When McLaren unleashed the 720S into the world, it seemed to break the supercar mold. Almost nothing could touch it, dynamically. It reigned, proudly as king of the supercars, that is, until the 765LT was created. That car took things to the extreme as it stands as the ultimate version of the “7” cars from McLaren. The mad scientists then took learnings from the 765LT and trickled that down to the “base” car they now call 750S.
Bending Space-Time
Overall speed is one thing, but the magic of supercars is in their ability to respond to inputs with lightning quick reactions. The car masks speed so well, but I could definitely feel what’s going on when I really started to push it. The steering is hydraulic but remains super-quick to respond. It makes placing the car at speed very predictable. Thankfully so, since reaction times require you to make the tiniest of decisions with haste. The gearbox is ridiculously quick and snappy. Shifts are a physical assault on your spine when under heavy load. This is the type of visceral experience I expect from a supercar.
The way the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 delivers all 740 horsepower is more impressive than the number itself. This car is ferocious, violent, terrifying even. It’s unsettling, but so damn addicting. I often wonder how McLaren does it so well considering they are dead-set on having their cars rear-wheel-drive only. A mix of algorithms, weight balance, tire technology, and other clever mechanical systems mixed with software must have been precisely tuned to allow for a punch in the face of physics. It just doesn’t seem possible that the 750S can accelerate so intensely and consistently every time you ask it to. There’s no guess work. You just put your foot down and it goes really idiotically fast. I think I used launch control maybe twice. It just didn’t seem necessary, since the overall result is pretty much the same as just planting your foot on the go-fast pedal.
Behind The Wheel
Being Inside a McLaren is like what I imagine being inside of a spaceship is like. The brand really played into the futuristic vibe. It’s not overly complicated, but it does feel like its the right mix of racy and exotic. You can get pretty imaginative with the options as most cars at this level are MSO examples. I love the signature McLaren orange seat belts and contrast stitching. There’s alcantara everywhere. The infotainment isn’t bursting with features but they use their own interface which operates and looks very clean and appropriately McLaren. I like the steering wheel and metal paddles that act like a giant rocker switch fixed in the middle of the steering wheel. This means you can technically push or pull either paddle. I think my favorite thing about the interior though is the throttle and brake pedals, or rather, how they work.
McLaren pays extraordinary attention to detail about their cars perform and even something like the brake pedal, how heavily you have to push into it gives an impression of “racecar”. The gear selector buttons, layered and individual aside from the orange engine start button elevate the experience in a way that makes the driver interact just that little bit more. The mix of organic and futuristic design is easy for the brain to process, but is executed in a way that almost justifies the sky-high price you’d be paying. I appreciate McLaren’s straightforward gauge cluster design for ease of use, but in a car this special, it’s frankly, really boring. I’m missing the analog center tachometer of the MP4-12C. Something more interesting than a video game-like cluster would help make this car even more of an occasion. Overall though, it’s a wonderful place in which to pilot one or the quickest cars on the road.
An Evolution Not A Revolution
No, the 750S isn’t a clean-sheet design, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The 720S was an instant legend and this new car perfectly splits the difference between that car and the lessons learned from the 765LT. The styling changes are subtle, but enough to differentiate it as another special McLaren. After all, the weight of the supercar gold standard lays heavy on McLaren, especially after shocking the world with the 720S. Thankfully, the 750S is another notch up in the craziness. The variable drift control goes to 11, actually, it goes to 15! That’s right, you can have 15 different levels of hooliganism at the flip of a switch. The handling, overall, is just that bit sharper from its predecessor. More track influence, more power, just a little bit more of everything, even though it wasn’t really necessary. This is the McLaren way.
Styling changes although minimal are very quietly present. The aero has been fine-tuned, and you can see that in both the front and rear bumpers. The wheel options are different. More of them are available, and designs have become more stylistic, less stoic than before. Lastly, the exhaust outlets have now been combined into one central outlet, again more akin to that of the 765LT. Thankfully the same skittles color palette remains, and McLaren is steadfast on making each car unique, encouraging customers to let their imagination run wild in both options and color combinations.
No Hybrid, But No Nonsense Either
I’m glad I drove McLaren’s Artura first. It provided a great entry experience to the brand’s current lineup. I was blown away by its ability to deploy power so quickly and easily. If I’m honest, in the real world, it felt a bit quicker to pickup speed in situations where a quick response is requested. The electric motor gives that extra boost of torque to make the car feel lightning quick at literally any moment. The 750S, by comparison is all-engine. No hybrid, just eight cylinders and two turbos spinning their hearts away. Once spooled, the 750S simply out-muscles just about everything, including McLaren’s own Artura. What 750S “lacks” in low-end, it more than makes up for in the mid-range and top-end punch. It’s an exercise in brute force, but all that go-fast is still controlled within the sophisticated confines of McLaren’s brilliant carbon chassis and electronic vehicle control systems
The McLaren Experience
Driving a McLaren is a special experience. It’s an occasion, even if you’re driving just a couple miles down the road. First thing’s first, the ride. The way this car rides is unbelievable. Something that corners so flat and has so much stick to the road simply shouldn’t be this compliant. 750S somehow is, and especially in convertible (spider) form, the cushy ride does wonders for the overall driving experience. That experience being “the” supercar experience. The doors go up like a supercar should. The performance is seemingly endless like a supercar should be. Visually, it breaks your brain as you try to figure out the genius engineering that went into it behind the scenes, again, as a supercar should.
The seats are aggressive, but still very comfortable, easy to get into, and not overly bolstered just for the sake of “looking racy”. It’s a purpose-built machine that was meant to deliver the most astounding track and daily driving results, but in a way that’s clinically honest. Everything on the car was designed to add to the performance equation, rather than fluff-up its image in the hopes of fooling people. It’s a very serious thing that makes no excuses for shortcomings, because frankly, there are so few.