The McLaren 750S emerges as the marque’s lightest and most powerful series production car, eschewing the hybrid complexity of its competitors for a purist approach. This supercar combines contemporary advancements with a refreshingly straightforward design ethos, avoiding excessive technical intricacies.
Instead of relying on digital enhancements for performance, the 750S boasts a potent mid-engined V8, augmented by dual turbos and a rear-drive chassis. A highlight is its rapid seven-speed gearbox, accompanied by new ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels, reflecting extensive development efforts.
McLaren’s aim with the 750S was to eclipse the excitement of the 720S while retaining its practical aspects. The vehicle is akin to three-quarters of a 765LT, but maintains the practicality of its predecessor, and its interior design is influenced by the Artura.
What the 750S offers in visual drama, it matches in driving experience – unfiltered, straightforward, and immensely powerful. The driver interaction with the steering, brakes, and chassis harks back to a more tactile era of supercar design, a quality increasingly rare in contemporary models.
Under the skin, the 750S’s 4.0-litre engine delivers 740bhp (750PS) and 800Nm of torque, propelling the car to 62mph in just 2.8 seconds. The Spider version, albeit heavier, matches the coupé in speed. Notably, the top speed in both variants is moderated for better acceleration, differing from the 720S’s gearing.
The 750S showcases lightly updated aesthetics, faster steering, larger brakes, and advanced dampers. It retains a familial resemblance to its predecessors, yet in terms of raw performance and attention to detail, it presents as a distinctly different machine – more focused and edgier, yet equally civilised on the road.
McLaren positions the 750S as a Ferrari rival, yet it emerges as a distinctly different breed of car. It possesses an open, approachable character, easier to grasp and ultimately, more enjoyable. The reduced technical complexities render it a simpler, more intuitive car to drive.
In Comfort mode, the 750S ensures a serene ride, with a quiet engine and smooth gear shifts. Sport mode heightens the exhaust sound and throttle response, with occasional flamboyant crackles from the tailpipes. Track mode fine-tunes every aspect for peak track performance, enhancing gearshift smoothness.
Options like the McLaren Senna brakes and Pirelli Trofeo tyres are available for those seeking an enhanced track experience. It’s on the circuit that the 750S truly demonstrates its full potential, epitomising McLaren’s commitment to creating vehicles that excel both in performance and driver engagement.
The 750S is refreshingly old school. The straightforward, no nonsense approach delivers all of the attributes we adored in the 720S with added punch and a welcome injection of fun and emotion. The best really has been bettered.
