But one of my original concerns,
namely, how I’d be treated by other
r oa d u s e r s , c a me t o l it t le. Ye s , y ou’d
get the occasional idiot welded to
your tail, iPhone filming away, but it
was rare. For some reason the 720S
got far less attention than the i8.
I also worried it would be so fast
that all it would ensure was that I was
always in traffic because the clear
bit s w ou ld b e de v ou r e d s o r apid l y.
In fact, so devastating is the car’s
overtaking ability, this undeniable
t r ut h i s of f s e t i n v e r y l a r ge pa r t b y
its ability to get past cars in complete
s a fe t y i n pl a c e s y ou’d s t a nd no c h a nc e
in almost anything else.
Even so, when you call for power
you don’t always get what you ask for.
Sometimes it feels merely explosively
rather than apocalyptically fast –
a nd y ou on l y ne e d t o lo ok at t he l it t le
flashing light to know why. Even on
dry, straight, smooth roads and on
vast Pirelli summer tyres, the 720S
operates at, or perhaps a little beyond,
the practical traction limits of rear-
wheel drive. To admit to the speed
at which the car has broken traction
e v e n i n s uc h b e n i g n c ond it ion s w ou ld
b e t o a d m it t o br e a k i n g t he l aw, s o
I’m not going to do it.
Instead I’ll recall just one trip, to
Geneva and back. It did 1500 miles in
two journeys, proving beyond doubt
that this is the most able supercar
I’ve driven. From Wales to Dijon I
s at i n g r e at c om for t , w it h my c r u i s e
and climate control, digital radio,
Bluetooth telephone and heated
seats. Then from Dijon to Geneva
and back, I drove a car so deft, quick,
communicative, safe and fun that the
mere thought of it, all these months
later, still raises my heart-rate.
It has been an extraordinary six
months, and while Y27 has now gone,
the memories will remain. And that,
a f t e r a l l , i s w h at l i v i n g w it h a c a r l i k e
this should deliver. And deliver it did,
better than I thought possible. And
no one i s t a k i n g t he m aw ay.
ANDREW FRANKEL
LOATHE IT
LOVE IT
NAVIGATION
McLaren has dumped its home-
grown system, but the nav is still
not exactly state of the art.
RELIABILITY
In all meaningful senses, it has been
faultless. I take its reliability as an
absolute given.
TRACTION
Even on summer rubber you often
find the full performance potential
i s r e s t ri c t e d by r e a r t y r e g ri p.
THE CHASSIS
The ability to provide class-leading
ride comfort and track car agility
when called for is unprecedented.
POWERTRAIN
More power than 95% of drivers
can use 95% of the time. Stunning,
outrageous performance.
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Performance is
outstanding even in
exalted company
Which one wo
uld you
use to carry a
nimal
feed? Yup, 72
0 S it is
Geneva^ trip^ pro
ved
the 720 S’s^ long-
distance^ creden
tials
`
The 720S operates at the practical
traction limits of rear-wheel drive
a
McLAREN 720S
MILEAGE
Mileage at start 87
Mileage at end 6422
PRICES
List price new £224,990
List price now £224,990
Price as tested £246,580
Dealer value now £200,000
Private value now £190,000
Trade value now £180,000
OPTIONS
Sports exhaust £4900, 10-spoke super-
lightweight forged alloys £4520, 360deg parking
a s s i s t a n c e £4 7 2 0 , n o s e l i f t £ 2 2 0 0 , A u r o ra B l u e
paint £1940, Stealth wheel finish £1170, McLaren
orange brake calipers £1140, steering wheel with
carbon black Alcantara rim £520, car cover £480
FUEL CONSUMPTION AND RANGE
Claimed economy 23.2mpg (WLTP)
Fuel tank 72 litre
Test average 25.4mpg
Test best 28.9mpg
Test worst 12.3mpg
Real-world range 320 miles
TECH HIGHLIGHTS
0-62mph 2.9sec
Top speed 212mph
Engine V8, 3994cc,
turbocharged, petrol
Max power 710bhp at 7500rpm
Max torque 567lb ft at 5500rpm
Transmission 7-spd dual-clutch auto
Boot 360 litres
Wheels 9.0Jx19in (f),
11.0Jx20in (r)
Tyres 245/30 ZR19 (f),
305/30 ZR20 (r)
Kerb weight 1419kg
SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS
Contract hire rate £2400pcm
CO 2 276g/km
Service costs none
Other costs none
Fuel costs £1472
Running costs inc fuel £1472
Cost per mile 23 pence
Depreciation £44,990
Cost per mile inc dep’n £7.33
Faults Headlights once refused to see around
corners
PREVIOUS REPORTS
2 0 Fe b , 6 M a r, 2 0 M a r, 3 A p r, 1 0 A p r, 1 M a y, 1 5 M a y,
29 May, 12 Jun, 3 Jul, 10 Jul, 7 Aug
TEST DATA
It’s incomprehensible
that McLaren can already
build a car of the 720’s
calibre. There’s no mainstream
supercar that puts you in such direct
contact with the road. This car wants
nothing for performance, and yet
the ergonomics (but not, alas, the
electronics) are better than most. RL
SECOND OPINION
I love the dash and the way the
information is presented, and
revolving it so it shows only a strip rev
counter, speed and fuel is great not
just for track use as intended but also
for driving in the dark. Remember
Sa a b’s ‘ n i g ht pa ne l’ t h at le f t ju s t t he
speedo to look at? Always wondered
why more didn’t do that – and now I
wonder even more.
On the downside, I always worried
about its width and damaging those
hideously expensive wheels (which
mercifully survived). And while I
happily left it in car parks overnight,
would I have done so were it actually
my money that bought the car and my
insurance that would have to pay for
any resulting damage? Probably not. D
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7 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 65