness to a nice tenor growl, but the McLaren still lacks the distinctive sound of a V8 in a Corvette, Aston Martin, or pre-turbo Ferrari.
But oh heavens does this engine go. It’s an evolution of McLaren’s 3.8-liter V8, stroked 200 cubic centimeters, with new turbos, electronic wastegrates, intake plenum, heads, crank, and pistons to list a few parts. McLaren says it’s 41-percent new. Output is up 69 horsepower, and 68 pound-feet of torque, to 710 hp and 568 lb-ft. Zero to 60 miles per hour happens in a claimed 2.8 seconds. McLaren says the 720S will do the quarter-mile in 10.3 seconds. Top speed is 212 mph.
Those numbers seem like afterthoughts to how the McLaren feels. And it’s not just the launch, it’s anything that involves forward progress. And probably reverse as well, but we didn’t try that. Stab the accelerator on an open stretch of country road and you’re up to 120 mph in a matter of a few car lengths. That move – hard gas, hard brake, maniacal laughter, repeat – never gets old. On the track the 720S accelerates with an unbelievable ferocity. As in, during the time between easing on the gas pedal and pinning it to the firewall, your brain stops about halfway down while your foot keeps moving. I did it, lap after lap, and every time found it shocking.
Yet for such power, and equally matched grip and braking performance, two things stand out about driving the 720S fast. First, the lack of noticeable electronic intervention. Even on a rough two-lane the only indication of traction control is the flashing light. There’s no bogging or surging in the engine.
The second thing about driving the 720S fast is how balanced it feels. This also conveys a hint of danger, at least at first encounter: drive this wrong and you’ll pay for it. Get accustomed to the car’s responses, though, and it floats through corners. This McLaren doesn’t oversteer or undeersteer so much as it just corrects course with the right pedal application. The only exception to this is when the rear wing pops up as an air brake at decelerations above 0.5 g and you feel a noticeable weight shift to the rear.
There are three modes each to both the suspension and powertrain: comfort, sport, and track. McLaren representatives noted the elimation of “Normal” as the default setting, which is a nice touch. Sport and Track progressively tighten up the dual-clutch automatic shift speed and loosen up the stability control threshold. Then there’s Variable Drift Control, which McLaren is keen to point out is not a magic drift mode button, but more of a variable setting to allow more and more yaw. In function it’s similar to other graduated track modes like Chevy’s performance traction management, but more oriented towards potential hoonage. You can also turn everything off for full Cars and Coffee social media embarrassment.
Then there’s McLaren Track Telemetry (MTT), a $2,620 option on its own or $4,220 lumped in with front, rear, and in-cockpit cameras. This is the part that makes the 720S both a driver’s car and a driving coach. MTT delivers a full suite of telemetry and lap timing, plus a split time display in the dashboard. Inside the car you can review video, look at data like speed, brake pedal force, and steering angle and compare it all to a reference lap. In my case I learned that compared to McLaren’s pro driver I chickened out on Vallelunga’s Curva Grande (duh) but did some good hard braking after the back straight (hooray for me). It will also show your theoretical fastest lap from a sessions by taking the best splits, just like in Formula one. And you can download the data and video to a USB drive for further analysis or social media embarrassment.
McLaren’s cars have always delivered an amazing combination of comfort with the performance. If there’s a unique angle to the cars from Woking, other than not being Italian, it’s that they meld all that performance with plenty of comfort. A major key to this is Proactive Chassis Control, McLaren’s name for its hydraulic suspension that moves pressurized oil between the corners of the car. The newest evolution of this adds one accelerometer and two pressure sensors in the damper at each corner. The fun fact is that the 720S does it without anti-roll bars. The practical upside is that, especially in Comfort mode, the McLaren’s ride is amazingly compliant, bordering on downright pleasant. If you long for spinal punishment, Track mode stiffens things up to barely-tolerable levels on public roads.
Along with the complaint ride is a spacious cabin, which is a surprise given how wide the doors are. There’s more than a foot more car beyond your elbow. Even for a wide car that should make for a cramped cabin, but there’s plenty of shoulder room and the abundance of glass in the cabin keeps things from getting claustrophobic. Cars this expensive that sell in numbers as few as the 720S have resale values that are tied closely to odometer mileage. Which is a shame, because McLaren a built a supercar perfect for long distances. It’s even user friendly. Whereas Ferrari makes you fuss with pulling both shift paddles for neutral, the 720S has three big buttons for drive, neutral, and reverse.
So the McLaren 720S is a car made for driving, both on the track and, well, anywhere. And you can actually buy one, unlike the obsessive vetting process for the Ford GT. It’s safe to say that in it’s short history McLaren has carved out new ground in the supercar world, both in terms of accessibility (at least to the monied) and expanding the breadth of capabilities. It’s also safe to say that the 720S is McLaren’s best regular production car yet. At least until the next trip around the sun.
The first production example of the McLaren 720S has been finished at the supercar maker’s Production Centre in Woking, England. A 400-car launch edition series follows Job 1, and all of these have been sold already, according to McLaren. In addition to these cars, a batch of 800 720S models are expected to be built in 2017, and next year will see 1,500 cars roll out of the factory gates.
The 720S was formally launched at Geneva in March. It represents the second generation of McLaren’s so-called Super Series cars, and the manufacturer has now moved to the P14 designation from the earlier P11 series of cars. The P11 platform was unveiled in 2009 as the wraps came off the 12C model, which reached production in 2011. More than 7,000 P11 cars have been sold, including the 650S models introduced in 2014.
A landmark moment – The first production #McLaren 720S is ready, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the McLaren Automotive story pic.twitter.com/cnripl5sLB
— McLaren Automotive (@McLarenAuto) April 11, 2017
“The new McLaren 720S entering volume production is a momentous occasion for McLaren Automotive, marking the first time since the company was formed in 2010 that we have replaced a model family with an all-new generation,” says McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt.
The 720S model name stands for the 720 horsepower put out by the supercar’s four-liter V8 engine, and the manufacturer promises an impressive 2.8-second 0-60 mile per hour time and a 212-mph top speed. Launched from standstill, the car will reach 200 km/h (124mph) in just 7.8 seconds. The various ways a 720S can be configured can be seen in this Autoblog gallery.
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The latest and greatest from Woking has barely broken cover, but McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt has confirmed to Car and Driver that there will be an even faster LT version sometime in the future. Flewitt said that the 675LT, a variant of the 650S, was so successful that it makes perfect sense to create a follow up. This will be great news for those McLaren enthusiasts that may be tempted to jump ship for the obscenely fast Lamborghini Huracán Performante that debuted in Geneva alongside the 720S.
Flewitt said there was a great deal of both internal and external enthusiasm surrounding the 675LT. Expect the new version to be a lot like the 675LT: lighter, sharper, and more powerful, with some mild styling changes but not a completely overhauled design. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter in the McLaren already makes 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. Remember, that’s just the baseline. A mild bump in output is assured.
No word on when the car may debut, but don’t look for it anytime soon. McLaren most likely wants to give the 720S a bit of breathing room before it introduces a new model. Flewitt also suggested that an LT version of the 570S isn’t off the table. As long as it’s lighter, faster, and more powerful, we won’t complain.
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Redditor MyNameIsBUNS posted this image just days after the car’s Geneva reveal. It sure looks like a 720S, and Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Mike Austin, who saw the car in Geneva, is certain this is the real deal. So how did it get on the road so fast? And why North Carolina?
Though the price of a McLaren 720S is just shy of $300,000, that’s within reach of an NHL player – based on salaries, it could belong to anyone on the Hurricanes roster. A bigger pool of potential owners would be tech-industry execs in the Raleigh Durham Triangle.
One Redditor who commented on the photo said he recognized it as a press car. We doubt that, but if so, we at Autoblog are going to have to get on McLaren’s signup sheet. More likely, the car belongs to the manufacturer.
Meanwhile, McLaren is already offering customized versions of the 720S. If you’d like to waste a little time at work, have fun building your own supercar with the McLaren 720S configurator.
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“Well, they’re very committed and passionate,” that’s how a spokesman described McLaren’s engineering team. Trouble is, English passion tends to be marked by a raised eyebrow, Elgar’s understated Nimrod, and elegant motorcars finished in midnight blue. Italy trumps that with arms flung wide, Rossini’s operas, and blood-red cars howling down the endless straights of Emilia-Romagna.
Perhaps that’s the problem for McLaren, which seems to have so far built cars appreciated by race drivers and finicky poindexters, rather than those who like a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or a Maserati because of the shape, the style, the passion, and the operatic exhaust noise.
Geography doesn’t help (nor do engines that sound like leaf blowers). Woking in Surrey was never going to roll off the tongue quite like Sant’ Agata, Bolognese, or Maranello. All this might be about to change this afternoon, however, with the launch of the second-generation of the Super Series car, the 720S, at the Geneva Motor Show.
Super Series is the middle of a hierarchy of three similar McLaren car ranges: all mid-engined with carbon-fiber tubs sharing similar hard points for the aluminum, carbon-fiber, and Sheet-Moulded-Composite (SMC) coachwork and sharing the same Ricardo-built V8 bi-turbo and seven-speed twin-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels. Known as ‘entry, core and high’ by engineers, it starts in the Sports Series, runs through Super and into Ultimate. (Of which there has only been one example, the 2013 P1, although the new “Hyper GT” is promised in 2019.)
These cars are largely based on McLaren Automotive’s inaugural car, the 2011 MP4-12C. But the 720S marks a new generation and is claimed to be 90 percent all-new.
The more it changes, the more it stays the same, wrote novelist Jean-Baptiste Karr, whose 19th-century musing applies to the 21st-century McLaren. Stuff that’s essentially the same: The carbon-fiber tub, though it trades the predecessor 650S‘s aluminum superstructure for carbon fiber. The engine is the familiar Shoreham-made, 90-degree, quad-cam, dry-sump, twin-turbo, but it’s been stroked from 3.8 to 4.0 liters, with two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries twin-scroll turbochargers, similar in concept to those used in the P1. These should be capable of providing more boost lower down the rev range, answering criticisms of the old car being too peaky. Haydn Baker, vehicle line director for the Super Series, reckons the new car even sounds better than its much criticized predecessors.
Peak power rises from the 650S model’s 641 horsepower to 710 at 7,250 rpm, and peak torque goes up from 500 pound feet to 568, though we’re not told at what revs this occurs. Carbon-dioxide emissions are down, which is often an indication of a slightly more flexible power unit.
Performance, never a weak spot for McLaren, has been improved for the 720S. Compared to the 650S coupe, the 0-62 mph time is down from 3.0 to 2.9 seconds, 0-124 mph is down from 8.4 to 7.8 seconds, and 0-186 mph (should your state’s authorities deem it legal) is reduced from 25.4 to 21.4 seconds. Top speed increases from 207 to 212 mph, and the standing quarter-mile time is down from 10.5 to 10.3 seconds.
Weight has been shed, too, down 40 pounds from the 650S to 2,829 pounds dry and 3,128 fueled. Not explicitly stated is the extent of what is called ‘all-new geometry’ for the new lighter aluminum upper and lower wishbone suspension. “I wanted to tell you, but they wouldn’t let me,” says Baker.
Pirelli P Zero tires are wider at the front (245/35/ZR19), but with slightly smaller carbo-ceramic brake rotors inside and AP Racing six-pot calipers. At the rear, the tires are 305/30/ZR19 Pirellis with a slightly wider track.
The 720S looks different, yet has visual links to all the other McLarens. There’s a perception of a low-drag Le Mans-style tail and that lower front looks mighty vulnerable to high curbs. The roof seems more rounded, and that double curvature on the rear wheel arch looks like a nasty bruise picked up on a football field. Otherwise, there’s a disarming lack of adornment when seen from the sides, and you start to wonder how they have contrived to cool the big V8 behind the seats.
Move toward the front or back, though, and the air channels become visible, running like Roman aquifers along the tops of the doors and into the rear wings and the high-temperature radiators. It’s a clever design device, as are the ‘socket’ headlamps, which draw oncoming air into another set of low-temperature radiators on each side of the front.
The coachwork apparently achieves its target of doubled aerodynamic efficiency by combining coefficient of drag, downforce, and lap times. Just as important, however, is the space around the underbody hard points the engineering team gave design chief Rob Melville, which has allowed him to create a shape, that while recognizably a McLaren, is also interesting and attractive, if not conventionally beautiful. What’s more, the whole vehicle was designed and mostly engineered on computers, with not a single experimental prototype constructed, though Baker admits, “we did have 20 prototypes as a test fleet.”
In the cabin, there’s a perception of more space in spite of a width reduction. This feeling can be partly explained by the narrow roof spars, particularly the bare carbon-fiber windscreen pillars. With roof lights in the doors and sectioned windows in the rear, the cockpit feels more like sitting in a World War II fighter aircraft, or an Elizabethan house. There’s even a bit of luggage space behind the seats, but since the tailgate doesn’t open, you’ll have to wrestle those airline carry-ons past the seats and under the roof. Getting into the cockpit, however, is a lot easier, with roof cut-outs for the scissor doors just like the original Ford GT40s.
McLaren claims the new 720S will offer most of the track credibility and lap speed of the outgoing 675LT, but with road manners akin to the Sports Series 570GT hatchback. That seems to be key as this small but profitable firm gets more comfortable in its skin. McLaren cars have so far offered highly centered track performance, but road presence, exhaust noise and low-down torque haven’t been as peerless. While undoubtedly faster than its predecessor, the 720S is attempting to close a more subtle gap with the opposition. “Those road manners were very dear to my heart,” says Baker. “We’ve debated this car for over four years and put a lot of work into it.”
No prices yet, but expect an increase on the $265,500 price of the 650S. It remains to be seen whether McLaren’s second-gen Super Series will rattle the breakfast tables in Maranello, but the first signs are promising.
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Information is a good thing, but sometimes too much information can be overwhelming. One of those situations might be when trying to wring the most out of a high-horsepower mid-engine supercar like the new McLaren Super Series model, the 720S. W’re guessing here. So at the press of a button, the driver can hide most of the gauge screen and clear some of the view out the windshield.
This Slim Display Mode ought to come in handy when the car’s new Variable Drift Control is put to the test. When drifting, visual cues outside the car are a little more important than what song is playing at the time or your fuel economy. When the large gauge screen is folded down, a smaller display strip shows the gear, tachometer, and speed. Simple enough.
When the big screen is in place, the full trip computer, a round tach, and helpful gauges like fuel and temp show up. This foldy screen (McLaren calls it the Folding Driver Display) is one part of the new McLaren Driver Interface, which also includes a new 8.0-inch center screen with a revised interface to control audio, navigation, and settings. There are some hard buttons as well, although we’re not sure what they control and McLaren didn’t release photos of the touch screen or center stack.
And yes, we’ve already seen the new McLaren 720S thanks to an Instagram leak, but full details on the car won’t be revealed until next week at the Geneva show.
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