{"id":330412,"date":"2017-07-31T22:17:25","date_gmt":"2017-07-31T22:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=330412"},"modified":"2024-04-14T23:45:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T23:45:17","slug":"2017-mclaren-720s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/2017-mclaren-720s\/","title":{"rendered":"2017 McLaren 720S Press Release"},"content":{"rendered":"

McLaren\u2019s new all-scenarios \u2018Super Series\u2019 supercar, and thus the successor to the 650S and 12C. It has an all-new body design made from superformed aluminium with gullwing doors and lots of concealed vents and ducts for a smooth appearance \u2013 apart from the signature \u2018eye socket\u2019 headlamp-cum-air intakes. The bi-turbo V8 engine is bigger at 4.0-litres, developing a monster 710bhp (720ps), and the suspension is a revised version of the original \u2018Proactive Chassis Control\u2019 (PCC), with more sensors, that manages roll and pitch even more effectively. In short, it\u2019s not just a new look, it\u2019s a faster, more capable car. And it features a drift-mode, too.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The new \u2018M840T\u2019 4-litre version of the flat-plane crank V8 is the first up-sizing of the engine and is said to be 41 per cent new. Compared with the 3.8 in the 650S, power goes up almost 70bhp and torque by 68lb ft, again fed through the seven-speed dual clutch \u2018SSG\u2019 gearbox. Weight has been saved, to the tune of 18kg comparing dry weights, and performance is astonishing \u2013 0-60mph in 2.8sec (3.0sec for 650S), 0-124mph in 7.8sec and a top speed of 212mph (207mph).<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The heart of the car is the carbonfibre tub, dubbed \u2018Monocage II\u2019, which now incorporates the windscreen hoop, saving weight in a crucial area versus the metal version on previous Super Series cars. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>However, the change that should be most noticeable is to the suspension. The new control system for the cross-linked hydraulic set-up (which does without anti-roll bars) adds another ECU and a dozen more sensors to know more accurately what the car is doing and what road inputs there are. Using that information, it goes to look-up tables to determine how the car should respond. It\u2019s the fruit of a PhD project that has been in development for five years. It\u2019s said that the superior wheel control it brings improves braking to P1 levels and cornering to trackday-tyre levels, all on the latest spec \u2018everyday\u2019 P-Zero with its all-weather performance and ride-enhancing suppleness.  <\/span>
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\n<\/span>The human-machine interface is marginally improved, especially switchgear tactility, and there are certainly none of the chassis foibles that characterised the first MP4-12C and, to a lesser degree, the 650S \u2013 the sensation that there was occasionally diagonal pitching and that the car wasn\u2019t quite as firmly tied down as it could be.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The feeling that ride comfort was gained at the expense of handling was less the case with the 650S and the 720S moves things to another level with exceptional ride comfort for a supercar and the roll- and pitch-free control you\u2019d expect in the corners. It\u2019s sensationally quick and control is clean and precise, and yet it isn\u2019t as exciting as you\u2019d hope.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>A large part of this is down to the lack of an exciting engine note \u2013 just a lot of hissing and wooshing as large amounts of air are ingested, compressed and turned into power, rather than what a supercar should have, namely a thrilling, engaging engine note.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>On track, Variable Drift Control didn\u2019t seem to make slides any easier, either \u2013 you still need to be brave to initiate them and the car doesn\u2019t seem to behave consistently. Loosening the ESP control to the \u2018dynamic\u2019 setting seems to do pretty much the same job, ie not letting the car get too far out of line.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The 720S takes the Super Series car well into the \u00a3200k bracket. It costs \u00a3208,600 in base form, and there\u2019s lots you can add to make the car more bespoke. The list includes the lovely, exposed carbonfibre A-pillars on the inside, transparent panels for the gullwing doors for the full glasshouse experience and a McLaren track telemetry app. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>It makes the 661bhp Ferrari 488 GTB look like a bit of a bargain at just over \u00a3183k, especially given how it conjures more excitement from a similar engine and a remarkably adept chassis.<\/span><\/p>\n

2017 McLaren 720S Press Release<\/h2>\n

McLaren 720S revealed: full information and unpublished images of the dawn of a new era for McLaren’s Super Series<\/strong><\/p>\n

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