RE: McLaren 720S: Driven

[Daisy Duke]

The Vambo said:

macky17 said:

It's getting to the point with these major manufacturer super/hyper cars that you just know they aren't going to be particularly inspiring to drive. They are so, so, very fast that any unpredictability, playfulness or interesting behaviour has to be engineered out just so ordinary punters don't kill themselves and everyone around them. I wish I could afford one... so I could use the money to buy something else. The F12 may be an exception as I understand those are a little lairy, hence that's where I'd look first. Koenigsegg have the right idea I think; raw brutal and if you die, it's a hell of a way to go.

Maybe one day you might even get a chance to drive one of those cars that you have already decided are boring.

Yes I can confirm that the 720S is in no way boring!

Maldini35 said:

Blayney said:

If I could afford 265k i think I'd stretch my budget to the 420k for a Ford GT. Now that looks like I supercar

You can get in a 720S for £220k so £420k is a serious ‘stretch’ at nearly double the price.
I agree the Ford looks stunning but the 720S also looks 100% a proper supercar whether you like the design or not.
It’s certainly not bland.
And those doors...

Yes whilst our 720S was rather more than the one tested here, it's approximately half the price of the NFGT as (as I've pointed out before on other threads) the often quoted £420k price is wrong unfortunately.

I'm really impressed with the 720S, it's simultaneously fast, fun and practical, which is quite a trick to pull off. It's the perfect touring car IMO - something that can eat up the boring motorway miles in comfort, then turns into a go cart once you get to the fun roads. And as for the looks, yes I know it's subjective, but we've only had positive reactions to it eg when we stopped at one hotel on the way back from Scotland we came out in the morning to find a crowd around it (which is not uncommon) and the general opinion was that it looked liked something batman would drive - you can't beat silly doors (although these are actually quite practical) for getting attention!

It will be very interesting to compare the two cars when the NFGT eventually turns up, although by the sounds of it, it's likely the P15 will be in production before the NFGT arrives!

[Blayney]

Daisy Duke said:

It will be very interesting to compare the two cars when the NFGT eventually turns up, although by the sounds of it, it's likely the P15 will be in production before the NFGT arrives!

Customer cars are being delivered already.

[macky17]

The Vambo said:

macky17 said:

It's getting to the point with these major manufacturer super/hyper cars that you just know they aren't going to be particularly inspiring to drive. They are so, so, very fast that any unpredictability, playfulness or interesting behaviour has to be engineered out just so ordinary punters don't kill themselves and everyone around them. I wish I could afford one... so I could use the money to buy something else. The F12 may be an exception as I understand those are a little lairy, hence that's where I'd look first. Koenigsegg have the right idea I think; raw brutal and if you die, it's a hell of a way to go.

Maybe one day you might even get a chance to drive one of those cars that you have already decided are boring.

Touché, that's a fair point. Of course I'm basing this on both written and YouTube reviews where people generally seem uninspired by the car once they get past the performance. I stand by the logic of what I'm saying regarding the safety net.

I owned a modded Nissan GT-R once. That wasn't at all boring on the test drive - it was only once you lived with it and got past the acceleration that it all became a little uninspiring on the road (great on track). I sold it after six months. My current Tuscan S is slower, pitifully basic and agricultural and about ten times more fun. The megane cup-S I own is more fun on the road than a Gtr as well. Are they more fun than a 720s? Seems ridiculous to even ask (but I reckon so, yes).

[Daisy Duke]

Blayney said:

Daisy Duke said:

It will be very interesting to compare the two cars when the NFGT eventually turns up, although by the sounds of it, it's likely the P15 will be in production before the NFGT arrives!

Customer cars are being delivered already.

Only in the States - no European ones yet, we were meant to have it this year, but it's now looking to be at least a year away due to production issues.

[F1GTRUeno]

spikyone said:

the fact that it genuinely looks like nothing else on the road.

You're falling on deaf ears with that one. I got shouted at for saying McLarens don't all look alike. Clearly that is a 570S-12C-LT-GTR and not a 720S.

[Vocht]

In the right spec I think it's absolutely gorgeous. Objectively I think it's the best supercar out right now.

[Blayney]

Daisy Duke said:

Only in the States - no European ones yet, we were meant to have it this year, but it's now looking to be at least a year away due to production issues.

Ah didn't know that.

[ZX10R NIN]

I still don't like the front end but the rest of the car works & that colour looks great.

[SidewaysSi]

I wouldn't pick one over the latest Evora. Or GT3.

[br d]

Vocht said:

In the right spec I think it's absolutely gorgeous. Objectively I think it's the best supercar out right now.

I don't really understand the thinking expressed in some posts here that people should spec it in a colour that hides the eye sockets. If you're going to buy it then be committed to the design.

Tbh I'm still unsure about the front but I couldnt go for a comb-over, Volcano Yellow for me!

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

I driven a lot of fast cars and owned a few. The 720S is something else though. More than one person has said it feels like it has more than the stated bhp. It is just epic.

[Streetrod]

isaldiri said:

Streetrod said:

I do find it odd when people continue to compare this to a 675, its a replacement for the 650s, its not a limited run car its the ordinary one. Which makes its capabilities all the more extraordinary.

The 675 replacement will be along in a few year times, at that point you should compare it to the 675.

And I find it odd that people fail to see that the point being made is that Mclaren clearly understand how to engineer an exciting feeling car. the 675 very clearly shows this and to a lesser extent the 570 but have consciously made a decision not to dial that into the car but instead have chosen to make it easy to get to and drive at mental speeds. I'm really not asking for the 720 to feel exactly like a 675 in case that isn't clear to you - merely as I stated something of the 675's character with more smoothed out edges instead of throwing even more speed and power at the P14. That would have made it, for me a considerably better sports car as at the moment it feels far too much like a hyperspeed GT car, even compared to the 12c/650.

That said, Mclaren might well have correctly judged the target market of buyers of their £250k cars simply want more performance rather than the more subjective 'feel' and I'm very much in the minority.

Desert Dragon said:

Is it true its nearer 800 PS? Also whilst the design is very clever not having conventional side scoops like 488 could perhaps cause issues with cooling , IATs etc. I'm getting super close to maybe buying an McLaren one day.

I'm definitely clueless but will attempt an answer to this anyway Couldn't say if it really was 800PS but tbh I very much doubt it. Mclaren are not exactly famous for giving stuff away for free, if it was truly 800PS I'm dead certain they would say so and charge for it. The car though is definitely stunningly quick but I think it's more a combination of the hydraulic suspension putting down power incredibly well (I can for example almost (if not quite) stamp on the throttle out of a corner like a rear engine 911 on track in the 12c and that's a full generation ago) and Mclaren moving the torque curve around to deliver more power earlier as they did in the 570. I don't exactly have another 800PS car lying around to compare as well to be fair though! I couldn't answer the issues about cooling although a friend was on a Mclaren trackday at Portimao earlier in the summer in near 40 celcius and he didn't have issues which is quite remarkable as I can guarantee the 650/12c would definitely have had to take a fair few breaks due to overheating.

Sorry I misread your original post and I get now what you were saying and you may have a point.

What I think McLaren has tried to do is give the 720s a much wider breadth of abilities, at one end of the scale its needs to be a hyper version of the 570GT and at the other end it transforms into 675 baiting track weapon, in other words, the only car you would ever need. Now was this the right way to go, well that is open to debate.

I have heard some say they should have focused more on the middle ground, to be honest, I am not sure. What I do know is that it is a car that appeals to my sensitivities and one that does not need to be driven at hyper speeds to be fun. Plus I really like the fact that it is not a Ferrari or a Lambo, you would be surprised how important that is to some people.

[breadvan]

Edited.

Said my bit elsewhere.

Awesome engineering, great car.

Edited by breadvan on Saturday 21st October 01:34

[Notanotherturbo]

Yes stunning amazing car that 99.9 % of people will never own and 99% of the 0.1 percent won't ever get close to the cars abilities on the road. Glad that it exists but the price, complexity and sheer speed of supercars now in our politically correct world of speed cameras , and anti car propaganda makes them pointless other than as automotive art. And the price of some of the extras are staggering - £2k for polished brake calipers - what to they polish them with, gold ffs? For the price of the extras you could have a 700 bhp GTR and a Jag XKR.

[br d]

Notanotherturbo said:

Yes stunning amazing car that 99.9 % of people will never own and 99% of the 0.1 percent won't ever get close to the cars abilities on the road. Glad that it exists but the price, complexity and sheer speed of supercars now in our politically correct world of speed cameras , and anti car propaganda makes them pointless other than as automotive art. And the price of some of the extras are staggering - £2k for polished brake calipers - what to they polish them with, gold ffs? For the price of the extras you could have a 700 bhp GTR and a Jag XKR.

I disagree. Driving cars like these is an experience every time you get in them, of course it's becoming harder to enjoy a fast car but it's not impossible. And if a 720S is only good as a piece of "automotive art" how is a 700 bhp GTR any different?

The price of options argument is something of a non-starter too, if you can afford the car you can afford the options, it goes with the territory.

Edited by br d on Saturday 21st October 15:24

[corozin]

I'm sure McLaren customers have got enough money to not care but £220k for a car that doesn't even come with parking sensors as standard. That's about £2½k if you want those by the way. A small BMW has them as standard.

How fortunate for McLaren that thier customers presumably are wealthy enough that they don't mind being mugged off.

[br d]

corozin said:

I'm sure McLaren customers have got enough money to not care but £220k for a car that doesn't even come with parking sensors as standard. That's about £2½k if you want those by the way. A small BMW has them as standard.

How fortunate for McLaren that thier customers presumably are wealthy enough that they don't mind being mugged off.

And Lambo customers, and Ferrari customers, as I said, it goes with the territory.
Of course 5 grand for a sports exhaust or 3 grand for an ICE upgrade is extortionate but that's how it works.
Do you think that small BMW isn't making a commensurate profit?

Nobody has a gun to their head.

[Notanotherturbo]

br d said:

Notanotherturbo said:

Yes stunning amazing car that 99.9 % of people will never own and 99% of the 0.1 percent won't ever get close to the cars abilities on the road. Glad that it exists but the price, complexity and sheer speed of supercars now in our politically correct world of speed cameras , and anti car propaganda makes them pointless other than as automotive art. And the price of some of the extras are staggering - £2k for polished brake calipers - what to they polish them with, gold ffs? For the price of the extras you could have a 700 bhp GTR and a Jag XKR.

I disagree. Driving cars like these is an experience every time you get in them, of course it's becoming harder to enjoy a fast car but it's not impossible. And if a 720S is only good as a piece of "automotive art" how is a 700 bhp GTR any different?

The price of options argument is something of a non-starter too, if you can afford the car you can afford the options, it goes with the territory.

Edited by br d on Saturday 21st October 15:24

Sorry how can you disagree? So you think more than 1 in a thousand people has driven a McClaren? Most of those will be bought by collectors, and many people who don't have the ability to drive them. Of the few that do you will be hard pressed to use full acceleration for more than a few seconds before doing double the speed limit - would be a constant battle of restraint. It's hard enough to use 250bhp per ton flat out on the road. Whether your mug enough to pay £2k for someone to polish your calipers, or £18k for different colour paint doesn't change the fact that those prices are staggering. I didn't say a 700bhp GTR was any more sensible just that you can buy it for less than the price of a few options - just facts ;0). A McClaren 720S isn't a fast car - its a ballistic missile of a car that is probably easier to use than a car with half the power was 10 years ago. As much as I love cars and driving, making cars so fast that require so little ability to drive at ridiculous speed can't always be a good thing IMO.

[br d]

Notanotherturbo said:

Sorry how can you disagree? So you think more than 1 in a thousand people has driven a McClaren?

No of course not, that isn't what I was disagreeing with, I was disagreeing with your contention that you can't enjoy a car like the 720S.

Notanotherturbo said:

Most of those will be bought by collectors, and many people who don't have the ability to drive them. Of the few that do you will be hard pressed to use full acceleration for more than a few seconds before doing double the speed limit - would be a constant battle of restraint. It's hard enough to use 250bhp per ton flat out on the road. Whether your mug enough to pay £2k for someone to polish your calipers, or £18k for different colour paint doesn't change the fact that those prices are staggering.

And again being a mug doesn't come into it. If this is the car you want then you will be prepared to pay for it, just because that makes someone a mug in your opinion holds no relevance.

And yes these cars can be enjoyed for much more than "a few seconds". You may not see that but it doesn't change the facts.

Notanotherturbo said:

I didn't say a 700bhp GTR was any more sensible just that you can buy it for less than the price of a few options - just facts ;0). A McClaren 720S isn't a fast car - its a ballistic missile of a car that is probably easier to use than a car with half the power was 10 years ago. As much as I love cars and driving, making cars so fast that require so little ability to drive at ridiculous speed can't always be a good thing IMO.

So fking what if they require "so little ability", is anybody berating you for how much "ability" the car you drive requires?

Live and let live FFS.

[Notanotherturbo]

I said its a great car but if you read the initial tag line on the thread it was is a 720bhp relevant on the road and I really don't think it is. I'm entitle my opinion just as much as you so if you really think you can do anything more than scratch the surface of this cars ability on the road you'll be licence free very quickly. How many owners are going to be happy to use a 250000 car on circuit? Not stopping anyone buying it or stopping anyone else living am I by saying someone is a mug for paying £2k to polish their calipers 'FFS'.