These
may be more the exception to than the rule, but some sequels have been known to
surpass the originals. And that's what McLaren is going for with the
introduction of the new 720S at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.
What you see here is a completely new
model – and McLaren's first real effort at entirely replacing one of its
celebrated supercars.
Like its predecessors and stablemates, it's built
around a carbon monocoque, with a twin-turbo V8 mounted behind two seats and
driving the rear wheels. But those building blocks have all been reworked, and
so has everything else around them.
The engine that displaces 3.8 liters
in the 650S has been enlarged to a nice
round 4.0. It's also been fitted with new twin-scroll turbochargers and lighter
internal components – 41 percent of which have been replaced from the previous
version.
Output has increased as a result to 710 horsepower
and 568 lb-ft of torque. In and of itself, that's already enough to embarrass
the new Lamborghini Huracan Performante and the Ferrari 488 GTB by both
measures, and by some margin. You'd need to step up to a
twelve-cylinder supercar like the new Ferrari 812 Superfast or Lamborghini
Aventador S to exceed those figures.
Impressive, but there's more to McLaren's latest
than its output. The power-to-weight ratio is further optimized by a lighter monocoque chassis and
other weight-reduced components that keep the lightest dry weight down to
2,828.5 pounds, and the curb weight (with fluids) to 3,128 – several hundred
less than either the 488 or the Huracan.
The 720S has some neat tricks up its sleeve, too. A
“welcome sequence” deploys the mirrors, sweeps up the indicator lights,
switches on welcome lights, and illuminates the engine bay as the driver
approaches. Open the butterfly door and it deploys the Folding Driver Display,
which can be used under way in either full array or in a
There's a Variable Drift Control system (ostensibly
like the Drift Mode in the Ford Focus RS), and a reprogrammed Proactive Chassis
Control II system based on algorithms researched at the University of
Cambridge. Other features we loved from the 650S are still present, including
the quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the precise
electro-hydraulic power steering, hard-gripping carbon-ceramic brakes, brake
steer system, and the magnetorheological damper that does away with traditional
anti-roll bars.
The whole thing is enveloped in fresh aluminum
bodywork that ushers in a new, more fluid design language for the brand –
though part of us liked the old one better. The minimal surface vents (which
still improve cooling by 15 percent) and teardrop-shaped greenhouse remind us
somewhat of the Pagani Huayra, and promise improved outward visibility.
Meanwhile the interior (trick displays aside) is designed to be more luxurious
and ergonomic than any McLaren before.
The sum total of everything McLaren has put into the new 720S is positively blistering performance. The
manufacturer cites a 0-60 time of just 2.8 seconds, a quarter-mile in 10.3, and
a top speed of 212 miles per hour. That ought to make for quite the followup
act, and a sequel that looks poised to completely overshadow its predecessor –
not to mention the competition.
