With technical advances in weight-saving, powertrain performance, aerodynamics and dynamic excellence over its predecessor, the McLaren 750S is the lightest and most powerful series-production McLaren to date. The interior of the 750S fuses innovative technology with exquisite materials, but most importantly is even more driver-focused in design.
Combined with a V8 engine, 750S raises the already impressive attributes of the renowned 720S to new heights. In the December 2024 Top Gear Magazine, the McLaren 750S was named their Performance Car of the Year, with the remarks from the judges including this,
“Very few cars engage your senses like the 750S – not because of any vices, but simply because the forces coming at you are so alien. It is outrageously fast and agile; it communicates so clearly and it’s so willing to adjust its line and angle of attack according to driver inputs. There’s shock and awe but also fingertip subtlety.”
On the front of the 750S is the McLaren emblem known as the “Speedy Kiwi”, representing the kiwi bird, New Zealand’s national symbol, and a nod to the team’s founder, Bruce McLaren. The emblem has evolved over time, with earlier versions featuring a more detailed kiwi and later versions streamlining the bird’s silhouette into the present day speedmark. A 750S nameplate on the inside of the door sill also reminds you of where this supercar came from and the heritage it represents.
The derivative of the Speedy Kiwi motif is intrinsic to the overall design of the 750S and the closer you look the more you will see it. From the headlights to the apertures above the front wheels and the many engine vents needed to cool the powerful V8 engine sitting just over your left shoulder. All have a purpose to, with the contours of the 750S caressing the air around it, guiding to where the car wants it to go.
With the carbon fibre monocoque and all available carbon fibre and lightweight options selected, the 750S coupe weighs 1,277kg in dry lightest form, a remarkable 193kg lighter than its closest competitor. An extended front splitter, narrower eye-socket intakes, new rear wheel arch vents, and new front and rear bumpers visually differ the 720S from the 750S. In addition, the carbon fibre active rear wing is 20% larger than the wing of the 720S, yet is 1.6kg lighter due to its carbon fibre construction. The numbers may be impressive, but so is the look and this 750S in the Tokyo Cyan really did turn heads and I got many thumbs up while driving it.
The rear-wheel drive 750S is fitted with a 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine delivering up to 552kW or 750PS at 7,500rpm and maximum torque output of 800Nm at 5,500rpm, eclipsing the petrol-engine outputs of the legendary McLaren P1. The engine is optimised for very high performance, with a flat-plane crankshaft; race-inspired dry sump lubrication; lightweight connecting rods that reduce powertrain mass; and electronically controlled turbocharger wastegates to provide precise boost pressure regulation. Capable of achieving 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds and 0-200km/h in 7.2 seconds, 750S is quicker than its closest competitor over both distances, and has a top speed of 332 km/h. The official combined fuel consumption of 750S is 12.2L/100km and for my weekend with the 750S I used 17.9L/100km.
The V8 offers a glorious soundtrack from start-up and I like that you can really hear the turbos whistling and centre-exit exhaust inspired by McLaren P1 delivers added theatrics as you approach the 8,500rpm rev limiter. The only downside is it is quite noisy in the cabin so holding a conversation with your bestie can be a little difficult.
There’s no way to ‘pop the hood’ the get a good look at the McLaren V8 engine, but you can see it from the cabin through a double-glazed panel with branded carbon fibre frame within the rear luggage shelf and through the vents from the outside. For an extra sense of occasion there is even a reddish light emitted from the engine bay at night that looks very dramatic.
In-gear acceleration in 750S is amplified by the optimisation of the 7-speed transmission’s gearing and the introduction of a revised kickdown control strategy. Gear selection is fast and obedient with 750S changing up when you pull the gear selector. In Sport and Track modes, and when braking pressure exceeds a certain threshold a, a new ‘limit downshift’ transmission function means that if the driver calls for a downshift that would over-rev the engine, the software acknowledges the request but changes down only when engine speed and road speed can be harmonised. To engage Drive, Neutral, and Reverse you use the push buttons on the centre console and with no Park, you must always remember to put on the park brake after you select neutral or the 750S may roll away.
Everything about 750S is tight and taught with determined purpose and for me there was no need to explore any further beyond the Comfort modes in the 750S with such immense power on offer anything more is simply wasted on the road and you will only truly appreciate the 750S on a racetrack. When you do put your foot down on the accelerator it will lose traction from the rear tyres in multiple gears and the backend wiggles nicely out of the corners. The ride of the 750S was also a nice surprise, as it is not as firm as you might expect.
The stopping power of the ceramic disc brakes is impressive and the 750S decelerates from 100-0km/h in just 30.0 metres. The huge brake discs are housed within the new 10-spoke ultra-lightweight forged wheels that are the lightest ever fitted as standard on a series-production McLaren and save 13.8kg compared to 720S wheels. They are wrapped in Pirelli P-ZERO 245/35/R19 tyres on the front and 305/30/R20 tyres on the rear and have been engineered specifically for the 750S by McLaren and its tyre technical partner Pirelli.
The binnacle instrument display, now 1.8kg lighter, is fitted directly to the steering column allowing the driver’s dash and steering wheel to move as one with powered adjustment, so the two always remain in perfect alignment. The new driver-centric instrument display is flanked by rocker switches that control Active Dynamic settings is a McLaren innovation that allows suspension and powertrain modes to be changed with hands on the steering wheel. The rocker switch on the left-hand side adjusts the handling settings – Comfort, Sport or Track with a central button to turn off the Electronic Stability Control (ESC). While on the right hand side the Powertrain switch has the same three settings and a push button to engage full manual mode on the gearbox. The new vehicle-lift system operated by a single button to the right of the steering wheel raises front of car in just four seconds – less than half the time of its predecessor.
McLaren’s electro-hydraulic steering, which is widely recognised for its precision and clarity of feedback, now has a faster steering ratio and new power-assistance pump. The result is steering that feels heavier at low speeds, but perfectly weighted once you get going. The steering wheel itself has a clean design and is beautifully manufactured from carbon fibre, along with the driver’s dash and the air vents as well, offering a race car looks to go with the extreme performance of the 750S.
Something of a rarity for me, I have to say that I prefer the standard metal paddle shifters to the carbon fibre ones on this 750S because McLaren’s metal shifters are the sexist that I have laid my fingers on in any vehicle that I have driven. Alternatively, you can simply drive the 750S in auto mode and enjoy all that power under your right foot without the need to change gears at all for yourself.
With the simple and elegant key fob in your hand bag, you can approach the 750S and ever so coolly raise the dihedral door up and gracefully enter the vehicle, hit the start button and drive off, leaving onlookers agape. The gas struts in the doors make them feel light to open and close and the 750S even has soft close, so you don’t have to slam the door down to shut it. The wide sills also make it easier to get in and out of the 750S as you can sit on them when you are doing so.
Unlike these carbon fibre-shelled racing seats, 17.5kg lighter than the base seats in a 720S, which are covered in Alcantara that is designed to grip you and hold you in tight making it a little difficult to extract yourself from them. The seating position in the 750S is perfect and the only adjustment on offer and that you require is manual forward/back movement of the seat. It’s a supercar for taller individuals actually and I needed to sit quite a way forward to comfortably reach the pedals in the narrow pedal box. For that, I was very conscious of where I was placing my foot in order not to accidently accelerate when I wanted to brake.
The minimalist 750S interior offers everything you need, unless you have an Android phone because there’s no Android Auto in the McLarens. Apple CarPlay has also been introduced though with new richer graphics on the Central Information Screen, which features an aerial view of the McLaren Technology Centre on the home button. The 750S has dual zone climate control and I do like that the climate control illustration uses a race car driver as the graphic.
Debuted on 750S is the McLaren Control Launcher (MCL) technology adding another dimension to the driver’s interface with the car. Activated using a button featuring the ‘Speedy Kiwi’, MCL allows the driver to personalise their McLaren driving experience by storing a bespoke dynamic preference – their favourite combination of aero, handling, powertrain and transmission settings – that can instantly be recalled with a push of a button. For drivers wishing to explore the full dynamic abilities of the 750S, McLaren Variable Drift Control, or VDC, allows them to adjust the intervention level of the traction control system independently of the ESC setting.
There’s Bluetooth for phone and media plus on-board media storage and DAB/FM radio to enjoy on the Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system and 12 ambient lighting colours to choose from. In the cubby under the arm rest, you have one USB-C and one USB-A port and it’s just large enough for my phone to diagonally fit on its side in there. There’s also a 12V socket adjacent to the cup holder at the very front of the console and both cup holders are lined with Alcantara so you wouldn’t want to spill your beverage in them.
From a practicality standpoint the 750S has a good-sized boot located at the front of the vehicle could easily carry luggage for a weekend away or helmet, shoes, and a driver’s suit for a track day. The boot can be opened from the key fob or from a button in the cabin. It has standard cruise control, operated using the lower stalk on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, and you get auto lights, high beam assist, and auto wipers on the 750S as well. To aid parking this supercar you have an improved rear-view camera in the driver’s dash and a 360-degree view on the centre screen with front and rear parking sensors.
A comprehensive three-year vehicle warranty and a three-year scheduled maintenance/service plan are included as standard with the new 750S. Additionally, the 750S is eligible to be covered by the McLaren Extended Warranty in Australia, which is available in 12- or 24-month periods from time of first purchase until the vehicle is 15 years old.
The new 750S further sharpens McLaren’s ‘form follows function’ design philosophy, both externally and internally, resulting in a sweet as driver experience. The McLaren 750S Coupe is priced from $585,800 plus on-road costs and is available to order now from McLaren retailers in Australia or you can configure your McLaren 750S online.
| Pros | Cons |
| The staggering performance | You can’t ‘pop the hood’ to look at the engine |
| The supercar looks | You wouldn’t want to spill your beverage in the cup holders |
| The driver-centric cabin | There’s no Android Auto |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.