Bought a 720s! My 1st "supercar" Wish me luck!!
Discussion
Back in March I put a deposit on a 2018 570s at Rybrook in Bristol.
|https://thumbsnap.com/ruJKmBiq[/url]
I was so excited, at this point the closest I had been to a car of this level was when I had my V8 F-type or my V12 Vantage (manual) Having had 5 Lotus's, that sort of driving character really suits me, so to those in the know you're probably not surprised why I fell for the 570s so much. So deposit down, agreed p/x on the F-Type, but managed to sell privately within a few days, then lockdown hit. My posts on here about my 570s were filled with comments like "I'm brave" "bad time to buy." So I wobbled, no way did I want my first supercar experience to be marred by losing 10's of 1000's over the coming 12 months. Even just the worry could take the edge off....
Rybrook were great, refunded my deposit and said come back to us when you're ready to buy. So far, my experience with Mclaren dealers very positive, I would definitely come back. But now I had sold my F-type, I wanted something for the summer. Always had an itch for an NA V10, that exhaust note... So ended up buying a 2011 R8 V10 Spyder (manual)
Lovely car, looked great, sounded great, but I just didn't gel. Within weeks I found myself back on autotrader looking at "supercars" again. That then lead to a lot of time spent at weekends visiting various dealers looking at all sorts of car, Huracans, 458's, 600LT's, 650s's, GT3's, F12's, 488's. I spread the net really wide. I'd read some stories that had me questioning Mclarens (like that 650s owners diary on here) I wasn't sure what route to take, depreciation played on my mind quite a lot, I'm not a millionaire, just someone who has tried to play it smart with cars and built up a car pool, but didn't want to undo all that work in one purchase. Drove so many over the months, so many miles and days used up (although was a lot of fun
) and each time I come away and my head ruled the decision, always came up with a reason I shouldn't purchase.
Then I arranged to see a 720s, lovely 2019 one at McLeeds. Really nice spec, full PPF, 1 owner, really hopeful.
But when we come to do the figures they offered me over 10k less for my R8 than I knew I could get for it privately, it soured things a bit, could tell the sales guy had given up, no test drive so I left thinking well there's my answer, I'll need to stop looking until after I sell the R8 privately. But at this point I felt I wanted to experience that car a bit more so thought, I'll park this until spring.
I kept a tentative eye on the market anyway, then on one Thursday morning I spotted a lovely Blade Silver 720s just added to Autotrader at Mclaren Manchester.
This car looked fantastic in this colour, got that feeling in my stomach, could this be it?! Only 3,500 miles, a December 18 car so the revised model, the all important Performance spec and other key options including the range topping super-ligher weight wheels. Gave them a call and arranged to view the next day. Mentioned on the R8 group that I might sell, had someone message straight away and we just about agreed a deal...... was this fate!!
So left home at 7.30am for the drive up to the north west. Decided I'd make an event out of the trip so drove the Exige up, not sure what went through their mind when the person turning up to view their £150k Supercar rocks up in this......
Anyway, I turned the corner into McManchester and there it was, right in front of me. They'd pulled a blinder and parked it out front.
It had so much presence, I was blown away. Really liked that colour on the car too. I do like the bright colours, especially that orange, but imo this colour just gave it that bit more class. Less shouty if you like. I wanted a light colour to show off the curves, so this was perfect. But that wasn't the best bit, I handed over my drivers license and before I knew it, we were out in the car. First time in a 720. Got the car warmed up, swap seats and now I'm driving. This thing really is next-level stuff, I put my foot down and never felt anything like it. Not just the acceleration, but how composed it felt, even on our uneven, bumpy roads. I had a good test drive. I'd read peoples thoughts that although they're quicker than the Sports series they lack the engagement, I couldn't disagree more, and this is from someone who is used to driving Lotus. Everything about the drive was enjoyable, even just short shifting, driving on the torque is fun in its own way, and it picks up so quick.
We pulled back up at the dealers and my mind was made up, I have to have this car in my life!! And looking back I realise that all those other test drives, where I talked myself out of buying the car, let my head rule, that was because deep down my heart wasn't there. Because when it was there, when it is......f
k the head..... Depreciation? Who gives a f****ng f**k, life is short, it's worth it for the enjoyment...blah blah blah.
So we went in and talked money, pretty much reached an agreement so just the deposit left to pay. I was aware I still had the adrenaline rush from the test drive, thought I would just take the 2-3hr drive home to calm down, just make sure I was happy to commit to spending this, then call them and put the deposit down when I got home. So promised to call later. I also messaged the guy who had offered me an ok amount for my R8 and told him "deal" So he was super happy too. This was working out great....
As I left the dealer I happened across the Ferrari dealer next door. At this point I had been strongly considering a 458 Spyder, thinking that would be a more financially sensible decision to make. I hadn't driven one yet so knowing what I'm like, if I just paid the deposit on the 720s, it would spoil it a bit if I part of me wondered if I should've bought a 458 Spyder. So popped in to see if they had any and they did.
Lovely car to look at, good spec, took it for a drive..... felt like a hot hatch compared to the 720s I had just been in, steering didn't feel as direct, gear change was good but felt just a bit inferior, I don't know, older tech DCT perhaps?
So it was definitely the right thing to drive this, I knew the 720s was the car for me. So headed home. 2hrs later and even thinking about my drive and I'm grinning from ear to ear, just had that super-excited feeling, knew this was the right car. Then disaster struck..............
My phone started ringing, it was McManchester, I pulled over and called back. In the few hours that had gone by, someone else had called up about the 720 and paid a deposit unseen. I was devastated. I'd tried to be a little sensible and just give myself a bit of time to calm down and now it had bitten me in the arse. I proper threw the teddies out of the pram and vowed that's it, I'm not looking anymore, humpphhhh.
That was the Friday. The not looking anymore lasted about an hour, then when I did start looking but nothing grabbed me like "my Mclaren" had. Silver lining at least I'd decided it had to be a 720s, so made my search easier, but pickings of decent spec 720's were slim, and within an hour I realised nothing on the market right now would cut it. So instead I used the time I'd normally spend searching for cars, on Youtube watching 720s videos...... and fell even more in love. Why are these cars so cheap!!??!!
But then on Wednesday, I had a call from McManchester, apparently the guy who had paid the deposit was showing signs of wobbling himself. They gave him until the next day to confirm, failing that, I get another chance!! So needless to say the next 24hrs went quite slowly! But I got a call, the car was mine if I still wanted it? F**k me, do bears sh*t in the woods?! Take my money. Deposit paid there and then. Arranged to collect the following Friday. The next week you would expect to have gone slowly, but I overcomplicated everything by financing this as cost effectively as possible and caused myself a stress fest...... well it made the time go quick I suppose!
So next Friday arrives, alarm goes off at 5am (needn't have set it as I was waking up every hour anyway!) Myself and the missus drive to the station to get the train up, so we can drive back in it together. Arrived 4hrs later at McManchester and spot a car under a cover in the showroom, is it mine?!
Sorted all the paperwork out, insurance, etc, all this was a blur. Even typing this out I can feel the butterflies in my stomach. Couldn't believe it was happening. Finally everything sorted and we walk over to the handover bay to the car. And I pulled the cover off.....
https://youtu.be/Tb-ll_wxnis
(Apologies the video is on its side at the start for a few seconds, need to give some video taking coaching to the missus )
And then the point they drive the car out of the showroom and around the front, to hand you the keys and you get to drive away in your 720s for the first time!!! Is there a better feeling in the world?! (yeah I'm that sad when it comes to cars )
https://youtu.be/uOw8oOOonb4
I'll never forget this time, just driving away, through the local towns and villages to head across to the Peak District for the scenic drive home, you feel like a rockstar, the car gets so much attention, people are filming it, taking pictures, nudging their friends in the street to turn around to look at the car, you can see cars approaching from the opposite direction and occupants pointing the car out to each other. I was sat in the drivers seat driving this thing and it didn't feel real, how is this happening to me?! We made out way through the Peaks and stopped at Hassop Station Cafe for some lunch. I hadn't eaten all day yet still wasn't hungry. Managed to park right in front of where we ended up sitting, perfect....
Just sitting there looking at it, thinking it is mine?!? I'll never forget the feeling. I was so happy, I knew this thing had the potential to bite me hard, but at this point, as far as I was concerned it was worth the risk. Lets see over the coming months and hopefully years of ownership, I still think this way
My intention is to update this thread with my ownership experience, so other potential owners considering one can see a real-life ownership experience. It would be easy for me to just post up when things don't go to plan, but I am going to try to post up all my experiences, not just with the cars, but with other owners, McDealers, specialists and the supercar scene in general. Also how will my work colleagues and boss react to this?! It is not normal for people in my company to rock up in a less than 2yr old supercar!
More updates to follow (and the rest won't be as long-winded as this!!
More pictures with more to follow on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marknash99/
|https://thumbsnap.com/ruJKmBiq[/url]I was so excited, at this point the closest I had been to a car of this level was when I had my V8 F-type or my V12 Vantage (manual) Having had 5 Lotus's, that sort of driving character really suits me, so to those in the know you're probably not surprised why I fell for the 570s so much. So deposit down, agreed p/x on the F-Type, but managed to sell privately within a few days, then lockdown hit. My posts on here about my 570s were filled with comments like "I'm brave" "bad time to buy." So I wobbled, no way did I want my first supercar experience to be marred by losing 10's of 1000's over the coming 12 months. Even just the worry could take the edge off....
Rybrook were great, refunded my deposit and said come back to us when you're ready to buy. So far, my experience with Mclaren dealers very positive, I would definitely come back. But now I had sold my F-type, I wanted something for the summer. Always had an itch for an NA V10, that exhaust note... So ended up buying a 2011 R8 V10 Spyder (manual)
Lovely car, looked great, sounded great, but I just didn't gel. Within weeks I found myself back on autotrader looking at "supercars" again. That then lead to a lot of time spent at weekends visiting various dealers looking at all sorts of car, Huracans, 458's, 600LT's, 650s's, GT3's, F12's, 488's. I spread the net really wide. I'd read some stories that had me questioning Mclarens (like that 650s owners diary on here) I wasn't sure what route to take, depreciation played on my mind quite a lot, I'm not a millionaire, just someone who has tried to play it smart with cars and built up a car pool, but didn't want to undo all that work in one purchase. Drove so many over the months, so many miles and days used up (although was a lot of fun
) and each time I come away and my head ruled the decision, always came up with a reason I shouldn't purchase. Then I arranged to see a 720s, lovely 2019 one at McLeeds. Really nice spec, full PPF, 1 owner, really hopeful.
But when we come to do the figures they offered me over 10k less for my R8 than I knew I could get for it privately, it soured things a bit, could tell the sales guy had given up, no test drive so I left thinking well there's my answer, I'll need to stop looking until after I sell the R8 privately. But at this point I felt I wanted to experience that car a bit more so thought, I'll park this until spring.
I kept a tentative eye on the market anyway, then on one Thursday morning I spotted a lovely Blade Silver 720s just added to Autotrader at Mclaren Manchester.
This car looked fantastic in this colour, got that feeling in my stomach, could this be it?! Only 3,500 miles, a December 18 car so the revised model, the all important Performance spec and other key options including the range topping super-ligher weight wheels. Gave them a call and arranged to view the next day. Mentioned on the R8 group that I might sell, had someone message straight away and we just about agreed a deal...... was this fate!!
So left home at 7.30am for the drive up to the north west. Decided I'd make an event out of the trip so drove the Exige up, not sure what went through their mind when the person turning up to view their £150k Supercar rocks up in this......
Anyway, I turned the corner into McManchester and there it was, right in front of me. They'd pulled a blinder and parked it out front.
It had so much presence, I was blown away. Really liked that colour on the car too. I do like the bright colours, especially that orange, but imo this colour just gave it that bit more class. Less shouty if you like. I wanted a light colour to show off the curves, so this was perfect. But that wasn't the best bit, I handed over my drivers license and before I knew it, we were out in the car. First time in a 720. Got the car warmed up, swap seats and now I'm driving. This thing really is next-level stuff, I put my foot down and never felt anything like it. Not just the acceleration, but how composed it felt, even on our uneven, bumpy roads. I had a good test drive. I'd read peoples thoughts that although they're quicker than the Sports series they lack the engagement, I couldn't disagree more, and this is from someone who is used to driving Lotus. Everything about the drive was enjoyable, even just short shifting, driving on the torque is fun in its own way, and it picks up so quick.
We pulled back up at the dealers and my mind was made up, I have to have this car in my life!!
And looking back I realise that all those other test drives, where I talked myself out of buying the car, let my head rule, that was because deep down my heart wasn't there. Because when it was there, when it is......fk the head..... Depreciation? Who gives a f****ng f**k, life is short, it's worth it for the enjoyment...blah blah blah. So we went in and talked money, pretty much reached an agreement so just the deposit left to pay. I was aware I still had the adrenaline rush from the test drive, thought I would just take the 2-3hr drive home to calm down, just make sure I was happy to commit to spending this, then call them and put the deposit down when I got home. So promised to call later. I also messaged the guy who had offered me an ok amount for my R8 and told him "deal" So he was super happy too. This was working out great....
As I left the dealer I happened across the Ferrari dealer next door. At this point I had been strongly considering a 458 Spyder, thinking that would be a more financially sensible decision to make. I hadn't driven one yet so knowing what I'm like, if I just paid the deposit on the 720s, it would spoil it a bit if I part of me wondered if I should've bought a 458 Spyder. So popped in to see if they had any and they did.
Lovely car to look at, good spec, took it for a drive..... felt like a hot hatch compared to the 720s I had just been in, steering didn't feel as direct, gear change was good but felt just a bit inferior, I don't know, older tech DCT perhaps?
So it was definitely the right thing to drive this, I knew the 720s was the car for me. So headed home. 2hrs later and even thinking about my drive and I'm grinning from ear to ear, just had that super-excited feeling, knew this was the right car. Then disaster struck..............
My phone started ringing, it was McManchester, I pulled over and called back. In the few hours that had gone by, someone else had called up about the 720 and paid a deposit unseen. I was devastated. I'd tried to be a little sensible and just give myself a bit of time to calm down and now it had bitten me in the arse. I proper threw the teddies out of the pram and vowed that's it, I'm not looking anymore, humpphhhh.
That was the Friday. The not looking anymore lasted about an hour, then when I did start looking but nothing grabbed me like "my Mclaren" had. Silver lining at least I'd decided it had to be a 720s, so made my search easier, but pickings of decent spec 720's were slim, and within an hour I realised nothing on the market right now would cut it. So instead I used the time I'd normally spend searching for cars, on Youtube watching 720s videos...... and fell even more in love. Why are these cars so cheap!!??!!
But then on Wednesday, I had a call from McManchester, apparently the guy who had paid the deposit was showing signs of wobbling himself. They gave him until the next day to confirm, failing that, I get another chance!! So needless to say the next 24hrs went quite slowly! But I got a call, the car was mine if I still wanted it? F**k me, do bears sh*t in the woods?! Take my money. Deposit paid there and then. Arranged to collect the following Friday. The next week you would expect to have gone slowly, but I overcomplicated everything by financing this as cost effectively as possible and caused myself a stress fest...... well it made the time go quick I suppose!
So next Friday arrives, alarm goes off at 5am (needn't have set it as I was waking up every hour anyway!) Myself and the missus drive to the station to get the train up, so we can drive back in it together. Arrived 4hrs later at McManchester and spot a car under a cover in the showroom, is it mine?!
Sorted all the paperwork out, insurance, etc, all this was a blur. Even typing this out I can feel the butterflies in my stomach. Couldn't believe it was happening. Finally everything sorted and we walk over to the handover bay to the car. And I pulled the cover off.....
https://youtu.be/Tb-ll_wxnis
(Apologies the video is on its side at the start for a few seconds, need to give some video taking coaching to the missus
)And then the point they drive the car out of the showroom and around the front, to hand you the keys and you get to drive away in your 720s for the first time!!! Is there a better feeling in the world?! (yeah I'm that sad when it comes to cars
)https://youtu.be/uOw8oOOonb4
I'll never forget this time, just driving away, through the local towns and villages to head across to the Peak District for the scenic drive home, you feel like a rockstar, the car gets so much attention, people are filming it, taking pictures, nudging their friends in the street to turn around to look at the car, you can see cars approaching from the opposite direction and occupants pointing the car out to each other. I was sat in the drivers seat driving this thing and it didn't feel real, how is this happening to me?! We made out way through the Peaks and stopped at Hassop Station Cafe for some lunch. I hadn't eaten all day yet still wasn't hungry. Managed to park right in front of where we ended up sitting, perfect....
Just sitting there looking at it, thinking it is mine?!? I'll never forget the feeling. I was so happy, I knew this thing had the potential to bite me hard, but at this point, as far as I was concerned it was worth the risk. Lets see over the coming months and hopefully years of ownership, I still think this way
My intention is to update this thread with my ownership experience, so other potential owners considering one can see a real-life ownership experience. It would be easy for me to just post up when things don't go to plan, but I am going to try to post up all my experiences, not just with the cars, but with other owners, McDealers, specialists and the supercar scene in general. Also how will my work colleagues and boss react to this?! It is not normal for people in my company to rock up in a less than 2yr old supercar!
More updates to follow (and the rest won't be as long-winded as this!!
More pictures with more to follow on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marknash99/
Edited by AstonExige on Tuesday 29th December 16:22
Thanks for the kind words all. I'll certainly keep updating this thread. After I've downed tools later, I'll do a write up of my first weekend with the car and my first issue, in fact there were a couple!
luigisayshello said:
Wasn't that car TB993tt? It's awfully close to his spec, that is quite rare by itself..
No, I've actually been talking to TB993tt (Toby) Really nice guy. In fact all the Mclaren owners I've spoken to so far seem great, must be the right sort of people buying these cars So, next update following my first weekend with the new love in my life
But first of all, just wanted to publicly give a shout out to McManchester and particularly Alex, Those guys got a bit of a hammering on social media a while back and being the professional outfit they were, didn't get pulled into a public argument, so a lot of the claims didn't get a response so we only heard one side of the story, and as we all know, there are always two. So I thought it right to go out of my way to give an account of my positive experience. Appreciate its when things go off script that a companies true dedication to customer experience comes to light, and as you will see in upcoming updates, mine have, and so far so good....
Anyway, right from the off Alex and the guys at McManchester have been an absolute pleasure to deal with, professional but friendly and really accomodating. And not pushy at all. They sorted a great deal for me, even though they had people dropping deposits on the car within days of it being advertised. Then when we went to collect they filled the froot / frunk up with some really great goodies. Really helped make the experience a memorable one. I'll elaborate on where they've also stepped up when things went off script in upcoming updates......
So, my first weekend with the car. As mentioned in my opening post, we drove back through the Peak District, heading out through Belper, then through Burton-on-Trent before heading east back toward Northants. My goal, avoid motorways! I don't want to sit on a boring straight road, sitting their at cough 70mph, cough for an hour, I'm adamant that where ever possible, the miles put on this car are going to be interesting ones!
So I managed to stretch a 2.5hr drive back from McManchester into 5hrs
Missus was like this journey seems to be taking a while, did you get lost? 
That first drive down my street up to my driveway...... again, something else I'll never forget. Had to park out on the street whilst I moved some cars around. Even welcomed that, an opportunity to park it up and look back at it..... just wow. Although it did look at bit out of place out there!
Already this car is amazing me the way the colour changes so much in different lights, every picture seems to have a different hue.
Anyway, so quick cup of tea, toilet break etc (still not eaten all day but still no appetite, too bloody excited!) and then where can I drive too next. So decided to take it over to see my friend, he's got a lovely very low mileage 997.2 C2s and was kind enough to drive me all the way to Edinburgh to pick up my R8 in it, which broke down on the way back, adding hours on to an already very long day, and then I only kept the car for 3 months! I felt I owed him!
So he's used to my cars, coming out for a quick pax ride out, but he hadn't been out in a car as quick as this before. When I took it for its first drive I wasn't ready for that brutal acceleration, I couldn't wait for him to experience that, that first WOT in 2nd and into 3rd Well what ensued ended up with a quote that will stand out for some time in my memories "F**k me Mark, it makes your balls tingle" 
Even taking passengers out for the 1st time is so much fun in this car, seeing / hearing their reaction the first time they feel that level of acceleration....and deceleration!
So we got back, lovely evening so took a few more pictures, I had a feeling I was going to be doing this a lot!
Over 25yrs of driving and I've never "posed" with one of my cars before, always felt like a bit of a c0ck, but when he suggested I have one with the car, well at this point in time I felt like I was really winning at life so why not capture the moment?!
Still felt like a bit of a c0ck, and yeah, that is pretty much the expression that has been on my face ever since I collected the car
So went inside for another brew, when his 16yr old son came down, asking his Mum for a lift to his mates a few miles away in another town......well I wasn't going to let an opportunity to drive it some more or give another pax ride go by, so I did the right thing and offered my services. However, getting in the car I was reminded that I'd been "enjoying" this car by the fuel light coming on, full tank done in less than 200 miles! Worth every penny!
So first stop petrol station and the journey I would see my first issue, one that was pretty scary. So I've driven out towards the A14 and made my way down the slip road, in 3rd at 50% throttle, then bing....... a warning come up on the dash and it lost power. Oh sh!t. The warning said transmission fault, limphome, restart engine. Turned out power wasn't lost but reduced, I was already on the A14 and only a mile from the next junction with the petrol station I was heading too, so I took it steady and headed there. Weirdly the climate control seemed to be affected too, it seemed to be blowing hot air, may just have been the aircon nonactive? I was pooping it a bit at this point. Had that sinking feeling, I'd got a whole weekend planned with this car, it was only Friday evening, I'd only got the car that day, please don't tell me I was going to be watching it taken away on a transporter before the weekend even started. So got to the petrol station, switched off, filled up, started the car as I held my breath......boom, message is gone and all back to normal! Phew. Still a little bit concerned but I'd read enough about these cars, their quirks and overly sensitive sensors. So I gave my friends son his lift to his friends house, turns out a bit of a get together and when we pull up, all these very excitable teenagers all come running out shouting all sorts of what I assume were compliments at the car. "peng" is that a good thing? I must be getting old!
On the way back I gave Alex a call and even though he'd left to go home hours ago, he picked up, I told him about the problem and he put my mind at rest. The car has been pretty much laid up for a year, the last owner hardly used it, and now it was getting some proper use. If the error is no longer coming up then.... don;t worry and get out and enjoy the car. So I did!
Saturday comes along, head over to my Mothers, show off my new toy, had to take a little detour to a village nearby to get a picture.... (my surname is Nash )
I think its a sign
then next over to my sisters where I spent the next hour or so giving pax rides to her, my nieces, her partner, friend. I was in my element. Not only do I love driving this car, it also makes you look like a driving God! A common theme seems to be it feels like you're on a roller coaster. I assume due to the extreme g's..... or my poor driving!
By the end of the day, 400 miles since collecting and 2 tanks of fuel down - totally worth it.
Sunday: Really looking forward to this one. VERY early start to meet some of my Lotus pals for some spirited driving on some empty country roads, something which we do quite regularly, but up to now I'd rock up in my Exige. Bit of a surprise for them this time. Needless to say they didn't mind the Mclaren gatecrashing the Lotus get together, my argument being its British and a number of the Lotus engineers now worked at Mclaren
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/7ptCjgcj.jpg[/img]|https://thumbsnap.com/7ptCjgcj[/url] <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/W5zkfMov" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/W5zkfMov.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/KK7Qxwja" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/KK7Qxwja.jpg)
The drive out was fantastic, and great to drive some roads I knew well in the Exige. Now Lotus's are known for their superb driver engagement and handling, so I was a little worried this trip could show the 720s's short comings...... I needn't have worried, once again it blew me away. Even on some really tight hairpin type corners, I could drive the car into them, turn in and it pulled around like it was on rails. The bumpy roads, the car felt so stable, I could have gone down them at twice the speed I would've felt comfortable doing so in the Exige. I suppose that is one of the main problems with this car, its license losing ability. I know a lot of people label fast cars like that, but with this things sheer capability to travel at serious speed even down uneven roads...... it does feel its only a matter of time. Anyway, cross that bridge and all that.......
So we got to out resting spot 90mins later and I was buzzing,
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totally lapped up the attention the car got from both my Lotus pals and members of the public, I must have sounded a bit tapped, like a little excited child struggling to put into words how this car makes you feel. But couldn't hang around too long, next appointment in Leicestershire to meet some buddies for a convoy to Caffiene and Machine, our 3 hr slot starting from 12.30pm. The convoy was due to consist of a Dodge viper, an AMR Vantage, 812 superfast and a very special Kharman Ghia fitted with an aircooled 911 engine - I was looking forward to this.
So met up with my buddies, unfortunately, the guy with the 812 couldn't make it but the rest were there.
Great drive over and needless to say, pulling up at C&M attracted lots of attention. Managed to get a table right behind the car and spent the next hour proudly admiring the car as people looked around it and took pictures. It all felt so surreal, looking at that car, even with the company it was keeping in the place, it still stood out.
|https://thumbsnap.com/V1zz5gnh[/url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/CG7ybPrU[/url]
Was just about thinking of heading off and the decision was made for us, the traffic police rocked up like they meant business,
I suddenly realised my car was right out in front proudly sporting no front plate, it was asking for trouble. I really didn't want to put a dampener on my first weekend with the car by picking up a fine so made a for a sharp exit. Took a nice gentle drive back, soaked in what was going to be my last drive of an awesome long weekend where....can't believe I'm saying this....I collected my Mclaren 720s, my first supercar (feel like I jumped in the deep end a bit here! ) I'll never forget this weekend.
I'll write the next update tomorrow, there's more interesting updates to come, one which results in me waving goodbye to the car as it disappears off in the back of a transporter
But first of all, just wanted to publicly give a shout out to McManchester and particularly Alex, Those guys got a bit of a hammering on social media a while back and being the professional outfit they were, didn't get pulled into a public argument, so a lot of the claims didn't get a response so we only heard one side of the story, and as we all know, there are always two. So I thought it right to go out of my way to give an account of my positive experience. Appreciate its when things go off script that a companies true dedication to customer experience comes to light, and as you will see in upcoming updates, mine have, and so far so good....
Anyway, right from the off Alex and the guys at McManchester have been an absolute pleasure to deal with, professional but friendly and really accomodating. And not pushy at all. They sorted a great deal for me, even though they had people dropping deposits on the car within days of it being advertised. Then when we went to collect they filled the froot / frunk up with some really great goodies. Really helped make the experience a memorable one. I'll elaborate on where they've also stepped up when things went off script in upcoming updates......
So, my first weekend with the car. As mentioned in my opening post, we drove back through the Peak District, heading out through Belper, then through Burton-on-Trent before heading east back toward Northants. My goal, avoid motorways! I don't want to sit on a boring straight road, sitting their at cough 70mph, cough for an hour, I'm adamant that where ever possible, the miles put on this car are going to be interesting ones!
So I managed to stretch a 2.5hr drive back from McManchester into 5hrs
Missus was like this journey seems to be taking a while, did you get lost? That first drive down my street up to my driveway...... again, something else I'll never forget. Had to park out on the street whilst I moved some cars around. Even welcomed that, an opportunity to park it up and look back at it..... just wow. Although it did look at bit out of place out there! Already this car is amazing me the way the colour changes so much in different lights, every picture seems to have a different hue.
Anyway, so quick cup of tea, toilet break etc (still not eaten all day but still no appetite, too bloody excited!) and then where can I drive too next. So decided to take it over to see my friend, he's got a lovely very low mileage 997.2 C2s and was kind enough to drive me all the way to Edinburgh to pick up my R8 in it, which broke down on the way back, adding hours on to an already very long day, and then I only kept the car for 3 months! I felt I owed him!
So he's used to my cars, coming out for a quick pax ride out, but he hadn't been out in a car as quick as this before. When I took it for its first drive I wasn't ready for that brutal acceleration, I couldn't wait for him to experience that, that first WOT in 2nd and into 3rd
Well what ensued ended up with a quote that will stand out for some time in my memories "F**k me Mark, it makes your balls tingle" Even taking passengers out for the 1st time is so much fun in this car, seeing / hearing their reaction the first time they feel that level of acceleration....and deceleration!
So we got back, lovely evening so took a few more pictures, I had a feeling I was going to be doing this a lot!
Over 25yrs of driving and I've never "posed" with one of my cars before, always felt like a bit of a c0ck, but when he suggested I have one with the car, well at this point in time I felt like I was really winning at life so why not capture the moment?!
Still felt like a bit of a c0ck, and yeah, that is pretty much the expression that has been on my face ever since I collected the car
So went inside for another brew, when his 16yr old son came down, asking his Mum for a lift to his mates a few miles away in another town......well I wasn't going to let an opportunity to drive it some more or give another pax ride go by, so I did the right thing and offered my services. However, getting in the car I was reminded that I'd been "enjoying" this car by the fuel light coming on, full tank done in less than 200 miles! Worth every penny!
So first stop petrol station and the journey I would see my first issue, one that was pretty scary. So I've driven out towards the A14 and made my way down the slip road, in 3rd at 50% throttle, then bing....... a warning come up on the dash and it lost power. Oh sh!t. The warning said transmission fault, limphome, restart engine. Turned out power wasn't lost but reduced, I was already on the A14 and only a mile from the next junction with the petrol station I was heading too, so I took it steady and headed there. Weirdly the climate control seemed to be affected too, it seemed to be blowing hot air, may just have been the aircon nonactive? I was pooping it a bit at this point. Had that sinking feeling, I'd got a whole weekend planned with this car, it was only Friday evening, I'd only got the car that day, please don't tell me I was going to be watching it taken away on a transporter before the weekend even started. So got to the petrol station, switched off, filled up, started the car as I held my breath......boom, message is gone and all back to normal! Phew. Still a little bit concerned but I'd read enough about these cars, their quirks and overly sensitive sensors. So I gave my friends son his lift to his friends house, turns out a bit of a get together and when we pull up, all these very excitable teenagers all come running out shouting all sorts of what I assume were compliments at the car. "peng" is that a good thing? I must be getting old!
On the way back I gave Alex a call and even though he'd left to go home hours ago, he picked up, I told him about the problem and he put my mind at rest. The car has been pretty much laid up for a year, the last owner hardly used it, and now it was getting some proper use. If the error is no longer coming up then.... don;t worry and get out and enjoy the car. So I did!
Saturday comes along, head over to my Mothers, show off my new toy, had to take a little detour to a village nearby to get a picture.... (my surname is Nash
)I think its a sign
then next over to my sisters where I spent the next hour or so giving pax rides to her, my nieces, her partner, friend. I was in my element. Not only do I love driving this car, it also makes you look like a driving God! A common theme seems to be it feels like you're on a roller coaster. I assume due to the extreme g's..... or my poor driving!
By the end of the day, 400 miles since collecting and 2 tanks of fuel down - totally worth it.
Sunday: Really looking forward to this one. VERY early start to meet some of my Lotus pals for some spirited driving on some empty country roads, something which we do quite regularly, but up to now I'd rock up in my Exige. Bit of a surprise for them this time. Needless to say they didn't mind the Mclaren gatecrashing the Lotus get together, my argument being its British and a number of the Lotus engineers now worked at Mclaren
The drive out was fantastic, and great to drive some roads I knew well in the Exige. Now Lotus's are known for their superb driver engagement and handling, so I was a little worried this trip could show the 720s's short comings...... I needn't have worried, once again it blew me away. Even on some really tight hairpin type corners, I could drive the car into them, turn in and it pulled around like it was on rails. The bumpy roads, the car felt so stable, I could have gone down them at twice the speed I would've felt comfortable doing so in the Exige. I suppose that is one of the main problems with this car, its license losing ability. I know a lot of people label fast cars like that, but with this things sheer capability to travel at serious speed even down uneven roads...... it does feel its only a matter of time. Anyway, cross that bridge and all that.......
So we got to out resting spot 90mins later and I was buzzing,
[url]totally lapped up the attention the car got from both my Lotus pals and members of the public, I must have sounded a bit tapped, like a little excited child struggling to put into words how this car makes you feel. But couldn't hang around too long, next appointment in Leicestershire to meet some buddies for a convoy to Caffiene and Machine, our 3 hr slot starting from 12.30pm. The convoy was due to consist of a Dodge viper, an AMR Vantage, 812 superfast and a very special Kharman Ghia fitted with an aircooled 911 engine - I was looking forward to this.
So met up with my buddies, unfortunately, the guy with the 812 couldn't make it but the rest were there.
Great drive over and needless to say, pulling up at C&M attracted lots of attention. Managed to get a table right behind the car and spent the next hour proudly admiring the car as people looked around it and took pictures. It all felt so surreal, looking at that car, even with the company it was keeping in the place, it still stood out.
|https://thumbsnap.com/V1zz5gnh[/url]|https://thumbsnap.com/CG7ybPrU[/url]Was just about thinking of heading off and the decision was made for us, the traffic police rocked up like they meant business,
I suddenly realised my car was right out in front proudly sporting no front plate, it was asking for trouble. I really didn't want to put a dampener on my first weekend with the car by picking up a fine so made a for a sharp exit. Took a nice gentle drive back, soaked in what was going to be my last drive of an awesome long weekend where....can't believe I'm saying this....I collected my Mclaren 720s, my first supercar (feel like I jumped in the deep end a bit here! ) I'll never forget this weekend. I'll write the next update tomorrow, there's more interesting updates to come, one which results in me waving goodbye to the car as it disappears off in the back of a transporter
Had a couple of days off work the week following collection weekend. The first one, track day at Mallory Park........ alas, not in the 720s. I won't deny, it did cross my mind whether I should take it, but only briefly. To keep my warranty intact I'd have to present the car to Mclaren before and after the track day for checks?? Sounds a bit like a money maker to me. Anyway, I normally really look forward to track days, but I've got a day off...... I have a Mclaren in the garage........ and I'm leaving it behind?! Yeah, killed some of my enthusiasm. And the Mclaren effect didn't end there......
So my track weapon of choice is a bike engined Westfield, Properly set-up with a 2016 SP Fireblade engine. 200bhp in a car that weighs 470kg, 13,000 rpm rev limit and a sequential box and flat-shifter. It is not a slow car and is very capable. (and serious fun!)
Makes a great sound too: https://youtu.be/Inc0MoB4YOs
Anyway, so I arrive at Mallory, unload the car, get the sighting laps out the way and get out there for the first session. Out on to the straight, put my foot down....... felt like I was in a fecking steam train....... where's the kick in the back I was expecting?!......... then it hit me: my every day road car is making my track car feel under powered! What the actual f**k? In "normal" years I'll do 8-10 track days a year including Spa and the Ring, they're my thing, I live for it. But has the Mclaren ruined it?! The first 1 or 2 laps I was feeling a bit crap about it, but once the tyres warmed up and I could starting pushing on, the little Westfield reminded me the main adrenaline rush from this car doesn't come from straight line acceleration, its the whole package, the whole theatre of that car. Phew. I am aware that I am still living on cloud 9 since getting the Mclaren, almost waiting for something to burst my bubble, that inevitable thing to go wrong, after all, how can this be happening to me?! So maybe I'm looking for it...... Anyway, had a great time on track..
only 2nd time out this year and hadn't been to Mallory for years. Last time I was here I spent most of the time facing the wrong direction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feh_I7tmkrE
So having spent the 1st of my 2 days off not driving the 720s, I was going to make up for it on my next day off! So took the scenic route to meet some friends down in Aylesbury for lunch. Just as I was leaving I passed a black Lamborghini Murcielago coming the other way, it reminded my that SB Race Engineering were in Aylesbury. I've seen a number of YouTube videos with Paul Wallace (SOL) at SB, they seemed to do a lot with various supercars, exhausts and I recalled a 720s in one video. So searched for them on Waze and headed over.
The one improvement I'd like to make to the car is the noise, it just isn't loud enough. I actually like the sound it does make, just think it could be a bit louder to add to the whole theatre of the car. So talking to SB felt like a good idea, especially as I was just around the corner.
Rocked up, that black Lambo was parked outside! Probably thinks I'm following him! So went inside and talking to one of their guys, really friendly, explained they'd done a lot of 720's, in fact McHatfield send a lot over to them when they're brand new?! And there is me worrying about warranty?! This guy said that as I already have the Sports exhaust, putting a cat back on is not worth the cost, the difference is minimal, you'd need to change the cats. Well there is no way I'm messing with the cats, I want / need to keep my McWarranty intact. So first rubbish news on the car, but hey, in 2yrs when the warranty expires, gloves are off! I would've renewed it, but I think I'll go for a Thorney one where they'll not void the warranty with mods, as long as it is their mods (clever of Thorney, not so much Mclaren)
Also turns out Paul Wallace was at SB, it was his Lambo. Really nice guy, had a good chat. Said to drop him an Instagram message as he had a contact at Mclaren who may be able to help in regards to warranty and aftermarket exhausts, thought that was a nice touch. Didn't reply to my message though, thought that counts I suppose
So headed home. As I was driving back, heard a weird metallic donk on the drivers side, right next to me. Everything seemed fine so put it down to running over something, drink can or something. It was only when I got home, got out to open the garage door (I have a Mclaren now, can't afford electric garage doors ) back to the car and went to open the door..... where the bloody hell is the door handle gone?!?! As I reached around to push the handle/button, there was just a hole! Then it dawned on me, that was that donk I'd heard, the handle falling off! So this is where the handle should have been. You can see a rubber gromet looking thing, turns out that's the button the handle pushes on so no problem opening it without the handle. I think my 720 was just trying to shed some more weight, felt a bit fat parked up in the garage next to the Westfield!
I saw the funny side, hand-built British supercar right? I did come into this with my eyes open. But also I knew the warranty would cover it, and you couldn't see it from the outside so it wasn't going to spoil the upcoming weekend Quick call to Alex, he put got Sam in after-sales to call me back (again it was after hours) and said not too worry, they'll sort it, enjoy the weekend and we'll chat again on Monday. These guys are good.
Parked up in the garage waiting for the weekends shenanigans....
So my track weapon of choice is a bike engined Westfield, Properly set-up with a 2016 SP Fireblade engine. 200bhp in a car that weighs 470kg, 13,000 rpm rev limit and a sequential box and flat-shifter. It is not a slow car and is very capable. (and serious fun!)
Makes a great sound too: https://youtu.be/Inc0MoB4YOs
Anyway, so I arrive at Mallory, unload the car, get the sighting laps out the way and get out there for the first session. Out on to the straight, put my foot down....... felt like I was in a fecking steam train....... where's the kick in the back I was expecting?!......... then it hit me: my every day road car is making my track car feel under powered! What the actual f**k? In "normal" years I'll do 8-10 track days a year including Spa and the Ring, they're my thing, I live for it. But has the Mclaren ruined it?! The first 1 or 2 laps I was feeling a bit crap about it, but once the tyres warmed up and I could starting pushing on, the little Westfield reminded me the main adrenaline rush from this car doesn't come from straight line acceleration, its the whole package, the whole theatre of that car. Phew. I am aware that I am still living on cloud 9 since getting the Mclaren, almost waiting for something to burst my bubble, that inevitable thing to go wrong, after all, how can this be happening to me?! So maybe I'm looking for it...... Anyway, had a great time on track..
only 2nd time out this year and hadn't been to Mallory for years. Last time I was here I spent most of the time facing the wrong direction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feh_I7tmkrE
So having spent the 1st of my 2 days off not driving the 720s, I was going to make up for it on my next day off! So took the scenic route to meet some friends down in Aylesbury for lunch. Just as I was leaving I passed a black Lamborghini Murcielago coming the other way, it reminded my that SB Race Engineering were in Aylesbury. I've seen a number of YouTube videos with Paul Wallace (SOL) at SB, they seemed to do a lot with various supercars, exhausts and I recalled a 720s in one video. So searched for them on Waze and headed over.
The one improvement I'd like to make to the car is the noise, it just isn't loud enough. I actually like the sound it does make, just think it could be a bit louder to add to the whole theatre of the car. So talking to SB felt like a good idea, especially as I was just around the corner.
Rocked up, that black Lambo was parked outside! Probably thinks I'm following him! So went inside and talking to one of their guys, really friendly, explained they'd done a lot of 720's, in fact McHatfield send a lot over to them when they're brand new?! And there is me worrying about warranty?! This guy said that as I already have the Sports exhaust, putting a cat back on is not worth the cost, the difference is minimal, you'd need to change the cats. Well there is no way I'm messing with the cats, I want / need to keep my McWarranty intact. So first rubbish news on the car, but hey, in 2yrs when the warranty expires, gloves are off! I would've renewed it, but I think I'll go for a Thorney one where they'll not void the warranty with mods, as long as it is their mods (clever of Thorney, not so much Mclaren)
Also turns out Paul Wallace was at SB, it was his Lambo. Really nice guy, had a good chat. Said to drop him an Instagram message as he had a contact at Mclaren who may be able to help in regards to warranty and aftermarket exhausts, thought that was a nice touch. Didn't reply to my message though, thought that counts I suppose
So headed home. As I was driving back, heard a weird metallic donk on the drivers side, right next to me. Everything seemed fine so put it down to running over something, drink can or something. It was only when I got home, got out to open the garage door (I have a Mclaren now, can't afford electric garage doors
) back to the car and went to open the door..... where the bloody hell is the door handle gone?!?! As I reached around to push the handle/button, there was just a hole! Then it dawned on me, that was that donk I'd heard, the handle falling off! So this is where the handle should have been. You can see a rubber gromet looking thing, turns out that's the button the handle pushes on so no problem opening it without the handle. I think my 720 was just trying to shed some more weight, felt a bit fat parked up in the garage next to the Westfield!I saw the funny side, hand-built British supercar right? I did come into this with my eyes open. But also I knew the warranty would cover it, and you couldn't see it from the outside so it wasn't going to spoil the upcoming weekend
Quick call to Alex, he put got Sam in after-sales to call me back (again it was after hours) and said not too worry, they'll sort it, enjoy the weekend and we'll chat again on Monday. These guys are good.Parked up in the garage waiting for the weekends shenanigans....
Edited by AstonExige on Friday 2nd October 08:59
On Sunday morning, getting up at 5am, left home to meet up with some of my Lotus buddies to drive some nice and hopefully empty Peaks roads. Anyone who hasn't done this, well worth it! Even driving this car at night comes with some theatre.
Quite impressed with the fuel economy I go on the way up, although I was sitting at 70mph on the motorway for most of the journey...
|https://thumbsnap.com/eNhHACGc[/url]
Met up with the crowd, had a great drive, car was fantastic, so engaging and exciting to drive, even though I spent most of the time short shifting.
[url]
Took a more scenic route back and really enjoyed it. Just love the positive attention this car gets, definitely gives you that feel good factor!
So I'm not too far away from home, on one of my favourite twisties just following behind a van, and I pass a junction on the right and waiting behind one other car, a really lovely looking red 991 GT3. I had an idea, and a hope, that he would do his best to get up behind me. So first time since I'd had the car that someone would come for a little play, the thought of demonstrating the cars capabilities to some unsuspecting GT3 driver, especially down some of my favourite twisties, well it appealed. So when I looked in my rear view mirror and saw him on the other side of the road, overtaking the car in front of him and therefore bearing down on my arse, the adrenaline starting pumping. I was still behind this van and he joined me, close enough to let me know There was a straight coming up where I knew we'd both get by so it was game on. I went down to 3rd in preparation to open it up and leave the guy standing there, the straight appeared, just about to pulled out and bong....... looked down and......
Talk about bad timing and what an anti-climax. Needless to say I didn't make the overtake and shortly after pulled into a garden centre. This was the same message I got before where a simple engine restart sorted it. And it did, in the main, but this time the engine management light stayed on. FFS. I was only a few miles from home so put everything in comfort and auto and took a steady drive home. Left the car for 15mins, tried again, light still on. But you know what, I've been enjoying this car so much, on so many different levels, it didn;t worry me. I had warranty, the guys at Mcmanchester are looking after me, I knew they'd sort it.
So Monday I give them a call (by which point the engine management light had turned off so maybe could have let it go again) Sam says lets get it back up to us, get some diagnostics run and see whats what. Also can sort the handle out at the same time (which I had found in the intake behind the door There are 2 locating pins, where the handle pivots, one had sheared off. So no way the dealer would have known that a pin had a weakness as part of a PPI
8am on Tuesday morning and my car is collected..... with a nice surprise dropped off..
The whole thing was very professional, the guy unloading and loading took the upmost care, had no worries on that side of things. And I get to drive a new GT around whilst I'm waiting for mine. Free Mclaren miles! So I knew what I would be doing that evening. Missus comes up to my office at the end of the day inviting me on our usual dog walk, sorry babe, I'm going out driving 120 miles and 2/3 tank of fuel later and I'm back home.
Quick review: lovely car, very fast, not as quick obviously but still quick enough for our roads, doesn't deal with our uneven roads half as well, you can definitely enjoy them more in the 720s. Having this GT was great as it has made me appreciate the 720 even more and cemented my idea that I did the right thing going for the Super Series car with the active suspension.
Next day, McManchester called, they've reset and recalibrated the gearbox, cleared the codes, given it a good test drive and all looks good. One complication, Mclaren don't have any handles in their parts basket, however they were going to see if they could pinch one off a 765 on the production line, which they did, it arrived Thursday and car ready to come back to me on Friday. However, I've got the day off (still trying to use holidays up) So I offered to drive the GT up to them and mine back (two trips across the Peaks again, once in a GT and since in a 720, I could think of worse days to spend your days off. Stopped for a pee break in Baslow, walking back to the GT, it is a lovely looking car. Mclaren do know how to make a good looking car......
Had a really good chat with Sam and one of the techs at McMachester for an hour, then got in my car for a drive back across the peaks. (found a bag on the pax seat full of some nice goodies from Bentley, Bugatti and Mclaren, nice touch) Full tank of fuel too It was almost like collection day again, only been without it for a handful of days but I was so excited getting it back, handed the keys again and making my way off. Had a great drive back across the Peaks, stopping loads for photos. Here are few, this car is so photogenic!
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/T7ykUQb1[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/Mc9qKHQC[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/gvXqUdaT[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/MYXmN6SQ[/url]
[url]
Almost caught up now, this was last Friday. Had the last week to drive the car and see if the problem was fixed, fingers crossed.....[url]
Quite impressed with the fuel economy I go on the way up, although I was sitting at 70mph on the motorway for most of the journey...
|https://thumbsnap.com/eNhHACGc[/url]Met up with the crowd, had a great drive, car was fantastic, so engaging and exciting to drive, even though I spent most of the time short shifting.
[url]Took a more scenic route back and really enjoyed it. Just love the positive attention this car gets, definitely gives you that feel good factor!
So I'm not too far away from home, on one of my favourite twisties just following behind a van, and I pass a junction on the right and waiting behind one other car, a really lovely looking red 991 GT3. I had an idea, and a hope, that he would do his best to get up behind me. So first time since I'd had the car that someone would come for a little play, the thought of demonstrating the cars capabilities to some unsuspecting GT3 driver, especially down some of my favourite twisties, well it appealed. So when I looked in my rear view mirror and saw him on the other side of the road, overtaking the car in front of him and therefore bearing down on my arse, the adrenaline starting pumping. I was still behind this van and he joined me, close enough to let me know
There was a straight coming up where I knew we'd both get by so it was game on. I went down to 3rd in preparation to open it up and leave the guy standing there, the straight appeared, just about to pulled out and bong....... looked down and......Talk about bad timing and what an anti-climax. Needless to say I didn't make the overtake and shortly after pulled into a garden centre. This was the same message I got before where a simple engine restart sorted it. And it did, in the main, but this time the engine management light stayed on. FFS. I was only a few miles from home so put everything in comfort and auto and took a steady drive home. Left the car for 15mins, tried again, light still on. But you know what, I've been enjoying this car so much, on so many different levels, it didn;t worry me. I had warranty, the guys at Mcmanchester are looking after me, I knew they'd sort it.
So Monday I give them a call (by which point the engine management light had turned off so maybe could have let it go again) Sam says lets get it back up to us, get some diagnostics run and see whats what. Also can sort the handle out at the same time (which I had found in the intake behind the door
There are 2 locating pins, where the handle pivots, one had sheared off. So no way the dealer would have known that a pin had a weakness as part of a PPI 8am on Tuesday morning and my car is collected..... with a nice surprise dropped off..
The whole thing was very professional, the guy unloading and loading took the upmost care, had no worries on that side of things. And I get to drive a new GT around whilst I'm waiting for mine. Free Mclaren miles! So I knew what I would be doing that evening. Missus comes up to my office at the end of the day inviting me on our usual dog walk, sorry babe, I'm going out driving
120 miles and 2/3 tank of fuel later and I'm back home.Quick review: lovely car, very fast, not as quick obviously but still quick enough for our roads, doesn't deal with our uneven roads half as well, you can definitely enjoy them more in the 720s. Having this GT was great as it has made me appreciate the 720 even more and cemented my idea that I did the right thing going for the Super Series car with the active suspension.
Next day, McManchester called, they've reset and recalibrated the gearbox, cleared the codes, given it a good test drive and all looks good. One complication, Mclaren don't have any handles in their parts basket, however they were going to see if they could pinch one off a 765 on the production line, which they did, it arrived Thursday and car ready to come back to me on Friday. However, I've got the day off (still trying to use holidays up) So I offered to drive the GT up to them and mine back (two trips across the Peaks again, once in a GT and since in a 720, I could think of worse days to spend your days off. Stopped for a pee break in Baslow, walking back to the GT, it is a lovely looking car. Mclaren do know how to make a good looking car......
Had a really good chat with Sam and one of the techs at McMachester for an hour, then got in my car for a drive back across the peaks. (found a bag on the pax seat full of some nice goodies from Bentley, Bugatti and Mclaren, nice touch) Full tank of fuel too
It was almost like collection day again, only been without it for a handful of days but I was so excited getting it back, handed the keys again and making my way off. Had a great drive back across the Peaks, stopping loads for photos. Here are few, this car is so photogenic![url]|https://thumbsnap.com/T7ykUQb1[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/Mc9qKHQC[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/gvXqUdaT[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/MYXmN6SQ[/url][url]Almost caught up now, this was last Friday. Had the last week to drive the car and see if the problem was fixed, fingers crossed.....[url]
I was toying with a 675lt, justifying the extra as the residuals would be better. But have you seen the cost of parts?! Lower arm on a 720, it’s hundreds, on a 675, it’s thousands! It’s the one model that Thorney won’t warranty as the parts are so expensive.
Mine has had a couple of niggles, but the last owner only did a few hundred miles in a year so I think I’m just working through some of the consequences of that. Bear in mind also I’ve done a lot of miles in the short while I’ve had it, one also condensed 3 weeks of ownership in to 3 days on here. So I’ve really only had a gearbox / sensor throw up and error and the door handle locator pin shear off.
In regards to buying a car if you don’t have a dealer nearby, Manchester come and got my car and would’ve dropped it off again, but I offered to drive up
So cut a long story short, don’t let my story out you off
Mine has had a couple of niggles, but the last owner only did a few hundred miles in a year so I think I’m just working through some of the consequences of that. Bear in mind also I’ve done a lot of miles in the short while I’ve had it, one also condensed 3 weeks of ownership in to 3 days on here. So I’ve really only had a gearbox / sensor throw up and error and the door handle locator pin shear off.
In regards to buying a car if you don’t have a dealer nearby, Manchester come and got my car and would’ve dropped it off again, but I offered to drive up
So cut a long story short, don’t let my story out you off
I think what you should take away from my thread is that the cars offer such a superior driving experience that a few little niggles, especially when the dealer support and warranties are so good, are so worth it and don’t take away from the experience at all.
But you do need to go in with your eyes open, these are hand built cutting edge British super cars, they’re going to have their quirks and niggles. If you want a car that is perfect 100% of the time they probably aren’t for you, in fact most super cars won’t be.
But you do need to go in with your eyes open, these are hand built cutting edge British super cars, they’re going to have their quirks and niggles. If you want a car that is perfect 100% of the time they probably aren’t for you, in fact most super cars won’t be.
I'll start my next post with this, just to clear things up
(That little dog toy was something the kids bought me, my car obsession is a source of ridicule with my 'gang' at home )
And following my trip back through the peaks.......
I'm starting to recognise the need to find a balance
Saturday I decided I would start the day off by giving the car back some love, definitely deserved after giving me 2 weeks of absolute pure enjoyment, excitement..... it is still hard to find the words, even now sitting here typing this in my house I'm still getting that feeling just picturing it in the garage. One emotion that is right at the forefront, I feel so lucky. Anyway, one thing I had noticed with the car with the complex "billionaire" doors, there are a lot of rubber seals. So I treated them to a wipe down treatment with this:
The idea here is it keeps them supple and less likely to crack, helps them seal, less wind noise, turns them a nice black, also helps to stop them bonding with each other when they get damp, it freezes and then when you open the doors it damages the seals. It is also a really satisfying job.
Disappearing into the garage for a few hours armed with lube didn't help my case with the missus though.
With winter closing fast, it feels like the days this year where I'll get to really enjoy driving this car are going to dwindle. Sunday the weather was looking really good in the Midlands, fresh but dry and sunny. We don't normally meet every week, but some of the Lotus guys agreed, this could be one of the last chances to get out on an early Sunday morning and it be dry, so headed out again. It was fresh, but that meant even less holiday makers, cyclists etc on the road and we had one of the best runs of the season.
Looks like I'm being escorted in this one!
Nobody puts baby in the corner Did feel like if you're not yellow you're not coming in that day.
The car performed faultlessly and once again left me in no way longing to have my Exige out, again testament to how much fun these cars are to drive. And rubbishes the notion you have to be going warp speed to get that exhilarated feeling, I was in a line of Lotus, not going the 3 figures a 720s can easily do down some of these A roads, but I still really enjoyed the drive. So so happy with this car (although is starting to question whether I need to keep the Exige?!)
Later that day met some other friends at Santa Pod for finals of something or other. Some really impressive cars there. I didn't take mine on the 1/4 mile, it wasn't a public day. I think the 720 will get low 10's? Maybe just into the 9's with decent tyres and a prepped / sticky track? Anyone on here taken theirs on? Or any Mclaren?
At the end of the finals we walked back to the car park / field, we could see the 720 in the distance and groups of people around it having their pictures taken with it, that was cool. Not sure I'll ever get bored of the positive attention this car gets.
And a positive end to the post, looks like that gearbox reset / re-calibration has sorted whatever the issue was that caused the warning, no sign of it since and the car has been faultless since.
(That little dog toy was something the kids bought me, my car obsession is a source of ridicule with my 'gang' at home
) And following my trip back through the peaks.......
I'm starting to recognise the need to find a balance
Saturday I decided I would start the day off by giving the car back some love, definitely deserved after giving me 2 weeks of absolute pure enjoyment, excitement..... it is still hard to find the words, even now sitting here typing this in my house I'm still getting that feeling just picturing it in the garage. One emotion that is right at the forefront, I feel so lucky. Anyway, one thing I had noticed with the car with the complex "billionaire" doors, there are a lot of rubber seals. So I treated them to a wipe down treatment with this:
The idea here is it keeps them supple and less likely to crack, helps them seal, less wind noise, turns them a nice black, also helps to stop them bonding with each other when they get damp, it freezes and then when you open the doors it damages the seals. It is also a really satisfying job.
Disappearing into the garage for a few hours armed with lube didn't help my case with the missus though.
With winter closing fast, it feels like the days this year where I'll get to really enjoy driving this car are going to dwindle. Sunday the weather was looking really good in the Midlands, fresh but dry and sunny. We don't normally meet every week, but some of the Lotus guys agreed, this could be one of the last chances to get out on an early Sunday morning and it be dry, so headed out again. It was fresh, but that meant even less holiday makers, cyclists etc on the road and we had one of the best runs of the season.
Looks like I'm being escorted in this one!
Nobody puts baby in the corner
Did feel like if you're not yellow you're not coming in that day.The car performed faultlessly and once again left me in no way longing to have my Exige out, again testament to how much fun these cars are to drive. And rubbishes the notion you have to be going warp speed to get that exhilarated feeling, I was in a line of Lotus, not going the 3 figures a 720s can easily do down some of these A roads, but I still really enjoyed the drive. So so happy with this car (although is starting to question whether I need to keep the Exige?!)
Later that day met some other friends at Santa Pod for finals of something or other. Some really impressive cars there. I didn't take mine on the 1/4 mile, it wasn't a public day. I think the 720 will get low 10's? Maybe just into the 9's with decent tyres and a prepped / sticky track? Anyone on here taken theirs on? Or any Mclaren?
At the end of the finals we walked back to the car park / field, we could see the 720 in the distance and groups of people around it having their pictures taken with it, that was cool. Not sure I'll ever get bored of the positive attention this car gets.
And a positive end to the post, looks like that gearbox reset / re-calibration has sorted whatever the issue was that caused the warning, no sign of it since and the car has been faultless since.
Edited by AstonExige on Saturday 3rd October 11:39
Kent Border Kenny said:
Very nice. Have you any figure in mind of the expected cost to own over the next few years?
I try not to add it all up! But that's how I knew I had found the right car, because I didn't care, I knew the individual aspects (insurance, servicing, warranty, depreciation) and knew I could afford it, that's the main thing. Although now you've asked:Servicing averages £1500 per year at a McDealer, but if you're happy going to Thorney (arguable have a better service as they only employ really experienced techs) you could see that reduced quite a lot. Just comes down to whether you believe the future value could be affected by a non dealer stamp. Although anyone doing their research will quickly come across Thorney and know you haven't just had your car serviced at your local garage.
Insurance for me is £800-900 per year (needs tracker at circa £200 per year subscription)
Warranty? It's a must imo. Once the 3yr manufacturers runs out it is £4k or £5k to extend (I've heard different rates on this) Again Thorney provide a warranty that is £3k per year. They'll also warranty any of their modifications so if that's your bag, that may appeal (coming from your R8 / Merc, you'll find the noise in the Mclaren a little wanting so you may want to upgrade the exhaust, where warranty validity may play on your mind)
Tyres aren't silly prices, fuel economy seems ok on a run (25mpg easily possible) But you'll easily see low teens on A/B roads when pushing it!
Depreciation? It's a tricky one to predict. A 720s is leagues above anything in this price point and so is arguably artificially low, cause by Mclaren reputation and lack of independent specialist support driving up ownerships costs? Both of those are getting sorted with 3 new specialists coming online this year along (before that it was just Thorney) And aside from the odd bad one, most of the newer cars seems to be a lot better on the quality front. Mclaren are a relatively new company, as with all new products, there are teething problems early on, I do believe Mclaren have now worked through most of them. The later (68 plate onwards) 720s's seem to have very little issues. The older ones seem to have had their resolved now. That's why I made the jump.
I was also considering a 650s Spider, lovely car and almost bought one. Serious value for money and further down the depreciation curve. And if I hadn't of used some man maths to increase my budget I'm sure I would've had one.
Didn't mention in my last post, had a squeaky bum moment on my way back through the Peaks. As you will notice from my pictures I seem to have an issue with my front plate falling off, I'm just very unlucky on that front. It's happened quite a lot over the years and not just on the Mclaren. I have been very lucky in that I have not yet been fined, over the years been pulled over about 3 times for it, but always had really friendly police officers who accepted my explanation and let me on my way. Well last time it "fell off" I was making my way back through the Peaks 
come around a corner right on to the rear bumper of a BMW X5 traffic car
The view in this police officers rearview mirror would've looked very much like this........
So I'm screwed right? I'm going through in my head what I'm going to say, although it feels futile, it's a sure thing I'm getting pulled over and fined this time. Not displaying a front plate (even though it had fell off, that's not an excuse) on a car like that is going to come with extra motive to be pulled over, either "this guy thinks he's above the law in his flash car, he can afford the fine" or "nice car, would love a chance to look around that" My past experiences tend to be the later and Traffic police are often petrolheads too, hence opting for that line of work (it's what I wanted to do when I went through a period of wanting to join the police) Regardless though, I'm getting a £100 fine......expensive trip this, should've let McMachenster bring the car back to me
So 5-6 miles of following him, waiting for those blues to come on at any minute, my turning comes up. I'd accepted the inevitable at this point so didn't even try the wait until the last minute to turn so they miss it tactic. So I indicated early, waited for that left indicator to appear on the rear of their car to follow suit.......... but nothing, they just carried on???!!!
I spent the next few miles in disbelief, I was bang to rights, it was blatant. I don't get it. Not that I'm complaining. But it did make me think I need to sort something on this car, for when it no doubt falls off again. The car does look so much better without a plate. When that happened in the F-Type I just had it in the window, same on the R8 and the Exige. But in the 720 it spoils that open expanse you can see out the front, one of the things I love about the 720. So I have come up with an ingenious (if I do say so myself) way of being able to easily display a plate out the front of the car, in case my falls off again
So the plate is tethered to the passenger side sun visor, you can flip it up and down as you please. Now I know it is still isn't quite conforming, but it does the job, it shows willing and I think in some cases whereas you would've been pulled over for no front plate at all, some police officers will pass on pulling you over if you have a plate displayed in the windscreen, it shows you're not trying to avoid getting identified. Maybe wishful thinking but it must reduce the risk of getting pulled.
come around a corner right on to the rear bumper of a BMW X5 traffic car The view in this police officers rearview mirror would've looked very much like this........
So I'm screwed right? I'm going through in my head what I'm going to say, although it feels futile, it's a sure thing I'm getting pulled over and fined this time. Not displaying a front plate (even though it had fell off, that's not an excuse) on a car like that is going to come with extra motive to be pulled over, either "this guy thinks he's above the law in his flash car, he can afford the fine" or "nice car, would love a chance to look around that" My past experiences tend to be the later and Traffic police are often petrolheads too, hence opting for that line of work (it's what I wanted to do when I went through a period of wanting to join the police) Regardless though, I'm getting a £100 fine......expensive trip this, should've let McMachenster bring the car back to me
So 5-6 miles of following him, waiting for those blues to come on at any minute, my turning comes up. I'd accepted the inevitable at this point so didn't even try the wait until the last minute to turn so they miss it tactic. So I indicated early, waited for that left indicator to appear on the rear of their car to follow suit.......... but nothing, they just carried on???!!!
I spent the next few miles in disbelief, I was bang to rights, it was blatant. I don't get it. Not that I'm complaining. But it did make me think I need to sort something on this car, for when it no doubt falls off again. The car does look so much better without a plate. When that happened in the F-Type I just had it in the window, same on the R8 and the Exige. But in the 720 it spoils that open expanse you can see out the front, one of the things I love about the 720. So I have come up with an ingenious (if I do say so myself) way of being able to easily display a plate out the front of the car, in case my falls off again
So the plate is tethered to the passenger side sun visor, you can flip it up and down as you please. Now I know it is still isn't quite conforming, but it does the job, it shows willing and I think in some cases whereas you would've been pulled over for no front plate at all, some police officers will pass on pulling you over if you have a plate displayed in the windscreen, it shows you're not trying to avoid getting identified. Maybe wishful thinking but it must reduce the risk of getting pulled.
Edited by AstonExige on Tuesday 6th October 17:01
WilliamWaiver said:
Dont get this not displaying a front number plate and thinking you are above the law because you own a supercar. Personally I would increase the fine to impounding the car and then lets see who thinks its funny
So this is about not breaking the law? Because you're not above it if you own a supercar? Ever gone above the speed limit in your 675LT? WilliamWaiver said:
Categorically NO but I haven't collected it yet but I've hardly gone above 100 mph in any of the others and I certainly dont break the law everytime I got out in one of them
FLAGRANT disregard for the law IMHO and why should it be supercar owners and not your audi A3 ????
"Hardly gone above 100mph?!" So what made you think you are above the law and can break the law by such a significant amount? You would lose your license for that?! Now that sounds like a FLAGRANT disregard for the law to me. But on top of that, speeding, that's dangerous, you're not just risking your own life but deciding it is ok to risk the life of others. This is much more serious than say.......... I don't know, not displaying a front number plate? That has no negative impact on anybody, is not dangerous, doesn't threaten anyone's life.FLAGRANT disregard for the law IMHO and why should it be supercar owners and not your audi A3 ????
And what is the relevance around Supercar vs Audi A3, who says this is anything to do with Supercar owners thinking they don't have to have front plates? It's the same for any car, who is differentiating?
Anyway, to try to get this back on track and prevent this going into the gutter like a lot of threads do on here…..
I love just about everything about this car. In the past every car I’ve bought I’ve always wanted to make various “improvements” But this is just about perfect……except for one thing, the noise, or lack of. Actually that’s not fair, it isn’t quiet, in the cabin it is really, but from the outside its not bad. I quite like the sound it makes, it’s no NA V10 but it’s still quite pleasing to the ears
As per previous post, I’d been down to SB Race Engineering who advised the difference between the 720s Sport exhaust (what I have) and a straight piped cat-back, is minimal and not worth the cost / hassle. Got to think fitting, potential warranty complications, insurance? At this point my car has “no modifications” so a bit easier when it comes to insurance.
Thorney offer what looks like a decent cat back, their price is competitive and includes fitting, so relatively speaking, good value. And of course, these guys know their stuff so no worries in regards to them taking the whole back of the car apart (search videos on Youtube, it’s brutal the amount of dismantling required to fit a cat back on a 720!)
I had a quick chat over FB with John and he kindly offered to let me head over and listen to their 720s Spider that has their cat back fitted. So on Monday I headed over. Great setup they have there, if you haven’t been, its worth a trip. The mount of Mclarens there makes you really appreciate just how “specialist” these guys are! Very impressive. John’s 720s Spider is very nice, very unusual gold type colour, and loads of carbon, very high spec.
John started it up inside, it did sound really good, but I wanted to hear it outside, so John took it out. Again, sounded great. However, it occurred to me I hadn’t really heard mine from the outside, nothing other than at idle / cold start. So we put both cars side by side and whilst I stood out back, John gave them some gentle revs. (kicking myself for not getting videos or pictures!)
So you could definitely tell the difference and the Thorney cat back was a little louder. It wasn’t night and day. I suspect under load and as the revs increase, the difference would increase, particularly on overrun.
To summarise, it is something I would like to do, but the difference wasn’t enough for me to be desperate enough to do it right away (when I have other priorities I should focus on) So it’s on the to-do list for next year maybe. The other option is to wait until my McWarranty has expired, then change to sports cats too, that apparently offers the most benefit, in terms of noise but also additional power (not that you need it!)
And need to post a picture, posts are boring without pictures….and I have plenty, can’t stop taking pictures of it
I love just about everything about this car. In the past every car I’ve bought I’ve always wanted to make various “improvements” But this is just about perfect……except for one thing, the noise, or lack of. Actually that’s not fair, it isn’t quiet, in the cabin it is really, but from the outside its not bad. I quite like the sound it makes, it’s no NA V10 but it’s still quite pleasing to the ears
As per previous post, I’d been down to SB Race Engineering who advised the difference between the 720s Sport exhaust (what I have) and a straight piped cat-back, is minimal and not worth the cost / hassle. Got to think fitting, potential warranty complications, insurance? At this point my car has “no modifications” so a bit easier when it comes to insurance.
Thorney offer what looks like a decent cat back, their price is competitive and includes fitting, so relatively speaking, good value. And of course, these guys know their stuff so no worries in regards to them taking the whole back of the car apart (search videos on Youtube, it’s brutal the amount of dismantling required to fit a cat back on a 720!)
I had a quick chat over FB with John and he kindly offered to let me head over and listen to their 720s Spider that has their cat back fitted. So on Monday I headed over. Great setup they have there, if you haven’t been, its worth a trip. The mount of Mclarens there makes you really appreciate just how “specialist” these guys are! Very impressive. John’s 720s Spider is very nice, very unusual gold type colour, and loads of carbon, very high spec.
John started it up inside, it did sound really good, but I wanted to hear it outside, so John took it out. Again, sounded great. However, it occurred to me I hadn’t really heard mine from the outside, nothing other than at idle / cold start. So we put both cars side by side and whilst I stood out back, John gave them some gentle revs. (kicking myself for not getting videos or pictures!)
So you could definitely tell the difference and the Thorney cat back was a little louder. It wasn’t night and day. I suspect under load and as the revs increase, the difference would increase, particularly on overrun.
To summarise, it is something I would like to do, but the difference wasn’t enough for me to be desperate enough to do it right away (when I have other priorities I should focus on) So it’s on the to-do list for next year maybe. The other option is to wait until my McWarranty has expired, then change to sports cats too, that apparently offers the most benefit, in terms of noise but also additional power (not that you need it!)
And need to post a picture, posts are boring without pictures….and I have plenty, can’t stop taking pictures of it
WilliamWaiver said:
Yeah when I was there a couple of weeks ago I went out with John in the 720S spider and it sounded lovely but he did say he was desperate to get sports cats fitted to it.
Did you go out or listen to his 620GTR coupe, thats got both sports cats and cat back exhaust. It sounded awesome but John says its harder to get a decent sound out of the sport series car, bar 600LT, because of the long up and over and low exhaust pipe exit.
720S with sports cats is the way to go when your warranty is up and just renew it cheaper with Thorney anyway if you are concerned
No didn’t get a chance to listen to any of the Sports series car he has. As you suggest, I’ll probably just wait it out until my existing warranty expires, get a Thorney one and then get his sport cat set-up.Did you go out or listen to his 620GTR coupe, thats got both sports cats and cat back exhaust. It sounded awesome but John says its harder to get a decent sound out of the sport series car, bar 600LT, because of the long up and over and low exhaust pipe exit.
720S with sports cats is the way to go when your warranty is up and just renew it cheaper with Thorney anyway if you are concerned
R8Reece said:
Isn't there an MSO exhaust option? Would that be any louder?
No there isn’t, not at this point anyway. On the 570, you had standard, sports and then the MSO titanium option (quite rare) But for the 720 just standard and Sports. The 765LT sounds louder, from the clips I’ve seen, maybe something interchangeable there? davek_964 said:
As you say, outside the cars tend to be quite a bit louder than inside. When my car has been brought back by the current service place I use, I can hear it from a long way away!
It is one advantage of the Spiders as already mentioned - rear window down does make a huge difference to the sound.
Yes I enjoyed that on my R8 Spider. So much better than having the window down as you don’t have the buffeting. It is one advantage of the Spiders as already mentioned - rear window down does make a huge difference to the sound.
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