McLaren sharpens benchmark 720S with new 750S

McLaren's freshest supercar, the 750S, is also the lightest, most powerful production model in the British marque's lineup.

The 750S, a performance and styling evolution of the 720S, which it replaces, borrows design cues from other McLaren vehicles.

But the latest model is faster and lighter than the 720S. About 30 percent of components are new or changed.

"It's about taking a benchmark product and enhancing it even further," McLaren Americas boss Nicolas Brown told Automotive News. "It's just sharpening the car that much more and adding more value" via technology upgrades and three years of scheduled service included.

Automotive News first reported details of the 750S in February. At the time, a source briefed on the vehicle described it as a blend of the 720S and the more powerful and lightweight 765LT.

"This is top of the food chain without getting into Ultimate Series stuff or bespoke commissions," the source said.

The 750S will be available in both coupe and convertible variants at launch, unusual for a McLaren model line. There will be no LT (long tail) variant. The vehicle will launch in September.

The 750S coupe starts at $329,500, with the convertible carrying a $19,700 premium. Both prices include shipping.

Production will be limited but not numbered. Historically, limited-production McLaren models run in the several hundred-vehicle range.

McLaren attempted to keep product details under wraps — even sharing only the model's code-name with retailers. In that vacuum of information, rumor and speculation fueled buzz.

But McLaren die-hards weren't deterred from putting down a deposit and signing a purchase agreement on a mid-six-figure car they knew little about, let alone had seen.

Based on reservations, the 750S is sold out in the U.S. through the late third quarter of next year.

Much is riding on the 750S. Its predecessor was a workhorse for McLaren since it launched in 2017. The 720S accounted for nearly a third of McLaren's U.S. sales last year, according to the company.

Brown expects the 750S to account for about 35 percent of McLaren's Americas business next year, with the U.S. accounting for most sales.

"It's a key model and allows us to be sustainable from a profitability perspective and also for the dealers," Brown said.

In many ways, the 750S can be considered a redesign or a heavy freshen of the 720S.

Brown said the early debate around the car at headquarters in Woking, England, included introducing a new name.

"There is so much equity in the 720 name," Brown said. "There were different camps in terms of which direction to go."

The 750S carries over its predecessor's 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine with 710 hp, but it will have an additional 30 hp. The new model sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and covers a quarter-mile in up to 10.3 seconds.

McLaren said the 750S is also more agile than the car it replaces, with better front-end grip assisted by a 6-millimeter wider front track and new suspension geometry.

The suspension springs are softer at the front and stiffer at the rear than in the 720S, which helps improve ride comfort, roll control, steering feedback and cornering.

The 750S' relatively light footprint — 3,062 pounds — makes it an agile drive. But shaving 66 pounds compared with the 720S coupe required reengineering materials throughout the vehicle, starting with the carbon-fiber monocoque construction.

A new 10-spoke forged alloy wheel is the lightest ever fitted as standard on a production McLaren and delivers a 30-pound weight savings compared with the 720S. Meanwhile, carbon-fiber-shelled racing seats jettisoned 39 pounds; a new driver instrument display shed 4 pounds; and even the windshield glass trimmed 3.5 pounds.

The teardrop-shaped 750S, which has a wheelbase similar to the 720S, is designed for maximum aerodynamics, downforce and powertrain cooling.

Its styling updates include a lower nose section, an extended front splitter, larger lower-side air intakes and new rear-wheel arch vents for better cooling.

Up front, multipurpose "eye sockets" house slim headlights, LED turn signals and ducts to help cool the seven-speed transmission.

A prominent 765LT-style carbon-fiber air brake in the rear generates greater downforce and quick braking.

McLaren's newest models inspire the 750S interior.

The high-definition steering column-mounted instrument cluster is similar to the one in the Artura and Elva. It allows the driver to adjust the seat position without affecting the visibility of critical driving information. The suspension setting and driving mode switches are now on the instrument cluster bezel.

The 750S will be more customizable out of the gate, offering new exterior colors, interior materials and wheel designs.

"In the past, you'd have to go through [McLaren Special Operations] to get some of these things," the source said.