Is the McLaren 720S the best supercar on sale today?

McLaren took its time developing the 720S

The 720S debuted in 2017, with the Spider version following two years later, in 2019. What you probably didn’t know is that the 720S was in development before the 650S was officially launched, which was in 2014. While the 650S was more of a facelift MP4-12C, the 720S should be an entirely new model.

A great chassis that improves visibility

It still has hydraulic steering

From a technical point of view, it is an electro-hydraulic system

“As?” I hear you ask

The McLaren 720S features a very stiff, updated carbon fiber monocoque.

In addition, the canopy and the upper door sills are made of carbon fiber, which ensures strength and lightness. Because the entire chassis is so strong, certain elements like the A-pillars have been made thinner, which improves visibility from the cockpit.

Additionally, the strength of the chassis allowed the buttresses to be made of glass, which greatly improves rearward visibility – something most supercars greatly lack. There is also the electrochromatic roof, which can be dimmed at the push of a button. It’s a $ 10,000 option, but Zack firmly believes that if you buy a 720 Spider, you should get it.

One of the lightest supercars currently on offer

The last of the Mohicans

Probably one of the last remaining non-hybrid / electric supercars. Pity…

McLaren boasts that its McLaren 720S has a dry weight of under 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg). However, Zack cleverly points out that the car cannot be driven without liquids, with the weight of the 720 Spider increasing to 1,419 kg or 1,468 kg.

The M840t engine

The amazing M840t engine

It is based on a Nissan racing engine, like its predecessor M838t from the 1980s, and develops 710 hp and 568 lb / ft

McLaren’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 has been featured in almost every McLaren model over the past few years. While the 650S still had it, the 720S was upgraded to a 4.0 liter version of the same engine. This is essentially the same 3.8 liter engine but with a larger bore, lighter and stronger rotating assembly – connecting rods, pistons, flat crankshaft, and lighter turbochargers.

The result, as Zack describes it, is a faster-revving engine that delivers more power and is more efficient at the same time.

More specifically, the twin-turbo V-8 develops 710 hp (530 kilowatts) at 7,500 rpm, 568 pound-feet (770 Nm) at 5,500 rpm, and has a redline at 8,100 rpm.

This gives a 2.7 second time from 0 to 60 mph (97 km / h) and a top speed of 212 mph (341 km / h).

Faster than a Tesla P100 D

McLaren took the time to perfect it

Work on the 720S began before its predecessor was even launched

The Tesla appears to be killing it on the drag strip, making it clear that EVs aren’t boring to drive. There are a lot of videos in which the EV beats all kinds of cars, like the GT-R, R8 or the Hellcat. However, the McLaren 720S makes short work of the Tesla. While the mid-engined supercar drops back slightly when running from 0 to 60 mph (97 km / h), it can go from 0 to 125 mph (200 km / h) in 8.0 seconds, while the Tesla takes 10.5 seconds. In addition, at these speeds, McLaren continues to widen the gap between the two.

One of the best gearboxes currently on sale

One of the best gearboxes currently on sale

Even in comfort mode, the 7-speed DCT shifts in less than 50 milliseconds

The McLaren 720S engine is mated to a very fast seven-speed dual clutch automatic with manual mode. In fact, the transmission is capable of shifting so quickly that it is difficult to locate shift points even with specialized equipment. Even in comfort mode, the DCT manages shifting in less than 50 milliseconds, making it one of the fastest and most responsive transmissions on the market.

Clever suspension

Torque vectoring instead of limited slip differential

An LSD adds weight, so the 720S has brake modulation instead – a technology derived from the F1

Almost all high-performance cars today have an adaptive chassis. The McLaren 720S is no exception as it also features adaptive dampers and springs. Instead of stabilizers, however, McLaren engineers used a hydropneumatic system, which is a series of tubes that connect each wheel. Zack explains it as “an alien version of the system that connects the sinks in your home”.

It is a very responsive system and if one wheel loses traction, liquid is directed to the other wheels so that it stabilizes the body of the car in the best possible way in order to maintain the maximum contact area at all four corners. The result, as Zack explains, is the most comfortable and stable car he has ever driven. And he did a thing or two.

Open differential for better driving behavior?

While you would rightly expect a limited-slip differential on a high-performance vehicle, the McLaren 720S does without it. Instead, it uses a braking-based system that uses an open differential. Ian Howshaw – Global Product Manager for the Super Series – explains that an LSD would add weight and complexity.

Instead, the system relies on torque vectoring through braking – something we’ve seen on other cars like the Acura NSX. Essentially, you’re using the parts that are already in the car, eliminating the need to add dedicated hardware. In addition, the system was developed by McLaren’s F1 team.

Electro-hydraulic steering

To say the 720 Spider is a top-of-the-range supercar is a bold claim

But there is plenty of data to support the claim

Most new cars these days have made the transition to electric power steering and some have completely eliminated the physical connection through the use of a steer-by-wire system. The McLaren 720S has hybrid power steering that is both hydraulic and electric.

As Zack explains, “the electric motor can decide how much spin it should give the hydraulic pump, which then determines how much support it gives you”. This gives you speed-sensitive steering as well as excellent feedback and responsiveness.

Driver-centered interior

Functional interior

Minimalist, but not ascetic. The steering wheel has no buttons and it has one purpose – to throw the 720S into corners at very high speeds

The interior is driver-oriented, but still offers all the amenities you need for a long journey. The sole purpose of the steering wheel is to steer the car, which is why the 720S, like other McLaren models, is not lacking in any buttons.

The carbon fiber shift paddles are actually made of one piece, which means that you can shift up and down with just one of the paddles.

There are also a sufficient number of physical buttons for quick access to all major functions and everything is at your fingertips. And let’s not forget the instrument cluster, which rotates in sport mode and changes to a simplified design reminiscent of Robo Cop’s visor.

Good value for money?

“Dorifto” fashion

Dai Yoshihara would appreciate this … what he is doing at the end of the video

What exactly do you get when you buy a McLaren 720 Spider? In addition to what we mentioned above, you get “a coupe, a convertible, and something in between,” especially if you opt for the electrochromatic roof. The 720 Spider starts at around $ 350,000. That’s with no options, and this particular one is worth about $ 40,000.

One of the last non-electric supercars

The 720 Spider is all in one

It can be “a coupe, a convertible and something in between” thanks to the electrochromatic roof

For better or for worse, electrification has found its way into high-performance cars. So much so that almost all automobile manufacturers are currently switching to mass electrification. With this in mind, the McLaren 720S is one of the last cars that does not dispense with any kind of electrification when it comes to propulsion. In addition, it is one of the last modern analog supercars and the days of such exciting vehicles may unfortunately be numbered.

The video ends with the famous drift competitor Dai Yoshihara putting the 720 Sider through its paces on a racetrack, with Zack in the passenger seat. The professional driver praises the driving characteristics of the car as he does both grip driving and some epic slides. “It’s like a real racing car,” says Dai Yoshihara. If that’s not praise enough, I don’t know what it is. Plus, it’s a racing car that doesn’t burden you with a lot of tech and, more importantly, it has a revving twin-turbo gem of a V-8 engine.