New McLaren 750S 2023 review: the 720's sensational replacement

The new McLaren 750S is an evolution of the 720S, and brings extra excitement

5.0 out of 5

Its 4.0-litre engine now produces 740bhp (750PS, hence the name) and 800Nm – enough to propel the car to 62mph in 2.8 seconds. The Spider weighs 49kg more, but is, to all intents and purposes, every inch as fast as the coupé. Top speed has dropped on both versions because the gearing is slightly lower and closer than it was in the 720S, to give better acceleration.

Elsewhere, the 750S has been heavily revised with lightly updated looks inside and out, plus faster steering, bigger brakes and uprated dampers. The overall effect is deeply effective. You can tell the 750S comes from the same gene as before, but in its detail – and especially raw performance – it feels like a very different machine. One that drives with more focus, more edge, yet is as civilised as a 720S on the road.

That’s a strong cocktail of attributes, and although McLaren sees the 750S as a rival to the similarly priced Ferrari, in reality it has produced a totally different kind of car. One with a more open and more approachable personality that’s easier to understand and, ultimately, enjoy. There are certainly fewer technical complexities to get your head round, and that makes it a simpler car to drive.

In Comfort mode, the ride is calm, the V8 engine relatively quiet and the gearchanges smooth. In Sport, the exhaust gets louder, the throttle response keener and there are pleasingly random crackles from the tailpipes; occasionally, flames erupt from the central exhaust. And in Track mode, everything – from the throttle map to the gearshift speed to the response from the dampers – is retuned to deliver the fastest times on a track, while the gearshifts also get smoother.

You can specify the brakes from a McLaren Senna for an extra £15k if you think the standard carbon-ceramic rotors aren’t good enough, while Pirelli Trofeo tyres are an advisable no-cost option if you’re going to drive your 750S on a track. You really should do that, because only on a circuit does the car truly come alive.

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