720S - is it actually any good?
Discussion
lowndes said:
Thanks, that's interesting.
PDLS has developed over the years and for the record my reference points are current 991 TS; 991.2GT3 and MY18 Macan. If your experience is that the 720S lights are better than that generation of PDLS+ then I think I will get McL Brum to check out the lights on my car as they are certainly not up to that standard.
I couldn't say definitively they are better I remember my 991.2TTS with the PDLS+ being good but the 720 seems just as good. I took a pic tonight FWIW PDLS has developed over the years and for the record my reference points are current 991 TS; 991.2GT3 and MY18 Macan. If your experience is that the 720S lights are better than that generation of PDLS+ then I think I will get McL Brum to check out the lights on my car as they are certainly not up to that standard.
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lowndes said:
TB993tt said:
lowndes] said:
Actually, some of these points are not that peripheral. The lights are poor. The range on main beam completely inadequate and not a patch of Porsche PDLS+.
]
Weird, I think the main beam lights are incredibly good, certainly the best I have come across including Porsche PDLS+.]
PDLS has developed over the years and for the record my reference points are current 991 TS; 991.2GT3 and MY18 Macan. If your experience is that the 720S lights are better than that generation of PDLS+ then I think I will get McL Brum to check out the lights on my car as they are certainly not up to that standard.
I've had PDLS on various Pork (MY18 991.2, MY18 Macan), I've got BMW's best on the current M5 and I've had lasers on previous R8's. I think my 720's are as good as all those on main beam, with maybe only Audi's lasers having an ultimate range advantage (although they'd fire up so few times they were a waste of money). Where the 720's lights are not as good, sadly, is on dipped beam.
TB993tt said:
I couldn't say definitively they are better I remember my 991.2TTS with the PDLS+ being good but the 720 seems just as good. I took a pic tonight FWIW
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On my 650, I'd say the first two white lines would be brightly lit - and I'd see reflections from the road signs at the bend, but the road would be pretty dark in between.bmw 535i 0 60
TB993tt said:
I couldn't say definitively they are better I remember my 991.2TTS with the PDLS+ being good but the 720 seems just as good. I took a pic tonight FWIW
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Thanks for taking the trouble to do that. I will try and reciprocate with one or two comparable control shots over the next few days.bmw 535i 0 60
Meantime, and I may very possibly have the wrong end of the stick here, but I thought you might be interested in this shot. Not something you see every day and part of the reason I was in Southern Germany last week.
TB993tt said:
lowndes said:
Then next day a drive out to the foothills of the Alps for lunch, with interloper 
Super pics thanks for sharing.... how did they like the 720, I know my Bavarian Porsche tuners think it is a quote "fantastic car"TB993tt said:
Super pics thanks for sharing.... how did they like the 720, I know my Bavarian Porsche tuners think it is a quote "fantastic car"
Although in some respects the 720S is far removed from the typical RUF product, nevertheless there is sufficient engineering excellence in the McLaren chassis and powerplant to engender interest and respect. The styling was also generally admired as was VR as a colour. There was amusement at the idiosyncratic IT intrusions and interferences and gentle ribbing when a fellow attendee had to help me navigate the hotel underground car park because I couldn’t open the door to get out to trigger the access barrier which of course was on the “wrong” side for RHD. 
lowndes said:
And just when the gremlins seem to have won, the road opens up and there are few cars that would live with a 720S on the empty open back roads of France and Germany. Nor on the Autobahn where on the derestricted A96 heading North out of Austria the sophisticated aero and massive punch of the twin turbo delivered a memorable experience.
e]
Thanks for the post, which was interesting.e]
Pity about the gremlins, and some cars do seem to suffer from these. But not all cars.
I can only say that in 16 months from new now, I've had *none* of those issues. I even find the headlights to be amongst the best I've used on a car. Beaten only by the laser headlight equipped BMW 7 series I recently drove, which was frankly astonishing.
Fuel gauge however is indeed unreliable on all of them, and under-reads
I think it's deliberate, as the car can guzzle it rapidly.Edited by LotusJas on Tuesday 8th October 22:22
LotusJas said:
Pity about the gremlins, and some cars do seem to suffer from these. But not all cars.
Just a word on the gremlins which I find makes 720S at times frustrating.Edited by LotusJas on Tuesday 8th October 22:22
Save for window drop none of these gremlins are faults per se. Key not found, non start, comfort entry not available are all instances where the operator, me, was not doing things in exactly the way that had been preordained by the McLaren IT department. Once you comply the function will return. Key not found is solved by finding the key and moving it to a position that makes the IT happy. Comfort entry requires the stalk to be pulled within “x” seconds otherwise its not available. But this doesn’t allow for the fact that when I get in the car I might want to first put my passport in the door pocket, which I can’t do unless the door is shut; plug in the phone; and go through other normal prestart checks before adjusting the seat. Take x+1 seconds and you’re back to square one.
And even window drop may be an antitrap safety feature triggered by a particular sequence of events.
Control of the cabin environment, wiper sensitivity, are not faults on my car either but are baked into the design and in my opinion are a step back from 650S for no good reason other than it’s cheaper to manufacture a touch screen interface.
I suspect that blowback on refuelling is a fault in the design rather an issue specific to my car. McBrum Master Technician finds the same problem and as another poster has suggested thinks it may be due to vapour egress.
Out of date maps and wrong national speed limit are not specific to my car which after all is 19 plate, March 1st first registration.
In conclusion I would say my car has zero faults to the extent that it departs from manufacturer’s design. The gremlins are all exactly as the manufacturer intended.
But it’s not all bad
You've mentioned the wiper sensitivity a couple of times. As far as I'm aware, the only adjustment for the wiper sensitivity in the 650 is in the menu system (under the car settings) - which doesn't seem worse than the way you describe the 720. Is there a shortcut I'm unaware of?
Stunning pictures by the way. I love that colour.
Stunning pictures by the way. I love that colour.
davek_964 said:
You've mentioned the wiper sensitivity a couple of times. As far as I'm aware, the only adjustment for the wiper sensitivity in the 650 is in the menu system (under the car settings) - which doesn't seem worse than the way you describe the 720. Is there a shortcut I'm unaware of?
Stunning pictures by the way. I love that colour.
It's three years since I had mine but as I recall intermittent rain sensor wiper sensitivity is accessed via one of the stalks on steering column and there were around 5 different levels to chose from. On the 720S similar functionality is only accessible by the central touchscreen. Stunning pictures by the way. I love that colour.
Ironically the 720S wakes up with a message on the central touchscreen about not using it to make adjustments while driving. No doubt McL legal counsel input.
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