Friday 28th April 2017

McLaren 720S: Pic Of The Week

A drift shot for your desktop!

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What does a car with 720hp and 568lb ft feel like to drive on a track? Well, that is a question that can't be answered just yet but, with numbers that put it not far off hypercar territory, the McLaren 720S is definitely going to be quick. The development team have promised that drivers will need a 'mental recalibration' to make sense of the extra grip and downforce available, while also stating that it will be the most fun and engaging McLaren to date.

The engine is slightly larger than a 650S, with the V8 stroked to 4.0 litres and featuring new turbos, intercoolers, heads, pistons and crank, all aiming to sharpen the throttle response and give the 720S more of a 'crescendo characteristic'. Whatever that means.

The full details on the car, if you haven't already read them, are well worth poring over ahead of the full review next week. So far, comments suggest that the 720S looks better in darker colours. But for now, we will leave you with a smoky drift shot of an Azores Orange 720S exiting a corner at Vallelunga, the same colour as the one revealed at Geneva earlier this year - excited yet?

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (mobile)

[GroundEffect]

It's the same performance as the Huayra, which is definitely a Hypercar. The goalposts are moving very, very fast.

They already say the 488 GTB is stonking fast and this thing is lighter and more powerful.

[Maldini35]

If you want some stonking drift action on film and the words of Ayrton :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qONckKNrkT8

[kbee540]

At least from the rear you don't have to look at that fugly front end. Spent time next to an MP4-12C in London the other day and it really struck me how much better looking it is than pretty much everything McLaren has produced since. Seems that after some journos labelled the MP4... boring, Macca started trying too hard and has gone a bit Mansory. I realise I'm probably just old and appreciate subtlety and restraint where others like flamboyance, but still there's a reason that Aston Martins for example are almost universally 'cooler' than the competition.

But I once owned a Volvo 340 so what do I know...

Pretty special seeing such a hypercar drift like that though. Good to see manufacturers allowing some 'fun' into their offerings rather than merely concentrating on numbers and ring-time nonsense.

[Turbobanana]

To my mind drifting shots from behind never look very dynamic.

Just looks like it's burning oil, like an old Metro.

[Cold]

Nice picture. Can't help thinking that perhaps the car would look better in a more sombre colour. Maybe silver?

[Jonmx]

Turbobanana said:

To my mind drifting shots from behind never look very dynamic.

Just looks like it's burning oil, like an old Metro.

Quite! More exuberance needed to give it the dynamic look

[howardhughes]

kbee540 said:

At least from the rear you don't have to look at that fugly front end. Spent time next to an MP4-12C in London the other day and it really struck me how much better looking it is than pretty much everything McLaren has produced since. Seems that after some journos labelled the MP4... boring, Macca started trying too hard and has gone a bit Mansory. I realise I'm probably just old and appreciate subtlety and restraint where others like flamboyance, but still there's a reason that Aston Martins for example are almost universally 'cooler' than the competition.

But I once owned a Volvo 340 so what do I know...

Pretty special seeing such a hypercar drift like that though. Good to see manufacturers allowing some 'fun' into their offerings rather than merely concentrating on numbers and ring-time nonsense.

Completely agree with your comments. The 'Hyper Car' market in my opinion market has lost the plot.
Vulgar designs to name a few. I do like the lines of the McLaren P1 however the back end is a little OTT.

For me a Ferrari 456GT Finished in the deep Blue of Blu Swaters - pure class.

[Onehp]

The front, not seen here, has already grown on me and makes all the others look boring. The fact that it's all functional does help in my newfound appreciation.

Now I just need them to make something similar in engineering excellence that sits around 1000kg and half the power, breathing further life in the 4C and A110 segment which is the category of cars I could enjoy on actual roads...

[LMA37]

Seems not only have Mclaren lost its way around a GP circuit, they have now created the road going version of the Angler fish (the one out Nemo). Perhaps they will race it at Le Mans and put a light on the top just to be complete.

[94OD]

GroundEffect said:

The goalposts are moving very, very fast.

This.

Incredible to think that just six years ago, they began producing the 12C, first production car completely designed and built by McLaren since the F1.

The 720S is certainly growing on me.