Name: New McLaren 720S Spider models and Specifications
Brand: McLaren

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The 720S Spider can blast from 0-62mph in 2.9sec (just a tenth of a second slower than the coupé), while top speed is 212mph (or ‘just’ 202mph with the roof down). Even these numbers don’t do justice to how savagely fast it feels, though, and the engine sounds amazing – particularly when you drop the roof or lower the rear screen.

We'd consider upgrading from the standard model to the Luxury, because it brings heated, electrically adjustable seats that allow you to save your preferred settings. You also gain ambient interior lighting and, interestingly, engine bay ambient lighting, which can be seen through the engine cover and adds to the car's dramatic looks.

Luxury

Standard equipment is fine, but no more than you’d find in cars that cost far less; it includes climate control, leather and Alcantara upholstery and a touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also a slightly weedy four-speaker stereo, although a 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium system is available as an option.

Contrary to what its name suggests, this model doesn’t make the 720S any faster. Instead it takes the standard spec and adds carbon-fibre exterior and interior detailing, ambient interior lighting, and the same engine bay ambient lighting that you get with the Luxury model.

Performance

Sports

To many, McLaren will always be best known for its motorsport activities, but it also has a growing range of high-performance cars designed to challenge the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.

Most McLaren models share two key components: a central tub made out of carbonfibre and a powerful V8 petrol engine. And with cars ranging from the entry-level 540C to the hardcore (but still road legal) Senna, McLaren cars rival everything from the Jaguar F-Type to the Porsche 911 and Ferrari’s 488 Pista.

MCLAREN

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McLaren 720S Spider

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The 720S Spider is more expensive than rivals from <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ferrari">Ferrari</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/lamborghini">Lamborghini</a>, and will cost you more in depreciation.

This is unlikely, though, to put off the sort of fabulously wealthy people it’s aimed at, just as they’ll find it easy enough to afford the huge insurance, servicing and fuel bills.

Indeed, McLaren doesn’t even include option prices on its website configurator; as the old saying goes, 'If you have to ask, you can’t afford it'.

It is worth noting, however, that standard equipment is no more than you’d find in cars that cost far less; it includes climate control, leather and Alcantara upholstery and a touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity.

Unsurprisingly, we don’t have any reliability data for the 720S – or indeed any Mclaren – and the car hasn’t been tested by the safety experts at <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/how-euro-ncap-crash-tests-save-lives/n15107">Euro NCAP</a>. However, its ultra-stiff F1-style carbonfibre body should help it perform well in a crash.

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Most 720S&nbsp;Spider owners will drive their cars on a track from time to time, and when they do, they’ll find that it’s savagely&nbsp;fast – faster than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/lamborghini/huracan/sports/review/n17200">Lamborghini Huracan Spyder</a>, and a match for Ferrari's&nbsp;F8 Spider.

The 720S is&nbsp;helped by clever technology, such as 'active aerodynamics' which allow the various wings and ducts to self-adjust to aid high-speed stability and cornering grip.

And instead of regular electronic stability control to tame the power, it has Variable Drift Control, which allows you to floor it out of a corner and make the car slide in (relative) safety.

Not much more than a decade ago, the fastest production cars ever built had less power than the 720S Spider, yet McLaren has put that power into a remarkably manageable package.

On the road, it really is no harder to drive than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/boxster/sports/review/n27">Porsche 718 Boxster</a>, with the pedals and steering feeling perfectly weighted, and phenomenal mid-rev shove in reserve to make overtaking effortless.

Meanwhile, the ride is as absorbent as in some <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/executive">executive saloons</a>, despite the 720S’s massive wheels; no rival supercar gets close to this level of comfort.

The 720S, then, is a pleasure to drive at any speed and in any environment. And unlike some previous McLaren’s it sounds great, screaming as you close in on the redline, and making you think a firecracker has gone off in the exhaust when you change down under braking.

Indeed, one of the main reasons for choosing the Spider variant over the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mclaren/720/coupe/review/n174">coupé</a> is so you can drop the roof or lower the rear screen so there’s less of a barrier between you and the engine.

As a bonus, there’s minimal wind buffeting when the roof is down, and the 720S Spider is pretty refined with it up, even though the wide tyres do generate some road noise.

OUR PICK

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

The trouble with convertible supercars is that they sacrifice dynamic appeal for their ability to let in the sunshine, right?

Well, it’s certainly true that a lot of them do, because taking tin clippers to their roofs compromises structural rigidity. And while some of this can be restored by reinforcing them&nbsp;elsewhere, that adds weight which hurts agility and performance. However, the McLaren 720S Spider is a bit different.

Unlike many of its rivals, you see, the 720S has a carbonfibre (rather than metal) structure, with this not only making it very light, but also extremely stiff. In fact, the open-top Spider version weighs just 49kg more than the coupé – and strength isn’t lost.

The Spider also uses the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mclaren/720/coupe/review/n174">720S coupé</a>, with this sending a whopping 720 metric horsepower (hence the name) or 710 of the Queen’s brake horsepower (bhp) to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox that can be manually controlled via steering wheel-mounted paddles.

All of this means the 720S spider can accelerate from 0-62mph in 2.9sec and reach a top speed of 212mph (202mph with the roof down). Yes, the coupé accelerates even faster, but only by 0.1sec, while its top speed is the same.

In this review, we’ll tell you everything else you want to know about the McLaren 720S Spider. And while we won’t be able to get you a discount on one&nbsp;at the end of it, be sure to check out the deals available through <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">our New Car Buying service</a> if you’re next car is going to be a little more mainstream, because we could potentially save you thousands without the hassle of haggling.

A crucial thing in any supercar is the driving position – and thankfully this McLaren’s is spot-on.

For starters, the pedals line up neatly with the steering wheel and have just the right amount of space between them. Plus, the seats are comfortable and supportive and there’s loads of adjustment.

True, visibility isn’t as good as it is in the 720S coupé, because you have a buttress rather than a window just over your shoulder. However, the windscreen pillars are super-slim, so it’s a doddle to place the car on the road.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mclaren">McLaren</a> takes a very different approach to arch-rival <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ferrari">Ferrari</a> when it comes to the design of the steering wheel; the Italian brand covers it in controls, whereas there isn’t a single button or switch on the wheel of the 720S.

The indicators, wipers and lights are instead on conventional stalks, and all the easier to operate as a result. Meanwhile, you access the car’s various driving modes via two chunky dials on the centre console.

The portrait orientation touchscreen for infotainment functions can be quite distracting to use on the move. But the digital instruments display a lot of information clearly, or can be folded down and away at the touch of a button, leaving you with an ultra-minimalist readout like an F1 car’s.

While not strictly necessary, this detail adds some serious wow factor. And build quality also impresses, aside from the slightly flimsy feeling piece of trim that wraps around the side of the centre console.

Like it’s coupé sister, the McLaren 720S is staggeringly fast and involving, yet perfectly usable every day.

Mid-engined supercars are seldom practical, but the 720S scores better than most in this area.

Okay, it has only two seats, but they’re easy to get to thanks to McLaren’s trademark butterfly doors, which open upwards and forwards, taking a large section of the sill with them.

The 720S also has enough head, leg and elbow room to keep a couple of adults well over six feet tall happy.

Meanwhile, oddment storage includes two cupholders and a lidded bin between the front seats, and a handy tray beneath the centre console.

The space beneath the bonnet is big enough for a couple of airline-sized carry-ons, and doesn’t have the sort of fiddly catch you find on most mid or rear-engined cars. And when the roof is up, the space that it folds into can be used for more luggage.

The roof isn’t particularly quick, taking 11 seconds to fold up or down, but it can be operated at speeds of up to 31mph.

720S

luxury

performance

Like it’s coupé sister, the McLaren 720S is staggeringly fast and involving, yet perfectly usable every day. Unlike most convertibles, its handling doesn’t feel in any way compromised by the removal of the fixed roof.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

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McLaren 720S Spider review

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