power-tilting digital instrument display,
which folds down to reveal a minimal revs-
and-speed readout when the car is put into
Track mode.
McLaren has previously proved capable
of engineering an impressive breadth of
differences into its range of cars, all of
which share the same core architecture. But
the 720S manages to pull off an even neater
trick, combining the qualities of pretty
much the entire range. It’s a greatest hits
collection: as civilised as the 570GT when
cruising yet faster than the seminal track-
spec 675LT on a circuit. This is a car with
more bandwidth at its disposal than Telstra.
First impressions come close to
underwhelming. Both of the dynamic
mode switches – one for Powertrain and
one for Handling – now have Comfort
mode far-left in place of the previous
Normal, and with this engaged the 720S
becomes almost too civilised – the ride is
exceptionally pliant, even on the lowest
quality tarmac of the Italian launch route I
could find, the dual-clutch gearbox does a
good impression of a slusher auto and the
engine delivers solid urge without raising
its voice. It feels a bit too effortless for
something so supposedly potent.Don’t worry, the furniture-chewing side
of the 720S’s split personality is never more
than a flexed toe away. This V8 feels slightly
more turbocharged than the 3.8-litre unit,
the forces are higher and it takes a fraction
longer to gather momentum, especially with
less than 3000rpm showing on the tacho.
But once on boost it pulls like it should
be wearing numbers on the doors. The
engine is happy all the way to the 8500rpm
limiter – deliriously so – but although it
sounds better than its predecessors, it still
lacks the vocal range of the Ferrari 488 or
(especially) the Lamborghini Huracan.
The steering is superb. McLaren has stuck
with hydraulic assistance and the wheel
retains much of the low-speed chatter that
electric systems filter out as unwanted
noise, while weighting up nicely when
required to deliver real grip-or-slip feel.
While the toweringly high limits will rarely
be encountered on the road, the Macca still
delivers plenty of sensation when being
given a moderate dose of whip.
But to experience the 720S at more than
a scant percentage of its potential it needs
a track. Which is why McLaren laid on the
Vallelunga circuit near Rome. Faster use
confirmed it could compress the track’slongest straight as easily as it squeezes
internal organs into interesting new shapes
under both longitudinal and lateral loadings.
It can’t match the hair-trigger response of
the 675LT, which was pretty much a road-
legal racer, but it does feel much more
stable under braking and less skittish under
power, lapping at huge speed while barely
breaking a sweat. It can generate smoke for
the cameras on demand – there’s even a drift
mode for the not-so-handy – but its greatest
skill is just going enormously quickly. Haydn
Baker, the 720S program manager, says that
his car is actually faster than the 675LT
on track, and would even beat the 673kW
McLaren P1 around most circuits. That
fact alone sums up the astonishing rate of
progress Woking is making.
But is this the car that you lust after
above and beyond any of its rivals? The
720S has certainly earned its spot on any
lottery wish list it finds itself on. It’s more
involving, more exciting and better looking
than the 650S, a technical tour de force
that offers an unprecedented spread of
skills. It might not excite quite the level of
emotional passion of its Italian rivals, but
there’s little doubt it will spank them on
track in a fair fight.THE FURNITURE-CHEWING SIDE OF THE 720S IS
NEVER MORE THAN A FLEXED TOE AWAY