We Test-Drove The Amazing McLaren 750S Through The Portuguese Riviera
Behind the wheel of the lightest and most powerful series production McLaren supercar ever.
“Relentless progress. More power. More control. More exhilaration.” McLaren’s tagline for its new 750S rings in our ears as we speed along the coast of southern Portugal en route from our luxury hotel on the seafront in Estoril to the Autódromo Fernanda Pires da Silva.
After much deliberation we selected an example of the newest and coolest British supercar in Ludus Blue, bucking the typical trend of McLaren owners to spec their cars in the brand’s signature orange, red, or even acid green. Nothing against them, but we felt like a fresh take was in order, and inspired by this sublime slice of the Portuguese Riviera, the striking hue seemed the perfect choice.
It also signified for us, that, although the changes from its predecessor the 720S are somewhat subtle at first glance, the 750S, which starts at $324,000 and change, marks a remarkable leap forward for McLaren.
As Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive puts it, “When you have a car recognized by so many drivers as a benchmark, to do something even better you have to examine every detail and really push hard for improvements that raise the bar again,” or as the brand has said in an official communiqué, the directive was to “surpass the benchmarks for performance, engagement and purity of response.”
The choice of the Autódromo Fernanda Pires da Silva, aka the Circuito de Estoril, for the 750S’s global media launch was fitting as the famed track was the home of Formula One’s Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996.
The 750S’ extraordinary capability was “shaped by an innovation and expertise forged and honed in Formula One,” where McLaren reigns as one of the most competitive teams. In 2023 McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri scored nine podiums between them, boosting the team to fourth overall in the Constructors’ Championship.
The 750S is nothing short of the lightest and most powerful series production McLaren supercar ever, and our time behind the wheel in Portugal proved it to be a worthy heir to the six-decade McLaren bloodline.
The heart of this enchanting machine is a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, mid mounted for perfect weight distribution, generating 740 hp (750 ps) and 800 Nm of torque, capable of 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 206 mph.
That’s 30 hp more power and 30 Nm more torque than the 720S. But those numbers are significantly enhanced by a 30 kg reduction in overall weight—and the accompanying roar of a new sports exhaust, giving full voice to the thoroughbred beauty.
The painstakingly engineered aerodynamics are most striking in the 750S’s massive rear wing with 20% more surface area than its predecessor. There’s also a new front bumper, new front splitter, narrowed “eye sockets”, and re-profiled side air intakes, giving the 750S a more technical, contemporary look. All of which underscores McLaren’s mission to go leagues beyond the “mind-bending performance, telepathic handling and lightning responses” that the 720S became famous for, “towards the point where car and driver work as one.”
The 720S earned its impressive accolades for “bringing hypercar levels of performance in a supercar package,” Piers Scott, Executive Director of PR at McLaren Automotive, said at the event in Estoril.
Beyond its extreme numbers however it boasted a “genuine breadth of capability for use, both on road and on track. And it introduced revolutionary aerodynamics, including the iconic headlamp design, as well as the double-skin [dihedral] doors. Features that to this day remain incredibly innovative and unique,” making the car “an incredible success across the globe,” and winning a plethora of automotive awards.
Never ones to rest on their laurels, the 720S’ honors have been “a tremendous source of pride and motivation for our engineers back at Woking”—McLaren’s iconic UK headquarters—spurring them on to even greater heights.”
When approaching the development of the 750S, Scott notes, “we had to look at ways that we could improve every aspect of the car’s capability; not just the performance, [but] also the driver engagement, the enjoyment, and the fun factor have been a real priority.”
The result is that the 750S is “by far, the class leader in terms of power-to-weight ratio [579 hp per tonne], and is almost 200 kg lighter than its nearest competitor.” As for driver engagement, a “brand-defining element of the McLaren DNA,” Woking went all out. “We introduced a shorter final drive,” Scott details, “giving the car a real sense of urgency under acceleration, [along with] exhilarating chassis dynamics once again; and an all-new sports exhaust, which creates a very distinctive crescendo throughout the rev range under acceleration.”
Finally, Scott notes, McLaren has gotten up to speed on cockpit technology as well, “and this is something that I think really strikes you when you step into the 750S for the very first time—particularly those that are very familiar with previous McLaren models. [There are] a number of changes in terms of the driver interface, while the entertainment system is largely new,” important upgrades in an area which McLaren has long seemed too preoccupied with driving dynamics to be much bothered with. Interiors remain fairly spartan; but if it’s luxury you’re after, you’d probably be better off with one of the brand’s GT cars.
However, McLaren’s 007-worthy MSO bespoke division offer’s nearly limitless options for customization, should your bank account be up to the task; while our Ludus Blue 750S sported a black interior—underscoring the minimalist ethos of the car, which has a steering wheel refreshingly free of the little buttons and switches that the competition seems keen on multiplying—we’d love to see one in rich saddle-brown leather some day, set off by even more of the carbon fiber which is already liberally sprinkled about the cabin.
In Estoril—where key scenes from the 1969 James Bond flick On Her Majesty’s Secret Service were filmed—on both road and track, the 750S astonished even the most jaded members of the automotive press, and we expect brilliant reviews to flow forth from keyboards across the globe.
Actual customers will of course be even more exhilarated. Many of those will be here in North America, as 2022 was the most profitable year ever for McLaren dealers in the region, with 2023 figures set to be on par.
More McLarens on the road can only be a good thing; and if you spot one sporting Ludus Blue paintwork, we’ll be more than happy to take the credit for starting a new supercar trend.
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