McLaren invited us to the Nevada desert to show off its latest supercar. This is the 750S, and it’s arrived to replace the 720S. That’s a tall order to fill. So, we will push it on the road and the track to see what it’s all about.
Let’s run through the stats so you know what we’re dealing with here.
What’s under the hood of the 2024 McLaren 750S?
A twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine sits behind the passenger compartment. This mid-mounted mill pairs with a 7-speed paddle-shiftable gearbox and sends the power to massive rear wheels.
You’re working with 740 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque at full crack. You’re also working with tremendous noise because the center-exit stainless exhaust is tuned for a greater range of sound dynamics.
Also see: I got to drive the new McLaren Artura supercar—here’s what I learned about myself, cars and…cows
Where does the 750S fit in the McLaren lineup?
McLaren built this car off the starting point, that was the 720S. And that is an all-time great car. At the other end of the scale, you have the 765LT, which is such a wild machine, that when I drove it, I thought perhaps there should be another level of license required to own one.
The goal with the 750S, per McLaren’s words, was to create a vehicle with increased performance but also increased engagement over the 720S it replaces. The result is the lightest and most powerful series-production car the brand has ever produced.
The springs are lighter, while the setup is softer up front and stiffer out back. The front track is six millimeters wider. The rear wing has a greater surface area for increased downforce, but it’s also lighter compared to the one on the 720S. It can also behave like an air brake under hard braking or lie down under hard acceleration to act like a sort of drag reduction system (DRS).
Read: Why BYD is rolling out a $233,000 ‘supercar’ even as Tesla and Rivian try selling cheaper EVs
How fast is the 2024 McLaren 750S?
Let’s run through the hard and fast numbers that come from McLaren. There are 2.7 seconds between 0-60 mph. Going from 0 to 124 mph takes 7.2 seconds in the coupe; the Spider comes in a tenth slower. And, if you want to go from 0 to 186 mph, you can get there in under 20 seconds in the coupe or just over 20 seconds in the Spider.
Check out: Lamborghini is now making an off-road supercar. (But won’t it get dirty?)
What makes the 2024 McLaren 750S great?
But if you’re shopping for a supercar, you may see specs like that on other vehicles. So why the 750S? Despite its maniacal styling, vertical doors, and mediocre amount of storage, it’s going to give you the best driving experience you’re likely to find at this level.
In the world of the supercar, the 750S stands out as a car that is exceptionally excellent on a race track yet also easily drivable by folks at all skill levels. The beginner can go out and have a blast while the pro can destroy apexes, shatter lap records, and push as hard as they can because the 750S has no intentions of letting up.
How much is the 2024 McLaren 750S?
Oh, and Apple
AAPL,
CarPlay is now standard and easily viewable on the improved center screen — if that helps factor into your purchasing decisions. Nice of them to throw that in on a vehicle that starts around $331,000 for the coupe or $352,000 for the Spider. And, if you’re ordering one, you know they don’t actually cost that much. They cost a lot more once you start stacking up the options.
Also see: The 2024 Chevy Corvette review: It’s all about the E-Ray, the fastest Corvette ever
This Mantis Green 750S Spider that I’m driving is actually just under $500,000. So if you’re going to spend this much money on a car, shouldn’t you buy the best one? That’s what we have here with the McLaren 750S.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
Read the full article here
