Well here it is - the 720S

[Beefmeister]

Can't remember if this has been covered, but seeing this pic of the front wing vent/sharkfin bit has me wondering.

Surely isn't this just going to chuck road grime, stones, dirty water etc all up the side of the car?

[Sway]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

Erm, just to clear this up, HP wasn't on the stand at the time, it was the staff. I've met him a couple of times at the top of the hill at Goodwood and he was fine, but with limited English.

I think in public he likes to keep himself to himself with isn't surprising.

Yep, I admitted earlier that I must have been mistaken...

Think I saw a vid with his son, instead of HP.

Apologies for any confusion I've caused.

[TP321]

Beefmeister said:

Can't remember if this has been covered, but seeing this pic of the front wing vent/sharkfin bit has me wondering.

Surely isn't this just going to chuck road grime, stones, dirty water etc all up the side of the car?

Of course it will, and will chip the paint pretty badly. The same will happen to the area just behind the door, where the rear underbody vent resides. This "function over form" is taking things too far for an expensive road car with expensive, and sometimes impossible to match paint. You will definitely need to clear wrap the whole lower side and bonnet of this car.

[Wilmslowboy]

Paint protection film.......think I will be double bagging mine

Beefmeister said:

Can't remember if this has been covered, but seeing this pic of the front wing vent/sharkfin bit has me wondering.

Surely isn't this just going to chuck road grime, stones, dirty water etc all up the side of the car?

[MikeE]

Saw this today in Woking town centre and have a video of him trying to out accelerate me in my Golf

Left hand drive on a temporary plate. Don't know if it's a customer car on test drive or the Geneva show car.

When I pulled alongside him I could see a large scratch on the door which looks like it may have been a stone thrown up from the front wheels.

[anonymous-user]

MikeE said:

Saw this today in Woking town centre and have a video of him trying to out accelerate me in my Golf

Left hand drive on a temporary plate. Don't know if it's a customer car on test drive or the Geneva show car.

When I pulled alongside him I could see a large scratch on the door which looks like it may have been a stone thrown up from the front wheels.

I saw that and another very similar on the M25 last Thursday.

[MarkNC]

MikeE said:

When I pulled alongside him I could see a large scratch on the door which looks like it may have been a stone thrown up from the front wheels.

I drove that McLaren Orange car (in the video above) hundreds of miles over all kinds of surfaces (it had just over 10,000 miles on it when they handed it over to me and just under 11,000 when they took it back) including roads with loose stones and gravel and it didn't get any scratches that I could see and I spent a few hours in my garage oogling the car over the 3 nights I had it. It was impossible to resist gazing at it any time you got out of it. Although I didn't think the super-bright McLaren Orange (which is a non-metallic paint) combined with the carbon fiber hood was at all flattering to the car (and especially not super photogenic) you just couldn't take your eyes off the car when you were around it in person. We had to stay nearly an hour after the hockey game to let all the people who wanted to look at the car get close enough to it.

That said I got lots of gravel scratches in the clear coat on carbon fiber doors of my P1. I had my dealer sand down and redo the clear coat then apply Xpel to the whole door (they had only done the front half of the door) and it has since resisted scratches perfectly. So I imagine anyone who buys one will do a full paint protection package on the doors at least. I now just have them do every panel on my cars.

[stoatage17]

MarkNC said:

I drove that McLaren Orange car (in the video above) hundreds of miles over all kinds of surfaces (it had just over 10,000 miles on it when they handed it over to me and just under 11,000 when they took it back) including roads with loose stones and gravel and it didn't get any scratches that I could see and I spent a few hours in my garage oogling the car over the 3 nights I had it. It was impossible to resist gazing at it any time you got out of it. Although I didn't think the super-bright McLaren Orange (which is a non-metallic paint) combined with the carbon fiber hood was at all flattering to the car (and especially not super photogenic) you just couldn't take your eyes off the car when you were around it in person. We had to stay nearly an hour after the hockey game to let all the people who wanted to look at the car get close enough to it.

That said I got lots of gravel scratches in the clear coat on carbon fiber doors of my P1. I had my dealer sand down and redo the clear coat then apply Xpel to the whole door (they had only done the front half of the door) and it has since resisted scratches perfectly. So I imagine anyone who buys one will do a full paint protection package on the doors at least. I now just have them do every panel on my cars.

Hi Mark, Like others here I will be waiting (till September) to get mine. I would be fascinated, as I am sure others too, to hear your impressions of the car, performance, handling and the general feel. Also how you would compare it with the P1. Thanks in anticipation !!
I am also sure that most will get protection on the car. Mad not too.

Edited by stoatage17 on Saturday 1st April 08:08

[MarkNC]

stoatage17 said:

I would be fascinated, as I am sure others too, to hear your impressions of the car, performance, handling and the general feel.

I posted a bunch in the 720 vs. LT thread.

stoatage17 said:

Also how you would compare it with the P1.

They're completely different animals. The P1 is absolutely BONKERS in the most positive way. It's got a pretty harsh ride, incredibly torque in almost any gear, crazy alien noises in the cabin and in race mode it sticks to the pavement like it's on rails but it will also shake your fillings loose. I love it but the 720S can't and shouldn't be a car like that because the Sport Series, like Ferrari's 458/488, is the backbone of McLaren's line up. In that respect they totally nailed the 720S. It is, as you would expect for the next generation car, a huge improvement over 12C/650S building on everything they've learned from those cars as well as 570S/GT, 675LT and P1.

[Beefmeister]

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure McLaren would be too happy with you describing anything about the 720S driving experience before their official embargo after press drives.

[stoatage17]

Beefmeister said:

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure McLaren would be too happy with you describing anything about the 720S driving experience before their official embargo after press drives.

Why? They have commented several times on the subject and released a video. I just wish they would release some cars to the motoring journalists quickly so we can see the road tests, and of course the promised lap round the ring!

[stoatage17]

MarkNC said:

stoatage17 said:

I would be fascinated, as I am sure others too, to hear your impressions of the car, performance, handling and the general feel.

I posted a bunch in the 720 vs. LT thread.

stoatage17 said:

Also how you would compare it with the P1.

They're completely different animals. The P1 is absolutely BONKERS in the most positive way. It's got a pretty harsh ride, incredibly torque in almost any gear, crazy alien noises in the cabin and in race mode it sticks to the pavement like it's on rails but it will also shake your fillings loose. I love it but the 720S can't and shouldn't be a car like that because the Sport Series, like Ferrari's 458/488, is the backbone of McLaren's line up. In that respect they totally nailed the 720S. It is, as you would expect for the next generation car, a huge improvement over 12C/650S building on everything they've learned from those cars as well as 570S/GT, 675LT and P1.

Thank you Mark, I shall have a look on the 720s v LT thread.

[Beefmeister]

stoatage17 said:

Why? They have commented several times on the subject and released a video. I just wish they would release some cars to the motoring journalists quickly so we can see the road tests, and of course the promised lap round the ring!

Because the car that he drove probably wasn't production ready, and companies have carefully staged press releases for a reason.

There are always press embargoes on first drives, so I'm pretty sure they don't want info coming out before then. This is coming from the background of being an automotive design engineer and a journalist.

[MarkNC]

Beefmeister said:

Because the car that he drove probably wasn't production ready, and companies have carefully staged press releases for a reason.

There are always press embargoes on first drives, so I'm pretty sure they don't want info coming out before then. This is coming from the background of being an automotive design engineer and a journalist.

Correct. The car I drove was a pre-production prototype being driven around the USA for validation and maturation testing. It had just driven 4,000 miles from California to Washington where they took the camouflage wrap off it and handed it over to me.

I've been pretty careful not to write a detailed review of the car. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to usurp the press and most of the things I've commented on have either been already stated publicly by various McLaren people or things the public would have already learned if they had attended McLaren's stand in Geneva.

I'm probably looking forward to the first drive articles with as much anticipation as anyone on the planet! I'm dying to see what the writers think about the car and if their narrative matches the one in my memory or not.

Edited by MarkNC on Sunday 2nd April 11:09

[stoatage17]

MarkNC said:

Beefmeister said:

Because the car that he drove probably wasn't production ready, and companies have carefully staged press releases for a reason.

There are always press embargoes on first drives, so I'm pretty sure they don't want info coming out before then. This is coming from the background of being an automotive design engineer and a journalist.

Correct. The car I drove was a pre-production prototype being driven around the USA for validation and maturation testing. It had just driven 4,000 miles from California to Washington where they took the camouflage wrap off it and handed it over to me.

I've been pretty careful not to write a detailed review of the car. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to usurp the press and most of the things I've commented on have either been already stated publicly by various McLaren people or things the public would have already learned if they had attended McLaren's stand in Geneva.

I'm probably looking forward to the first drive articles with as much anticipation as anyone on the planet! I'm dying to see what the writers think about the car and if their narrative matches the one in my memory or not.

Edited by MarkNC on Sunday 2nd April 11:09

Fair point Beefmeister, but I think it is also true that Mclaren do seem to have engineered "leaks", and from what I see it has worked well in building interest and excitement.
Like you Mark, I don't think I have ever been so excited about road tests. Surely we only have to wait a few more weeks, and will it be Portugal again like the 570S?

[Buster73]

stoatage17 said:

Fair point Beefmeister, but I think it is also true that Mclaren do seem to have engineered "leaks", and from what I see it has worked well in building interest and excitement.
Like you Mark, I don't think I have ever been so excited about road tests. Surely we only have to wait a few more weeks, and will it be Portugal again like the 570S?

I was staying at the Conrad Algarve a year gone September iirc , and one day two McLarens were parked outside the front door , I got my phone out and took a couple of photos when I was told firmly no photos, I just mentioned if you didn't want any photos taken why leave them on display at the front entrance?

They were gone 10 minutes later , I assumed they were going to be driven by the car mags journos?

[Beefmeister]

stoatage17 said:

Fair point Beefmeister, but I think it is also true that Mclaren do seem to have engineered "leaks", and from what I see it has worked well in building interest and excitement.
Like you Mark, I don't think I have ever been so excited about road tests. Surely we only have to wait a few more weeks, and will it be Portugal again like the 570S?

Press drives are sometime in early May I think

[stoatage17]

Beefmeister said:

Press drives are sometime in early May I think

That would make sense, also the month that the first McLaren specked cars are delivered to customers.

[Streetrod]

I saw this interesting video today comparing the 720S with the Ferrari 488. Now we all know looks are subjective but to my eyes the 720s looks much more next generation. As for the raw stats is looks to give the 488 a bloody nose.

A real comparison wont come until we see the first tests of course, I cant wait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvB56TU62pQ

[anonymous-user]

Streetrod said:

I saw this interesting video today comparing the 720S with the Ferrari 488. Now we all know looks are subjective but to my eyes the 720s looks much more next generation. As for the raw stats is looks to give the 488 a bloody nose.

A real comparison wont come until we see the first tests of course, I cant wait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvB56TU62pQ

I agree that the 488 looks old in comparison in some shots.

The only thing I'm still unsure of on the 720 is the squared-off driver orientated centre console - that to me looks like something from the 1980s and out of place in such a futuristic looking car.