2019 Mclaren 720s

The 2019 McLaren 720S can be configured in three ways - Base, Luxury, and Performance. The Base has every functional thing that can be, and is required, in a supercar like this while the Luxury betters in terms of the materials used inside and the Performance gets performance-oriented parts that help in shaving some crucial milliseconds off the lap times. 

There are no packages on offer with the 720S but McLaren does offer some options that could be added onto the car to increase the utility, but mostly remains for the styling aspect of it. The car maker has a separate department for the customizations called McLaren Special Operations (MSO) that takes care of all the unique combinations and trims that one wants. 

Which trim should you buy?

If a McLaren 720S is the option that you’ve considered, we recommend the base coupe that has each and everything that is expected from a supercar like this, after which, the other trims are just a pickfest of features added on to justify the price premium. 

The McLaren 720S has a lot of heritage and decades of engineering put into its twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 that pumps out a massive 710 horsepower and a massive 568 lb-ft of torque which is sent to the rear wheels only, with no option of AWD. This engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that is responsible for maintaining the shifts around the corners and also keeps a healthy amount of revs to save those precious milliseconds. 

Despite having a significant power deficit, the Porsche 911 Turbo S decimates the others with its impressive and eye-boggling launch that sends it to 60 MPH in just 2.2 seconds! Part of this can also be the torque advantage that the Flat-6 configuration gives it, that too at very low RPMs which the PDK launches effortlessly to the tarmac. Coming close to this figure is the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ with a screaming naturally aspirated V12 behind it. 

How well does the 2019 McLaren 720S handle?

Putting the suspension in the comfiest setting does help in city conditions, and makes it a little more absorbing but it still remains stiff for driving nonetheless. The road noise is very much present, along with all the small irregularities that the driver feels through his/her butt. The exhaust seems to drone on and on because of its placement, and when driving at a very stable speed. Drop the gear and the exhaust comes to life with pops and crackles out the rear, and a very violent acceleration that pushes the driver into the seat. 

On the track, the 720S feels at-home. The steering is super precise and the thin steering wheel means the grip is good which later becomes crucial for fantastic control. The dual-clutch gearbox shifts like crazy and keeps the next gear ready, at an instant. The brakes are grabby and the experience is immense, helping the car turn into corners effortlessly. The steering response is immediate and one can feel what’s going on underneath the car. The punch from the engine makes it seem that it is always on boost due to the close ratios and the shorter gearing. Whatever the case may be, there is always a grin on the driver’s face in terms of driver’s engagement!

Braking Performance

The 2019 McLaren 720S comes with carbon-ceramic discs on all four wheels, measuring 15.3 inches in the front and 15.0 inches on the rear. These rotors are fitted with more powerful six-piston calipers which provide immense stopping power coupled with the active aero spoiler at the rear. The speed is shed so fast that one should be thankful for seat belts to hold them in place.

The Lamborghini Aventador has the biggest rotors in the segment and, needless to say, is equipped with similar equipment as the others in the comparison today. The setup does a fantastic job which is very evident - posting the shortest braking time with the highest curb weight. The McLaren ties with the Ferrari in this - both being the latest to drop their anchors. 

This parameter doesn’t apply to this segment of cars since the one who can afford such a car can easily live with the fuel bills - given the performance and exclusivity of all these cars. But for the sake of it, the McLaren 720S is as fuel-efficient as a supercar can get with an EPA rating of 15 MPG in the city, 22 MPG on the highway for a combined figure of 22 MPG from its 16 gallon fuel tank. 

Relatively speaking, the McLaren posts the highest fuel-economy figures of all the cars in the competition but remains short in the range due to the smaller fuel tank, which gives a decent MPG on the highway. The Aventador SVJ being the oldie it is, is the least economical but the V12’s screaming exhaust note makes up for that.

The 2019 McLaren 720S is as a supercar should be. The doors open upwards and the seats are leather-wrapped. These bolstering on the seats is meant to stick the occupants’ butt to the seats while the driver goes crazy around some corners, or a long winding road. These seats have contrast stitching on them and look beautiful. The door panels are bare minimal as they have to open upwards, but still boast of leather and carbon fiber trim on the switches. 

The dashboard has nothing other than carbon fiber trim and the centre console has a vertical infotainment screen, which we’ll talk about in a bit, along with some controls and knobs around it. The traction control switches feel stripped out of a plane. 

Since the interior dimensions of none of the cars are public yet, discussing which one is more spacious is pointless. Just knowing that the Porsche has a bigger cabin than the rest gives an idea of the interior space it has. Talking of the cargo space on offer, the 720S has the most but seeing objectively, it isn’t sufficient for trips. Having said that, some of the interior features available on the 720S are:

• Power-adjustable sports seats
• Sport leather steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic air conditioning
• Full Alcantara simulated suede headliner
• Front center armrest
• Air filtration
• Compass

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2019 McLaren 720S comes equipped with a 7-inch high definition touchscreen powered by McLaren’s IRIS infotainment system that houses controls for the climate control as well. This takes up the bottom part of the screen, leaving the rest for the other operations like navigation. The navigation system works flawlessly but does stutter sometimes. The other settings in the infotainment system include connectivity options, radio & media, phone, vehicle settings, and lighting. These options add a lot to the functionality to a car otherwise not made for being practical. 

The system comes fitted with a 4-speaker system as standard, along with AM/FM, media player, USB connectivity, Bluetooth telephony, AUX input, voice control for infotainment, 2 LCD monitors, and a regular amplifier fitted for the music. That being said, the most highlighting features of this system are:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Navigation
• 4-speaker system
• Bluetooth
• USB and AUX input
• McLaren IRIS infotainment system
• Amplifier

The front of the McLaren 720S has a couple of very prominent air intakes, which also have the headlight and the indicator baked into them. Apart from that, there are a couple of vents on the bumper as well, with the company’s logo on the hood. The frunk lid is rather stylish and has lines and creases to aid in the overall aerodynamics. On the side, all the vents and scoops are functional and aid in reducing the aerodynamic drag. The rearview mirror is door-mounted and the glass roof add another styling feature to the already eye-candy car. 

The rear end of the car is a news in itself with the monstrous exhaust pipes coming out of the centre, right between the two headlights - which are rather thin LED strips that go with the design well. The adaptive wing adds another styling + performance flair to the car, along with the rear diffusers. 

The Aventador has the most length and is also the widest but when it comes to the height, the roof is rather low which, on the other hand, also eats up into the headroom of the car. The 911, on the other hand, has loads of headroom and the shorter wheelbase helps around the corners as well due to the engine’s placement. The McLaren sits right in the middle but being mid-engined helps a lot in the corners and keeps the weight well-balanced. That being said, some of the highlighting exterior features are:

• 19-inch alloys
• Clearcoat paint
• T-Bar composite 1st row sunroof
• Carbon fiber power folding heated side mirrors
• Light tinted glass
• Rain detecting fixed interval wipers
• Power spoiler
• Projector beam LED Headlamps 
• LED Brakelights
• Laminated glass

Being a supercar, the McLaren 720S is based on a light-weight platform which is meant to keep the weight down while not compromising on agility while negotiating the corners. With that, the 720S also comes equipped with all the necessary active and passive safety features on board but the driver-assistance features remain scarce. Some of the safety features onboard include:

• Cruise control
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 
• Roll Stability Control (RSC)
• Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Driveline Traction Control
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Restricted Driving Mode
• Back-Up Camera

There are no crash-test results due to the low volume-high value nature of the McLaren 720S but seeing practically, the car is very safe as per track standards and have very superior chassis integrity incase of mishaps. That being said the safety features do make up for the absence of driver-aids on the car. 

2019 Mclaren 720S Vs. 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 

The Aventador still remains the most visually menacing cars of them all and looks fiercer than the McLaren, on a very impressive note. That, combined with the exhaust note, makes the SVJ the perfect combination for someone who loves showing off and prefers a bit more symphony. The 720S is very agile, has better fuel economy, better cargo capacity, and a more comfortable cabin as compared to the Lamborghini while also clocking lower time in the quarter-mile.

2019 Mclaren 720S Vs. Ferrari 488 Pista 

Both the cars have similar engine configurations and very similar power and torque figures but the way the Ferrari is tuned, it takes clear win in the straight line. The 488 also possesses a more posh interior and is faster around the corner as well, by not a lot though. Both the cars offer similar fuel economy, with the McLaren taking the edge on highway range and also on the futuristic looks.

2019 Mclaren 720S Vs. Porsche 911 Turbo S 

The German accelerates like a missile! The launch is perfect and the PDK transmission is one of the most accurate gearboxes out there which is very well-known for blistering launches and crisp shifts. It is also roomier than the McLaren but doesn’t come close to its wow factor, and also to the highway range despite having two cylinders less. 

Our take is, if you have the money, then yes. The 2019 McLaren 720S is a perfect combination of what the rivals have to offer in terms of performance, looks, interior quality, and practicality. The 720S is blistering fast around corners and does a decent job in the city as well and when on the highway, it is at home with a very decent highway range and fuel-economy. The driver-aids are rather scarce but that is deliberate to increase driver engagement but apart from that, the 720S is loaded with all the safety tech expected from a car of this calibre, making it the most ideal offering in the segment.