The 720S from McLaren arguably opened a new genre of supercars where one can access its savage performance any time while also being perfectly capable of driving it every day. The 720S was a 24×7 supercar with luxury car-like ride quality and useability while its feral powertrain had a flexible nature. Now, McLaren has turned up the wick yet again with the new 750S and it gets a whole host of upgrades while maintaining the appeal of the previous version. McLaren claims a lot of the 750S is new and one cursory glance reveals why since the styling has updated a bit. The basic silhouette remains the same and the alien-like front also has those ‘eye sockets’ but there are some changes here and there. Those eye sockets wrap around the headlights more and there is a longer front splitter too. Move to the side and there are new sill air intakes and rear wheel arch vents. Rear aerodynamic revisions incorporate a redesigned and lengthened rear deck that channels air towards a distinctive raised and lengthened carbon fiber active rear wing, positioned above the central-exit exhaust. You can further add many of these bits in carbon too.
Inside, the cabin has near 360-degree visibility, with a low scuttle, ultra-slim A-pillars, and on the coupe, glazed C-pillars, all bringing light into the cabin. Here, we get to see some of the Grand Tourer credentials being embedded in with new ambient lighting, Nappa leather, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system. That said, owners will most probably like the soundtrack from its 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a power of 750PS and torque of 800Nm. McLaren has also tweaked the gearing and the launch control with performance numbers looking quite stunning with a claimed 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds. Not just the powertrain though as the suspension is new along with the steering feedback plus a wider track means even more grip. Somehow McLaren has managed to shave off 30kgs from the 750S and that includes new lightweight seats and forged alloy wheels. However, in the pursuit of lightness, Mclaren has also brought in a lighter windshield glass and an instrument display. Every gram counts.
The same thought philosophy is also applied to the Spider version with its carbon fiber underpinnings and because of that, the Spider needs no additional strengthening, and changes from the coupe. The new convertible supercar weighs just 1,438kg which of course is also 30kg less than the 720S Spider. Its weight in the dry lightest guise is 1,326kg. Hence, the Spider could be seen as a better option with no changes in its dynamic abilities over the coupe.
Overall, the changes are quite significant to the 750S coupe and Spider with many of the important facets of the car being overhauled while McLaren has kept the essence same. Buyers also have the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) to spec bespoke color and trim elements. In the current supercar world, the 750S remains a committed driver’s choice for sure. Going forward, with the hybrid Artura, the 750S could be the last nonhybrid powered supercar with McLaren going for a hybrid V8 powertrain for its next generation of 750S replacements.