First drive: McLaren’s 330kph 750S supercar
McLaren’s return to the world of road cars, kicked off by the MP4-12C in 2011, has largely been a critical success. The British marque has been clinical in its consistency. The 650S and 570S, the incredible 720S, all the Long Tail ‘LT’ variants – all spectacular to drive.
The consistency makes sense when you realise that all of McLaren’s products are built around similar carbon fibre monocoque structures. McLaren has updated its core architecture over time, from the first MonoCell, to the MonoCell II, to the structure that underpins its Artura today.
But, despite producing some of the most brilliant cars in the world in the last decade, McLaren has long struggled for financial stability. So the pressure is on the 750S – McLaren 720S replacement – to not only be good, but be great.
Stuff was fortunate enough to have a fang of the 750S around Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in Waikato.
As far as that ‘being great’ metric goes, the 750S’ position as McLaren’s lightest (1277kg dry in coupe form) and most powerful (551kW/800Nm) series production creation to date certainly puts things in good stead.
At its core is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the same base hardware as in the 720S. Top speed has dropped slightly, from 341kph to 332kph. This is down to a gearing change that sees acceleration off the line improve by a tenth, to a sharp 2.8 seconds – identical to the legendary McLaren P1. Over our 10-odd laps of Hampton Downs in the 750S, we saw up to 215kph on the back straight.
In a straight line, the 750S is as explosive as you’d expect. The tightened gearing and sticky asymmetrical Pirelli P-Zero rubber made every corner exit an adventure. With its powertrain and chassis both keyed into Track Mode, it puts down all of that power cleanly with minimal fuss (with traction control enabled, anyway). The flat-plane crank V8 sounds good rowing through the gears, too – a sensation you mostly miss when driving these things on the road.
Entering the sweeping right-hander at the end of the back straight, slowing the 750S from 215kph to about 110kph and making the early apex before drifting wide, committing to feathering the throttle through the corner before flooring it when the late apex and corner exit come into view. You learn a lot about the 750S’s balance in a corner like that.
When on edge, the McLaren moves around plenty. But it’s not unwieldy. The electro-hydraulic steering package gives the driver oodles of confidence. It’s all fantastic and accessible fun.
It’s always worth acknowledging McLaren’s fabulous 7-speed SSG box, too. It’s among the quickest transmissions on the market, further complemented by the always tactile and clicky paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
Acting as a control on the day was a McLaren Artura, the brand’s plug-in hybrid turbo-six replacement for the 570S. While the Artura felt close to a match to the 750S in the corners, it would get blown away on the straights. Not surprising, given its 51kW/80Nm deficit.
The Artura also felt a little less frisky in the high-speed corners,.
It would be remiss to not acknowledge the 750’s neatly executed cabin. The central display has been updated and simplified, with the drive mode buttons moving from the centre stack to the flanks of the digital cluster display. The brand remains committed to its beautiful, buttonless steering wheels, which feel excellent in hand and are distraction free.
The ‘Speedy Kiwi’ button is a nice touch, too. Sitting where the two drive mode dials used to be in the 720S, it fasttracks drivers to their preferred settings, not unlike the M buttons in BMW’s M cars.
Pricing for the 750S Coupe begins at $529,000 before options. The 750S Roadster was also on show; its pricing starts at $585,000.
The 750S is another epic addition to the McLaren lineup. Gorgeous to look at, great to drive. A home run.
There is a little ‘but’ in the tail – and it links to McLaren’s financial theory. A common criticism of McLaren’s products is that many of them feel similar to each other. Unsurprising, given that many of them share architecture under the skin.
It doesn’t take away from how great the 750S is to drive.
Engaging, exhilarating, and – like the 720S before it – a leader in its class.
Matthew Hansen takes on Hampton Downs in one of McLaren’s fastest cars yet, the 750S.