The McLaren 720S is a sports car designed and made by McLaren Automotive. It is the second all-new car in the McLaren Super Series, replacing the 650S from May 2017. It was launched at the Geneva Motor Show on 7 March 2017 and built on a modified carbon monocoque that is lighter and stiffer than the 650S’s.
McLaren 720S at a glance
| Maker | McLaren Automotive, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Launched | Geneva Motor Show, 7 March 2017 |
| Replaced | 650S, from May 2017 |
| Engine | M840T 4.0 L (3,994 cc) twin-turbo V8 |
| Power | 720 PS (710 hp) at 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 770 N·m (568 lb·ft) at 5,500 rpm |
| Chassis | carbon MonoCage II, 18 kg lighter than the 650S tub |
| Suspension | Pro-active Chassis Control II, 16 kg lighter |
| Newness | 91% new compared with the 650S |
| Doors | dihedral |
| Same tub used in | Senna, Speedtail, Elva |
English Wikipedia is the only source used here, so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source; figures are the maker’s claims.
History of the McLaren 720S
A new Super Series
The 720S was the first all-new car in McLaren’s plan to launch 15 new cars by 2022, and McLaren says it is 91% new compared with the 650S. Its M840T engine is an evolution of the 650S’s M838T: a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 whose rated 720 PS gives the car its name, with 770 N·m of torque.
Chassis and interior
The carbon tub, called MonoCage II, follows the principle of the P1’s MonoCage but is 18 kg lighter and allows dihedral doors with large cutouts and slimmer roof pillars for better visibility; the same tub underpins the Senna, Speedtail and Elva. The Pro-active Chassis Control II suspension uses accelerometers and pressure sensors in the dampers and findings from a PhD course at the University of Cambridge. Inside, Alcantara, Weir leather and carbon-fibre trim are standard, with a Bowers & Wilkins system and carbon racing seats as options, and a digital display behind the wheel that retracts to a thin screen in track mode.
Design and features
- Tub: MonoCage II, lighter than the 650S.
- Suspension: active, with sensors in each damper.
- Display: a retracting driver screen for track mode.
McLaren 720S versions
- 720S (2017): the coupé.
- 720S Spider and GT3X: shown in photographs; not described in the source read for this page.
More McLaren cars are in our McLaren collection and more supercars in Exotic Cars.
Sources
- McLaren 720S, English Wikipedia: specifications
