The superlative supercar
More so than any other segment, the domain of the supercar is defined by one-upmanship and sheer outrageousness. Flamboyance, power, beauty: these wares inspire us to aspire towards making bedroom posters a reality. On the McLaren side of life, the philosophy is a little different. The name may not readily emerge from the mouths of babes when asked what their dream car is. They are likely to say “Ferrari” or “Lamborghini” first. Instead of going for in-your-face exuberance, McLaren is unashamed in its mandate to build relatively subdued machines that aim to hush the laws of physics. It wants to showcase engineering prowess rather than endorse out-and-out peacocking — although you will enjoy your fair share of the latter in the 720S, with its dihedral doors and future-forward exterior skin. Which, by the way, the carmaker says features not a single superfluous styling cue. Each exaggerated duct and swooping curvature serves a purpose. Sounds like a stock phrase lifted from the textbook of automotive design, you might say. McLaren will counter by stating that its new car boasts twice the aerodynamic efficiency of the 650S it replaces. No way to measure that for certain, but we can tell you that the 720S is quite something to pilot at speed. A session at our chosen proving ground of Midvaal Raceway in Meyerton, Gauteng, had us exhausting the inventory of superlatives. This thing is unflappable, taut and utterly brilliant in the way it attacks the kinks of a circuit and beats them into submission. It is safe to say that the model, which occupies the Super Series tier of the McLaren hierarchy, will shatter your expectations of how an authentic performance car ought to behave. Its serpent-on-acid nimbleness is partly owed to its weight. Despite the imposing silhouette and potent eight-cylinder engine, the 720S is almost as light as a burp in a brown paper bag. OK, that might be going too far — its mass is roughly equivalent to that of a compact luxury hatchback, at around 1 322kg. That is largely thanks to the intensive use of that miraculous stuff, carbon fibre: the material constitutes the chassis and upper structure. Get the launch control function going and the twin-turbocharged 3994cc mill will thrust you to 100km/h in as little as 2.9 seconds. Keep your foot flat and you will see 200km/h from standstill in about 7.8 seconds. Luckily, its carbon ceramic brakes will help you get from 100km/h to nil in roughly the same time it takes to accelerate there: 2.8 seconds, according to McLaren. Attempting that, you feel the immense brutality of inertia pulling organs, bone and flesh forwards — as if literally being sucked through a vortex. Time travel could very well be possible in this car, if you point it in the right direction. We tried so over multiple stints up and down the back straight of the circuit, running out of space well before reaching its highest, seventh gear. If you fancy yourself a bit of an anorak then you simply need to pore over the technical overview of the 720S, available to download off the McLaren Cars website. The extent of engineering it boasts is spellbinding and is bound to imbue you with new respect for the automaker. But this is not the pinnacle of its abilities. Remember, McLaren has a tier above this Super Series category, the Ultimate Series. The model set to occupy that space is under development, code-named BP23. This is the great thing about progress. It never stops!
SPECS
Engine: 3994cc, twin-turbocharged, V8 Power: 537kW Torque: 770Nm Gearbox: Seven-speed, dual-clutch Weight: 1322kg 0-100km/h: 2.9 seconds (Claimed) Top speed: 341km/h