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Coming soon: McLaren 750S
McLaren claims the new 750S represents ‘peak supercar’, and perhaps the last blast for its purely petrol-powered models
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 27 April 2023 | 0 min read
McLaren has already embraced electrification with the plug-in Artura in its battle with arch rival Ferrari and its own hybrid models like the 296 GTB. But this new 750S is a more traditional supercar, relying on a purely petrol-powered and turbocharged engine to unleash even more performance from the 720S on which it is based.
Lighter than a Lotus Emira but with nearly twice the horsepower, the 750S isn’t short on tech but the way it deploys its performance through the rear wheels is thrillingly raw in an age of clever electrically-assisted all-wheel drive systems and other trickery. The numbers are astonishing as well, the 750 horsepower meaning 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and 0-124mph in just 7.2. That’s over a second faster than the Artura, despite the latter’s electric boost.
Lighter than a Lotus Emira but with nearly twice the horsepower, the 750S isn’t short on tech but the way it deploys its performance through the rear wheels is thrillingly raw in an age of clever electrically-assisted all-wheel drive systems and other trickery. The numbers are astonishing as well, the 750 horsepower meaning 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and 0-124mph in just 7.2. That’s over a second faster than the Artura, despite the latter’s electric boost.
While at first glance the looks are pretty similar to the 720S it replaces McLaren says nearly a third of the parts are new, with particular emphasis on carbon fibre to slash kilos and improve the already spectacular power to weight ratio. These include carbon-shelled seats and the lightest wheels ever fitted to a roadgoing McLaren, while further improvements to the already impressive aerodynamics mean more downforce to keep it planted through high-speed turns.
Detail improvements to suspension, steering and more aim to sharpen the already lightning responses of the previous car, the 750S promising to deliver on McLaren’s traditional driver-focused vibe. New features include a McLaren Control Launcher – or MCL – bundling all your favourite settings from the many and various modes for the engine, gearbox, suspension and active aero into a single button. Upgraded track brakes based on those used by the ultra-extreme McLaren Senna are an option while, for more real-world driving, the improved nose lift system now operates in half the time (just four seconds) to avoid embarrassing scraping of the carbon fibre nose when traversing speed bumps or steep car park ramps. Oh, and CarPlay is now standard. Begging the question why wasn’t it before… Also available as a Spider version with a retractable hardtop roof panel, the 750S is a thrilling riposte to the heavy, over-complicated nature of some hybrid rivals and could yet deliver on McLaren’s promise of ‘peak supercar performance’ in a spectacular last blast for purely internal combustion powered models.
Detail improvements to suspension, steering and more aim to sharpen the already lightning responses of the previous car, the 750S promising to deliver on McLaren’s traditional driver-focused vibe. New features include a McLaren Control Launcher – or MCL – bundling all your favourite settings from the many and various modes for the engine, gearbox, suspension and active aero into a single button. Upgraded track brakes based on those used by the ultra-extreme McLaren Senna are an option while, for more real-world driving, the improved nose lift system now operates in half the time (just four seconds) to avoid embarrassing scraping of the carbon fibre nose when traversing speed bumps or steep car park ramps. Oh, and CarPlay is now standard. Begging the question why wasn’t it before… Also available as a Spider version with a retractable hardtop roof panel, the 750S is a thrilling riposte to the heavy, over-complicated nature of some hybrid rivals and could yet deliver on McLaren’s promise of ‘peak supercar performance’ in a spectacular last blast for purely internal combustion powered models.
