2024 McLaren 750S review: First international trip. Has British supercar brand McLaren done enough to make its new 750S supercar a worthy rival to the Ferrari 296 GTB and Lamborghini Huracan STO? Glenn Butler sets out to find out.
It's not about the brutality of the jaw-dropping initial acceleration. This is implied in its supercar silhouette, and once you see the 750S, you won't expect anything else.
It is rather the way that raging anger continued into the second century and beyond.
But it's more than just raw straight-line speed. It's also how the 750S drops speed like a cat tearing up a carpet before cutting through the next corner. It's the way the 4.0-liter V8 roars like an avalanche right behind your head and the way its new high-mounted exhaust roars with the ultimate savagery.
This is due to the 750S's updated styling that looks both familiar and more menacing, and the updated cabin makes it feel more like a real-world race car.
But then again, it's more than that. Most importantly, this McLaren has personality. This supercar is characterful and exciting, and that's not a statement we can always make about McLarens.
The latter is the most interesting thing about supercars because the 'character' turns a lifeless mechanical device into a living, breathing collaborator. Supercars are fast, but good supercars are also fun. They are involved on both substantive and intangible levels. They make you 'feel' the speed, the excitement, and the emotions of a big push in your heart.
The McLaren 750S will make you forget past complaints that the brand's supercars were too clinical and aloof. It will also make you forget about questions about build quality and craftsmanship. The McLaren 750S can also make you laugh out loud, sometimes like a carefree child and sometimes like a mindless fool.
Important details of the 2024 McLaren 750S Coupe
The price is $585,800 plus travel costs
The color of the Ludus test car is Blue
TechLux Interior Option – $16,995
Elite Exterior Paint – $12,315
Black Package – $8568
Stealth Wheel Coating – $3563
Colored Brake Calipers with McLaren Logo – $2960
Sound Comfort Windshield – $2633
Satin Finish Sill Trim – $7290
Double Glazed Engine Windows – $12,935
Carbon Fiber Racing Seats - Touring – NCO Seat Belts
Orange – $1452
Bowers & Wilkins 12-speaker Sound System – $9866
*Australian option prices, based on overseas specifications
The price as tested was $664,377 plus on-road costs, estimated
Ferrari 296 GTB Rival | Lamborghini Huracan STO | Mercedes-AMG GT Series Black
The McLaren 750S, the successor to the 720S launched in 2018, arrives in Australia in the first quarter of 2024 in coupe and spider body styles. Prices start at $585,800 for the coupe, and $654,600 for the Spider, up from $508,650 for the 720S coupe and $566,650 for the 720S Spider. All of these prices do not include travel costs, so take that into account when you do the math.
That's slightly more expensive than the Ferrari 296 GTB, which starts at $568,300, and slightly cheaper than the Lamborghini Huracan STO, which starts at $596,000 (again, before ORCs).
I once drove a Lamborghini Huracan STO on a racetrack. McLaren is better. I have also driven the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series on the racetrack. The car is full of thunder and lightning, and there is no shortage of personality. The McLaren 750S isn't quite as evocative, but it's also undiminished in color, sharper, and quicker.
I've also driven a Maserati MC20 on a racetrack, and again the McLaren was better. But I'm not sure comparing the 750S to the MC20 is a fair fight. The MC20 feels like the start of a 750S rival just as the Commodore V8 was the start of HSV back in the day. Perhaps, if Maserati built its 544kW / 1320kg MC20 GT2 racer as a road car, then the Modena maestro would have a hand in the fight.
The only glaring omission from this on-paper comparison is the Ferrari 296 GTB, which I've never driven on the road or track. My colleague Trent Nikolic attended the on-road launch of the Ferrari 296 GTB in January 2023, and he declared the 296 GTB “the best yet.”
This is the car that McLaren will ultimately have to beat to be declared supercar king. But for now, all it needs to do is prove itself to be better than the 720S.
20 24 McLaren 750S
Seating Two
Front boot volume 150L
210L rear (Coupe)
58L rear (Spider)
Length 4569mm
Width 1930mm
Height 1196mm
Wheelbase 2670mm
McLaren began work on the 750S in earnest two years ago, targeting improvements in three key areas: Performance, comfort, and emotion.
Before I dive into the many changes McLaren has made to the 750S – they claim 30 percent of the components are new or changed – I'll finish my overview of the range first with a quick look at the Spider.
I drove the Coupe and Spider on the road at the launch in Estoril, Portugal, and surprised myself by enjoying the Spider more. Both cars have the same overall styling, equipment, and engineering improvements. Both cars share a 552kW 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine mounted amidships and mated to a seven-speed sequential transmission driving the rear wheels.
The Spider has two advantages over the coupe. The first is a retractable rear window that allows more of that wonderful engine sound into the cabin when the roof is up. Or owners can go a step further, dropping the hard top that opens in 11 seconds, and get a richer experience.
Spider doors have different hinges due to different roof structures, and of course, do not have integrated window frames or roof sections. The flying buttress also looks brilliant, especially when the roof is down.
The mechanisms required by the folding hardtop and the addition of a rollover protection system increase the vehicle's curb weight by 49kg. McLaren says no additional body supports are needed as the 750S's carbon monocoque is more than stiff enough to withstand roof removal.
Spider buyers can opt for electrochromic glass roof panels so that even with the lid open, you can see the sky and dim it.
The compromise to performance is negligible down the road. This may be more obvious on the track, or not, but we didn't have a chance to find out.
OK, now let's look at the mechanical improvements in more detail. Performance-wise, McLaren has given the engine more power, dropped a shorter final drive ratio for quicker acceleration, reduced weight, and tweaked the suspension to improve dynamic grip.
The extra power of 30hp (for a total of 750hp, hence the name) and 30Nm (for a total of 800Nm) may not sound like much, but increasing the turbo boost, installing lighter pistons from the 765LT, adding a second fuel pump makes up for it. with higher rev demands and an updated engine control module, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 feels more powerful throughout the 8500rpm rev range.
The final drive ratio change helps, as does a 30kg weight reduction (curb weight 1389kg), mainly due to new front seats (-17.5kg) and alloy wheels (-3.5kg per wheel), a lighter windshield 1, 8kg, and a Driver's instrument display is 1.6kg lighter.
As a result, the 750S accelerates faster in all measures. It takes 2.8 seconds to go from 0-100km/h, 0.1 seconds quicker than the old 720S. Zero to 200km/h takes 7.2 seconds (720S: 7.8 seconds) and can cover the 400m standing start distance in 10.1 seconds (10.4).
Most importantly, the 0-100km/h time is 0.1 seconds quicker than the 610kW Ferrari 296 GTB, as is the 0-200km/h time (Ferrari claims 7.3 seconds). But in fairness, the hybrid-powered 296 GTB weighs 193kg more than the McLaren, so it's impressive that Ferrari can achieve that figure despite the weight penalty.
McLaren claims a 0-300km/h time of 20 seconds, with the car capable of covering a distance of 83 meters per second. It was the same as from an MCG shot to the boundary fence, and it took Glen Maxwell's six at least three lengths to cover that distance.
The downside of the shorter final drive is that the lower top speed, not that 'only' 332km/h instead of 341km/h, will be a problem for law-abiding Australian owners.
The McLaren 750S's optional carbon ceramic brakes come from the limited production McLaren Senna hypercar and are equipped with a new booster and vacuum pump. They can stop a car from 100km/h in just 30 meters – a typical family hatchback would take 42m to do the same, so the difference is roughly the same as the length of a bus.
The brakes showed absolutely no signs of fatigue during our track session, which is impressive, but that's what you'd expect from a supercar. Still, it's nice to know that a car with this acceleration capability has an equally effective stopping solution.
McLaren has replaced the 720S's steering rack with a quicker ratio and made changes to the hydraulic power assist pump to improve feel and smoothness.
Suspension changes target both ends of the dynamic spectrum, making the 750S more comfortable on the road and more capable on the track.
Lightweight dampers and springs (softer at the front, firmer at the rear) combine with a generational update to McLaren's hydraulic linkage that acts as a traditional anti-roll bar to smooth the transition between grip and slip.
The tip of this knife no longer cuts deeply if you step over it. Now it is a demilitarized zone that is no longer protected where drivers can play more freely.
But the McLaren is very comfortable to drive at sedate, everyday speeds and is not at all tiring like some supercars.
Of course, the suspension's three dynamic modes – comfort, sport, and track – are key to the 750S's wide dynamic bandwidth.
The same three presets can be applied independently to the powertrain via a rocker switch on the driver's instrument cluster cover. The differences here don't just increase aggression; they are targeted at driving styles, and can also be called Cruise, Hooligan, and Hotlap.
Comfort puts the powertrain in its friendliest mode, smoothing out throttle response and gear changes to unsettle passengers as little as possible. But when I say 'softening', it's like putting a fabric cover on a sledgehammer.
Sport mode turns the 750S into a true showman, sharpening throttle response and adding gurgles, pops, and thuds to every gear change – complete with a back-slapping, physical punch to every hard shift of the throttle.
Track mode eliminates this theatrics and instead tunes each component for maximum performance. For example, a hard hit from the back on a race track when you're fully committed can throw off the car's balance. In contrast, Track mode attempts to change gears as quickly as possible without adversely affecting balance.
Other suspension changes don't help dynamic performance one bit but make life easier. The new vehicle lift system reduces nose lift duration by more than half to four seconds, meaning you don't have to dawdle before pulling into driveways and over larger speed bumps.
The styling is essentially carryover but updated with aerodynamic improvements to increase downforce and aero balance without excessively increasing drag. Changes include a longer front splitter and an active rear wing that can change its angle of attack to reduce drag or act as an air brake. The wing is also 60mm higher than the 720S so the McLaren P1-derived single exhaust is more spacious.
The interior has been updated with a new column-mounted instrument display centered on the driver (similar to the debut on the Artura hybrid), flanked by relocated rocker switches to control the active dynamics settings.
Nappa leather or a combination of leather and Alcantara trim is available in TechLux and Performance grades. The Bowers & Wilkins sound system has been upgraded with a more powerful amplifier and updated speakers.
The 750S's steering wheel is intentionally button-free, allowing the driver to focus on the feel and feedback of the road. All interaction with the car's infotainment is via the centrally mounted touchscreen, which has satellite navigation, phone pairing, media playback, and climate control. The system can also be interacted with using voice commands.
The 750S has an Apple Carplay cable but doesn't have Android Auto. McLaren said it prioritized the less popular Apple system over the Android system because it affects the majority of its owner base. Android Auto may be coming in a year or two, but since the 750S doesn't have Over-The-Air (OTA) update capabilities, it won't be a seamless addition.
Then there's the Speed Kiwi button, which is McLaren's cute but historically relevant take on the BMW M Division's M button. The Kiwi Speed button puts powertrain, suspension, and aero settings into the driver's favorite presets with one touch.
Important details 202 4 McLaren 750S
4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 petrol engine
Power 552kW @ 7500rpm
Torque 800Nm @ 5500rpm
Drive Type Rear wheel drive
Transmission Dual-clutch seven-speed automatic
Power to weight ratio 397kW/t Coupe
383kW/t Spider
The coupe weighs 1389kg
1438kg Spider
Spare tire type None
Show time 0-100km/h: 2.8sec (Coupe and Spider)
0-200km/h: 7.2sec (Spider: 7.3sec)
0-300km/h: 19.8sec (Spider 20.4sec)
0-400m: 10.1sec (Spider: 10.3sec)
Braking performance 200-0km/h: 113m
100-0km/h: 30m
On paper, the 750S is simply an update of the 720S, but in reality, McLaren's modifications expand the appeal of this supercar in every way, both tangible and intangible.
A great supercar is a winning triumvirate of performance, craftsmanship, and connection, and each one must deliver beyond the expectations of the world's most discerning and demanding customers. If you're spending $600-700K on something, close enough or second best isn't enough.
Likewise, engineering excellence means nothing if there is no emotional connection. A supercar must connect emotionally with its driver or it will forever remain a tool used when needed but never cherished.
Supercar craftsmanship must be beautiful, not only in its craftsmanship but also in its depth and boldness. Owners have to be reminded every day that the car they paid top dollar for is worth every penny and more, even when the car is idling.
The 750S takes a giant leap forward in the area of driver connection, and that's saying something as McLaren's advances in performance and craftsmanship are worthy of deep appreciation.
If McLaren wants to prove to the world that it has finally understood that a truly great supercar is an interweaving of these three traits, then the 750S will do it.
I think McLaren's greatest achievement is not in giving it high dynamic capabilities. That's normal for a refurbished high-performance engine. Instead, they've done all that and made this car so fun and rewarding.
I've never felt so empowered to explore boundaries before. In high-end supercars from other brands, there's always the fear that pushing your limits will result in a slap and spin… or worse… a huge and expensive crash.
The McLaren 750S never scares you. It's quite the opposite. The McLaren 750S invites you to step out of your comfort zone and dance with the devil at the edge of existence. Because that's where the magic happens.
