Well! It's March, and that means it's time for the Geneva International Motor show. I, along with many other car people, get excited to see what car companies have been working on over the past year or so.
The show does have that wow factor compared to other shows; you know it's popular, 'because it's be going for 87 years'.
But let's get on with why I'm writing this blog; this blog is going to be about the new McLaren 720S which is the 2nd generation in their Super Series. The 720S is the successor to the 650S; the 650S origins goes right back to MP4-12C. McLaren after only six years of road car manufacturing has taken all the things they have learnt in that time and poured all that knowledge into the 720S.
My first reaction after seeing it all over social media was yeah I liked it, but will it grow on me. The main thing that that jumped out at me was the nose and the head lights, the rear end it looks heaps better than the 650S rear end. The 1st photos and videos didn't do it justice, but after looking through the official media release from McLaren, and looking through some videos on YouTube, I've become a fanboy.
MP4-12C
650S
I've been lucky enough to have sat in a McLaren 540C at the Bathurst 12 Hour last month. The feeling I got sitting there was fantastic because it just feels so natural. McLaren puts the driver first when designing their cars, then build the vehicle around them. I've sat in one other supercar, that wasn't a McLaren, and it didn't give me the same feeling.
Me falling love with the 540C
Anyway, that's enough of me rabbiting on let's get into some of the specifications of the 720S. Well, to be called the 720S is all to do with the twin-turbo charged 4.0-litre V8 engine producing 720hp or 536kw and 770Nm of torque. This amount of power helps the 720S go from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds and then heads onto a top speed of 341km/h. The 720s also comes with a 7-speed transmission.
McLaren's second generation super series all starts with their carbon fibre monocage which makes it lighter than the 650S. The new monocage also gives the 720S more interior space and a new interior; which is a step up compared the 650S. I've seen this YouTube clip from McLaren that shows the new driver display. It can go from a full screen which can then fold away for race mode, how cool is that! But I can't forget the all import aerodynamics which is the new frontier with today's supercars. The 720S has no visible radiator intakes which made me read the press release very carefully. To understand how that would work with no intakes, I watched McLaren's design video on the 720S. The key to this concept is the 720S has 'double-skin dihedral doors' which aerodynamically channel air to the radiators through a door duct. So, problem solved thanks to those kick arse doors. That great sounding V8 will keep on keeping on with no problems thanks to some excellent engineering.
For me so far the McLaren 720S is the standout at the Geneva International Motor show. McLaren's founder, Bruce McLaren, would be very proud of the company that still bears his surname all these years later. He was a pioneer back when he was racing, and the McLaren Automotive Company is still embracing that spirit with the McLaren 720S.
Image Gallery Below:
All images © 2017 McLaren Automotive Limited.