McLaren 720S review

The changes help to make the 720S the lightest Super Series car yet, with a dry weight of 1283kg. Brimmed with fluids, it was measured by us at 1420kg. That’s 135kg lighter than the 488 GTB we tested last year.

The McLaren is significantly more powerful than its Ferrari rival, too. Compared with the previous 3.8-litre V8, Woking claims 40 percent of the latest engine is new, including lighter pistons and connecting rods, the turbochargers and intercoolers, and a stiffer crankshaft.

The slight increase in capacity to 4.0 litres is the result of a 3.6mm increase in piston stroke. The result is 710bhp at 8200rpm and 500bhp per tonne. Peak torque is only marginally superior to the Ferrari’s, at 568lb ft, although 400lb ft per tonne is also a noticeable improvement on Maranello’s figures.

As before, the power arrives at the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Also carried over, albeit in a revised format, is the chassis control system, which removes the need for anti-roll bars by hydraulically interlinking the dampers.

The bulk of the revisions are located in the control strategy, where the algorithms assessing the input of 12 additional sensors are the product of research carried out at Cambridge University and render both analysis and reaction to wheel motion within two milliseconds.

Engineering into infinitesimal margins is McLaren’s race-bred speciality, but the manufacturer has its microscope fixed on the fun, too: Variable Drift Control, a component of the stability system
not entirely dissimilar to Ferrari’s Side Slip Control 2, now features for the first time.  

It’s less prone to understeer than the 650S, and when it slides, it does so with more ease, breaking away more controllably and predictably. Partly that’s McLaren’s brake steer at work, allowing more power to an outside wheel to overcome grip. Partly it’s just that there is a shedload more power and torque to overwhelm the back end.

Ultimately, the 488 GTB is that bit more immediate again in its response to throttle inputs, due to what feels like sharper throttle response, plus the fact that its e-differential can more effectively meter power between the back wheels.

To that extent, it’s more liberated, more of a hooligan, but the 720S almost matches it in this regard now, and it is the more composed and involving road car as well.

Unlike the 650S, the 720S feels like it’s rotating around its middle — like the pivot point is ahead or right next to you. The 650S never felt like that.

Whereas the 650S wanted to be driven its way, the 720S is much more liberated, accommodating and involving.

There’s less understeer than in the 650S, and its ability to change direction is never in question. It’s the most agile car in this class bar none.

When it does start to slide, it depends on how you entered the corner as to which end does it first. If you turned in on a trailed brake, the back starts to come around predictably and as a precursor to something else.

Full ESC is neatly judged. Half ESC gives you enough slip. All off and Variable Drift Control acts like a traction control and will allow slip from ‘barely noticeable’ to ‘wahey’. But switching everything off is still the most satisfying, if not the fastest.