Fresh off the back of announcing a new chassis and new engine projects, McLaren’s also released details of its new active suspension system.

It’s called ‘McLaren Proactive Chassis Control II’, and will, in practice, likely be quite a bit like the Side Slip Control on offer in the Ferrari 488 GTB (but we wouldn’t mention that to anyone at McLaren). The system will appear on the new McLaren 650S replacement, and therefore a direct 488 rival.

So what exactly does it do? Well, a Fantasia-like number of sensors read just about everything that’s going on around the car, from the tyre speed, throttle position, steering wheel position, yaw angle and things only Adrian Newey could explain.

Then, the new Super Series McLaren’s brain will adjust the level of damping in the active suspension for peak traction and poise, even when you’re switched to ‘Race’.

Thankfully, this isn’t nerdishness at the expense of fun, rather a kind of super-technical glee. Case in point: there’ll be a feature called ‘Variable Drift Control’, which looks to be as good as it sounds in the teaser image of. Suffice to say that you’ll be able to dial in exactly how much traction control you want via a slider on a touchscreen.

That way, you’ll be able to get properly sideways in a thoroughly un-McLaren way, without binning it into the hedge shortly thereafter. Probably, anyway.

So, what do you think? Are you aboard the hype train yet, or will you reserve judgement until the new Super Series model - replacing the 650S - makes its debut at the Geneva motor show in March?

Say goodbye to the 650S and hello to the new, very clever 710bhp Super Series from Woking

When McLaren’s automotive adventure kicked off in 2009, the furiously process-driven logic of the company’s F1 arm seemed to have seeped across the surgically spotless halls of the Technology Centre. These would be intellectual supercars. McLaren kingpin Ron Dennis even told a slightly dumbfounded TG that they could scientifically prove they’d created the best performance car in the world.

Eight years on, and the quest has been recalibrated. Lessons have been learned, some humility leavens the mix, and anyone who’s driven the 675 LT will know just how hard these guys can party. The facts and stats are more startling than ever – up to 30 per cent of the company’s turnover is reinvested in R&D, vastly more than the industry average – and the line-up has successfully cohered around the Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series. A new £50m composites manufacturing facility has been confirmed in Sheffield, creating 200 jobs. Apple, the world’s most valuable company, was reportedly sniffing around late last year, but McLaren wants to remain independent and self-funding.

Now it finds itself replacing one of its core cars for the first time. Another milestone, not least because this also heralds a new generation of carbon-fibre chassis, a heavily revised powertrain, and a load of new technology. The topline stuff includes a power output of 710bhp, 568lb ft, 249g/km CO2, 0–62mph in 2.9secs, 0–124mph in 7.8 and 0–186mph (300km/h) in 21.8. But it’s the less empirical part of the equation where the progress is being made. According to product director Mark Vinnels, “the challenge was to revolutionise the segment. But we also wanted to make a big leap in entertainment. We want to combine performance, emotion, refinement and efficiency in a single, beautiful whole.”

Enter the 720S. And enter, as Vinnels says, the entertainment (or, more accurately, a renewed emphasis on it). Which is why, as subjective as it is, we’ll start with the visuals. Only the fortunate few will get to own or drive one, but be in no doubt, the 720S throws out a serious dividend to anyone who catches sight of it. We’re talking Countach or Pagani levels of lunacy. Typically, though, the story here is much deeper than just drama.

“Design is where you bring all the elements together,” chief designer Rob Melville asserts. “Styling is just one aspect of it. We want to create breathtaking products that tell you the visual story of their function, and we’re guided by four things. Nature, and the idea of ‘functional jewellery’. We want to be true with the materials we use – it has to be authentic. The proportions need to be perfect. And we are always brave.”

This last point is significant. From the overly generic, off-the-peg 12C, McLaren has found its own spectacular groove, and the 720S is next-level stuff. Not just because it looks like a full-blown 21st-century mid-engined supercar, but because it’s insanely clever. “Functional jewellery” here means making the air flow where you want it to, and in a car of this configuration that translates into two things: downforce and cooling.

Look at the 720’s body sides. Unlike Ferrari’s 488 GTB, the McLaren’s fuselage is uninterrupted. Look closely at its form, and you’ll get some idea of how the area of air pressure that builds up and swirls around the front wheelarches is separated and utilised: the panel ahead of the wheels evacuates the turbulent high-pressure air away along the side to clean up air flow, while a channel at the top of the doors ducts high-velocity cooling air into the radiators in the engine bay. The doors themselves open to an angle of 80°, so don’t be tormented by an NCP space flanked by two concrete pillars.

There’s more aero fun at either end. Upfront, the 720’s ‘eye’ apertures are more accurately anatomised as sockets, with air ingeniously ducted below the LED headlights. There’s also a madly creative-looking front spoiler, and bonnet gills. At the rear, there’s an active wing that spans the full width of the car, adjusting itself according to optimal aerodynamic need. Or for rapid retardation: it adopts its most extreme ‘airbrake’ angle in less than half a second if you need to stop in a serious hurry. Overall, the 720S generates 50 per cent more downforce than the 650S managed at full tilt, has double the overall aerodynamic efficiency, and is 15 per cent more efficient in its cooling.

“Back in 2012, we laid out a vision for what a McLaren should be,” Melville says. “This is the closest we’ve come. It’s about finding the edge of technical detailing. The doors were the biggest challenge. We did feel the pain a bit getting those right. You don’t open them so much as begin unpeeling the car.”

It’s an impression heightened by that new carbon tub. Dubbed ‘Monocage II’, the chassis structure now incorporates an upper structure and windscreen surround, so it’s even more rigid than the 650. Lighter, too: its lightest dry weight is 1,283kg, 18kg less than the equivalent 650S. There’s an enhanced centre of gravity, thanks to the engine plenum being mounted 120mm lower than currently. Among Lord knows how many other options, 720S buyers can specify a “visible monocage” that exposes the material on the inside of the A-pillar. The cowl is also lower: like the stunning 570, the 720S promises to make good on the car industry’s obsession with delivering a fighter-jet-for-the-road sensation.

Vehicle line director Haydn Baker claims that 91 per cent of the 720S is new, and the enlarged 4.0-litre engine is 41 per cent new content (who works this stuff out?): turbos, intercoolers, cast-aluminium plenum, cylinder heads, crankshaft, pistons, and exhaust. The twin turbos are ultra-low-inertia, twin-scroll jobs that spool up much faster than before to reduce lag and sharpen throttle response. Aware that the current engine lacks character at lower revs, McLaren has reworked the harmonics. The whole lot is visible through the rear glass, and the engine bay is illuminated. Maranello isn’t the only place that can do theatre.

The 650’s multi-adjustable Proactive Chassis Control (PCC) receives some intriguing revisions. As before, you can choose between Comfort, Sport, or Track mode according to mood or context. PCC II uses multiple sensors – 12 more than previously, including an accelerometer on each wheel hub – to monitor inputs from the road and measure the tyre contact patch. The information is processed in milliseconds by the “Optimal Controller” algorithm at the heart of the system, and the damping adjusted accordingly. Vinnels talks about the input made here by a McLaren-sponsored Oxford University research programme, and it’s difficult not to love the idea of a couple of PhD boffins helping in the search for more mechanical grip. That and the fact that the base Pirelli tyre used by the 720S has the same performance as the old Trofeo track rubber. Extraordinary.

Best of all, you can chuck all this optimisation out of the window with the new Variable Drift Control, which, according to McLaren, “delivers additional enjoyment in Sport and Track modes, with fingertip control of Electronic Stability Control intensity”. Five years ago, you’d have been frogmarched out of the building for even suggesting such a thing.

“We could have kept the performance advantage with a smaller step, but we wanted to maintain and increase the momentum,” Vinnels adds. “Why change the brake calipers? Because we can take 3kg in weight out of them.” He also points to a bracket on the wiper arm, and says that something about it bothered him throughout testing. “So we verified it in CAD afterwards and discovered that it was mounted in the wrong place. We fixed that.” Nor, despite its take-up elsewhere, is McLaren about to switch to fully electric steering. “We keep experimenting with EPAS, and we keep being disappointed by it,” he concedes.

Inside, the 720S somehow combines the brutal ergonomic efficacy of a racecar with the technical luxury of a contemporary GT. The wheel is perfectly sized, and doesn’t groan under the weight of a thousand buttons. The drive mode controls now live in a vertical pod to the left of the wheel. The main readouts are housed in a secondary binnacle above the main display. The D, N and R buttons are in another pod that tapers towards the bottom. The doors eat into the roof, Ford GT40 style, but it really does feel like being at the pointy end of an arrow, only with more control over your own destiny. Beautifully and intelligently finished, too. A car either has it or it doesn’t. There’s no such thing as having most of it. Yep, McLaren really is in the groove.

• Bespoke McLaren 720S personalised by MSO is unveiled in Geneva just 24 hours after global debut of second-generation Super Series
• Visual dynamism of McLaren Special Operations’ ‘Velocity’ theme celebrates extreme performance credentials of new McLaren supercar
• Fusion of Volcano Red and Nerello Red paint colours showcases the ability of MSO to create uniquely sophisticated, bespoke McLaren cars

Just 24 hours after the new McLaren 720S was revealed in all its glory at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show, McLaren Automotive is highlighting the level to which buyers of its new Super Series will be able to personalise their car by unveiling a dramatic, bespoke 720S, created by McLaren Special Operations.

The McLaren 720S ‘Velocity’ by MSO signals the almost limitless scope of personalisation possibilities available to buyers who opt to commission their new Super Series car from McLaren Special Operations, the bespoke vehicle division of McLaren Automotive.

“The MSO mission is to fulfil customer desire for exclusivity in their choice of McLaren,” explained Ansar Ali, Managing Director of McLaren Special Operations. “The lean, sculpted beauty of the new 720S provides the perfect starting point for owners to be creative and the specification of this MSO 720S ‘Velocity’ showcases a taste of the customisation options that are possible.”

The striking ‘Velocity’ paint theme comprises two pearlescent hues of red; a newly formulated shade, Nerello Red, is used on the front and upper body panels of the car – including on the red-tinted visual carbon fibre bonnet – and fades into a vivid Volcano Red that covers the sides and rear of the car.

The unique paintwork is complemented by lightweight alloy wheels, finished in a subtle shade of metallic bronze by MSO. A range of exterior carbon fibre parts selected from the MSO collection also features on the 720S ‘Velocity’, further enhancing the bold and purposeful appearance of the new Super Series. In addition to the red carbon fibre bonnet, a gloss carbon Rear Deck Vent, gloss carbon fibre Service Cover, gloss carbon rear aero bridge and satin carbon Full Length Sill Cover are also fitted.

Step inside the spacious, light and airy cabin of the 720S ‘Velocity’ and you are greeted by Carbon Black Alcantara® trim throughout, providing a technical, sporting feel with a luxurious tactile finish and contrasting with Harissa Red leather details. Complementing the exterior ‘Velocity’ theme, Harissa Red highlights are continued throughout the interior, including on the fascia, steering wheel, doors and across the sports seats fitted as standard on the 720S, further enhancing McLaren’s most luxurious Super Series interior to date.

The McLaren 720S ‘Velocity’, which as a complete vehicle costs in the region of £335,000 as a McLaren Special Operations commission, is one of five MSO themes for the new McLaren Super Series that are explored in a boutique area of the McLaren stand at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. The other themes, ‘GT’; ‘Pacific’; ‘Track’; and ‘Stealth’, are displayed on screens, further demonstrating that MSO can fulfil almost any request to ensure that each personalised McLaren perfectly delivers the customers’ initial ideas and vision.

The portfolio of MSO enhancements featuring on the McLaren 720S ‘Velocity’ comprises:

• MSO Exterior Paint Theme (Nerello Red/Volcano Red)
• MSO Bronze Wheel Finish
• MSO Carbon Fibre Bonnet (red tinted gloss finish)
• MSO Carbon Rear Deck Vent (gloss finish)
• MSO Carbon Service Cover (gloss finish)
• MSO Carbon Fibre Rear Aero Bridge (gloss finish)
• MSO Carbon Full Length Sill Cover (satin finish)
• MSO Carbon Face Vents (satin finish)
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Facia with Harissa Red Leather IP Topper Centre and IP Topper Driver Side (Harissa Red contrast stitch on all stitch lines)
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Tunnel and Door Bin Lid with Harissa Red Contrast Stitch (including Black TPE Cup Holder and Key Fob Holder)
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Steering Wheel with Harissa Red Leather Centre Band (Harissa Red contrast stitch on upper and grips)
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Door Casings with Harissa Red Contrast Stitch and Harissa Red Leather Door Speaker Surround Inner
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Seats with Carbon Black Leather Large Insert Panels (cushion/seatback) and Harissa Red Leather Minor Insert Accent Panels. Harissa Red Contrast Stitch on all stitch lines
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Headlining with Harissa Red Contrast Stitch
• Full Carbon Black Alcantara® Quarter Panel Rear and Bulkhead Finisher (Harissa Red contrast stitch on decorative stitch lines)
• Carbon Black Carpet Rear Shelf and Bulkhead (Harissa Red contrast stitch on decorative stitch lines)
• Carbon Black Alcantara® B Pillar Lower with Harissa Red Contrast Stitch

The McLaren 720S. At last…

Few car companies are mapping out the same intergalactic trajectory as McLaren. From a standing start less than a decade ago, Woking’s finest have ridden out some early speed bumps and gone on to blow our collective minds with the likes of the 570S, 675LT, and P1. They’re on course to sell 4,000 cars this year, it’s a less uptight place than it used to be, and the 720S signals another major milestone: this is the first time McLaren has completely replaced one of its core cars.

Time to push the giant re-set button?

In some ways, yes. McLaren Automotive has the sort of restless, questing spirit you’d associate with a tech start-up, and the 720S demonstrates the company’s preparedness to veer off at some unusual tangents, visual and otherwise, as well as addressing the areas that misfired first time round. McLaren says 91 per cent of the 720S is new, and the enlarged 4.0-litre engine features 41 per cent new content: turbos, intercoolers, cast-aluminium plenum, cylinder heads, crankshaft, pistons, and exhaust.

Topline numbers include 710bhp, 568 torques, 249 CO2s, 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds, 0-124mph in 7.8, and 0-186mph (300km/h, if you prefer) in 21.8. There’s also some seriously funky new software to go with the hard bits, and a handful of theatrical flourishes. The doors are double-skinned dihedral jobs that open to 80°, and the engine isn’t just visible through the rear screen, it’s also illuminated.

Lots of sleepless nights, then.

Development work started back in 2013, before the 650S had even been announced, and a big chunk of it was done virtually. The first full validation car was only built and driven 11 months ago, so its path to market has been extremely rapid. The aero work is off-the-scale: the panel ahead of the front wheels evacuates the turbulent high pressure air away and along the side to increase downforce, while a channel at the top of the doors ducts high velocity cooling air into the radiators in the engine bay. There are no bodywork slashes here, despite its mid-engined configuration. The 720S generates 50 per cent more downforce than the 650S managed at full tilt, has double the overall aerodynamic efficiency, and is 15 per cent more efficient in its cooling.

McLaren says it was targeting the excitement of the 675 LT and the refinement of the 570 GT, which are lofty and possibly incompatible goals. It’s also worth remembering that the 720S is pretty much P1-fast in certain increments, and has similar braking capability (from 124mph to standstill in 4.6 seconds across just 117m). Crazy stuff. But it’s also designed to be useable every day, accessible and non-threatening even to numpties, and emits a relatively cuddly 249 CO2s. On paper, it’s almost miraculous.

Sounds too good to be true. Is it?

Well, it’s certainly good. In fact, we’d go so far as to say this is probably the single most accomplished supercar we’ve ever driven, which is not the sort of statement we make lightly. Remember, though, that McLaren was burned back in the day by a perceived lack of soul in its early cars, and we all know that it’s the indefinable bits that usually elevate a supercar. First impressions here are great: steering feel is impossible to measure objectively, but the 720S has that road/car/driver telepathic thing absolutely nailed – it moves like a big Lotus Elise.

It’s monumentally fast, possesses the sort of high-speed balance and stability that bespeaks absolute mastery of aerodynamics, and somehow refuses to punish you even on truly execrable road surfaces. According to product director Mark Vinnels, “the challenge was to revolutionise the segment. But we also wanted to make a big leap in entertainment. We want to combine performance, emotion, refinement and efficiency in a single, beautiful whole.” The 675 LT is one of the most engaging cars ever made by anyone ever: has McLaren pulled off the same trick here, while dialing down on the aggression?

Remind me what’s under the skin?

Lots of carbon fibre. Dubbed ‘Monocage II’, the chassis structure now incorporates an upper structure and windscreen surround, so it’s even more rigid than the 650. Lighter, too: its lightest dry weight is 1,283kg, 18kg less than the equivalent 650S. There’s an enhanced centre of gravity, thanks to the engine being mounted 150mm lower than before. A ‘visible monocage’ that exposes the material on the inside of the A-pillar is a £3,990 option (more on all that later: things can get very costly indeed). The cowl is also lower: like the magnificent 570, the 720S gets closer to serving up the jet fighter sensation than anything else on the road, and its vision all-round is peerless. The all-glass cockpit isn’t just pretty, it means you can traverse London without mowing down a peloton of cyclists, or reverse park the thing without knackering your street cred. Or the alloys.

More driving impressions now, please.

How edgy do you like your 700bhp-plus mid-engined supercars to be? Having received a pre-flight instruction from a McLaren operative (not that daunting), and easing our way through early-morning Rome traffic (pretty sticky), here’s the thing: the 720S is easy to drive. Really easy. Common sense demands acclimatisation, but you get settled incredibly quickly. Tyre noise and mechanical thrum is negligible at regular cruising speeds. Turn up the heat and the McLaren does that thing all sub-3.0 seconds to 60mph cars do: compress time. You are here, now you are there: the bit in between is simply vaporised.

But rarely has the time-warp been performed with so little conspicuous drama. The twin turbos are ultra-low inertia, twin scroll jobs that spool up much faster to reduce lag and sharpen throttle response. The red line in first and second gear is 8,100rpm, 8,200 in the next four. Keep the throttle pinned throughout, and big numbers rack up very rapidly indeed. Shift times on the seven-speed dual-shift ’box are 45 per cent faster than even the 675 LT delivers. You can sense the chassis electronics doing their thing, but only just. The 720S’s limits are somewhere beyond sky-high and out in the stratosphere.

Noise?

McLaren has reworked the harmonics on the new exhaust system, and the optional Sports Exhaust (there goes another £4,750) uses an intake sound generator to pump more volume into the cabin via twin vents mounted between the seats on the rear bulkhead. In standard form, the 720S is just five per cent off the 570GT in terms of noise levels, so it can do the long-haul; the sports exhaust moves it much closer to the 675 LT on the audio spectrum. Overall, and purely subjectively, we’d still say a normally aspirated engine has the edge – a shout out here to Audi’s brilliant and rather under-appreciated R8 – but as turbo motors go, the 720S is a new benchmark. Especially if you do what McLaren calls a ‘hot start’, which means sticking it in track/track mode, at which point it emits an entirely pointless but highly enjoyable wail.

What else is new?

The 650’s multi-adjustable Proactive Chassis Control receives some intriguing revisions. As before, the dampers are interlinked at each corner, so there are no conventional anti-roll bars. There’s improved hardware, though: the uprights and double wishbones are new, reducing un-sprung weight by 16kg. As before, you can choose between Comfort, Sport, or Track mode according to location or intention. PCC II uses multiple sensors – 12 more than previously, including an accelerometer on each wheel hub – to monitor inputs from the road and measure the tyre contact patch. The information is processed in milliseconds by the ‘Optimal Controller’ algorithm, developed by McLaren in conjunction with a Cambridge University PHD research programme.

According to vehicle development director Ben Gulliver, the system can alter the valves in the dampers in a way that pre-empts changes in road surface rather than reacting to them. Chief test driver Chris Goodwin is particularly proud of the work done on the rear suspension geometry. “This car can conjure amazing grip and balance even on the bumpiest roads,” he tells us. One other thing: the base Pirelli tyre (245/35 ZR19s on the front, 305/30 ZR20s on the rear – bespoke to McLaren) used by the 720S has the same performance as the old Trofeo track rubber. There is grip and compliance in equal measure, although the Ferrari 488 GTB runs it very close.

No sign of EPAS or an active rear axle?

Nope. “The hardware is still too heavy, the response times too slow,” says Gulliver of the latter, while Goodwin jokes that McLaren will happily keep electro-hydraulic steering in business for a long time yet. On the 720S, the rack uses one software map, and the linearity of response and the dialogue that builds between you and the road is spectacular. A small but important point: the three-spoke wheel isn’t buried under a welter of buttons, it exists to steer the car and nothing else. Proper.

How does it feel on the track?

Vallelunga is relatively short but a lot of fun. But it’s also where we get to the heart of the matter: the 720S is so damned good it’s almost… undramatic. Dramatically undramatic. It’s that edgy supercar question again: do you need to be asking for planning permission on the ragged edge before decreeing something a ‘real’ supercar? Or do you just want to go ballistically fast, everywhere, rain or shine, with almost total impunity? The 720S isn’t clinical, but it is surgical.

The new Variable Drift Control, which, according to McLaren, “delivers additional enjoyment in Sport and Track modes, with finger-tip control of Electronic Stability Control intensity”, is amusing, but you still need to be able to balance steering and throttle effectively, so why not just turn everything off? Goodwin reckons the system works like the nine-stage traction control in McLaren’s GT race cars, and the end game is finding the best set-up for whichever track you regularly visit. In other words, traction optimisation rather than control. Whatever your bag, turn all the electronics off and the sheer genius of the chassis is laid bare. What a machine this is.

And inside?

Inside, the 720S somehow combines the brutal ergonomic efficacy of a race car with the technical luxury of a contemporary GT. The drive mode controls now live in a vertical pod to the left of the wheel. The principal read-outs are housed directly ahead, and the ‘folding display’ is very cool, the idea being that you can focus on the key read-outs if you’re in maximum attack mode. The D, N and R buttons are in another pod that tapers towards the bottom. The doors eat into the roof, Ford GT40-style, and it really does feel like being at the pointy end of an arrow, only with much more control over your own destiny. The ‘human’ graphic on the climate control display is wearing a crash helmet. Nice touch. There’s also an awesome 1,280W audio system, and the speakers are a seamlessly integrated part of the interior topography. But the sat nav drove me mad, and the seat controls are difficult to reach (£2730 for heated electric seats btw). Turns out they’re one of the few things carried over from the 650S.

Hmm. Sounds like maybe we should order ourselves one.

It’s as intriguing as you’d hope, the 720S. All 400 launch-spec cars are long gone, and 1,400 cars have been ordered before the first 720S has even left the factory. McLaren, it seems, has hit the motherlode. Only a full-blooded back-to-back test against the Ferrari, preferably on British roads we know, probably somewhere in north Wales, will reveal the complete picture. Mind you, on power alone it vaults itself ahead of its Italian rival, which might bring the new 488 Speciale (or whatever it’ll be called) onto the front-burner. The 720S is magnificent, but also surprisingly nuanced for such an adrenalised proposition. It takes time to work out the full scale of its, and its creators, achievements. It’s also worth noting that our test car lifted the £218,020 list price to £292,000-plus, and that the full carbon look, inside and out, doesn’t come cheap. To put it another way: how does a McLaren 570GT and a Porsche 911 GT3 sound?

We’ve driven the new McLaren 720S in Italy, and now, tested the 710bhp supercar in the UK. But really, right now there’s no point in me writing words when what you want are acceleration numbers. So here are some numbers.

0-10mph: 0.46s
0-20mph: 0.96s
0-30mph: 1.40s
0-40mph: 1.82s
0-50mph: 2.30s
0-60mph: 2.77s
0-70mph: 3.33s
0-80mph: 3.93s
0-90mph: 4.59s
0-100mph: 5.31s
0-110mph: 6.14s
0-120mph: 7.06s
0-130mph: 8.16s
0-140mph: 9.38s
0-150mph: 11.01s

¼ mile 10.19secs @ 146.0mph

Let’s pull a few figures out and have a closer look at them. If you found a convenient place where the speed limit went instantly from urban to motorway (that’s 30mph to 70mph for anyone not familiar with UK motoring law), the 720S could make the leap in less than two seconds (1.93 to be exact). I’ve just checked and it takes two seconds to say ‘in less than two seconds’. That’s how fast it is.

Accelerate from 50 to 100mph, as you might when you join a, er, German autobahn, and you’re all done in three seconds flat. McLaren claims 0-124mph in 7.8secs, we measured it at 7.46secs. So that’s acceleration from nothing to 124mph in about the time it takes you to read a sentence aloud. And don’t forget this is a rear-wheel drive car.

It should be pointed out that McLaren’s launch control system is utterly astounding. It has been every time we’ve tested one of their cars. Remember when we had a drag race between a 570S and three 4WD rivals (Audi R8 V10 Plus, Porsche 911 Turbo S and Nissan GT-R)? Go and watch it here and marvel at how fast it is off the line.

Clearly this is nuts, so how about some context? Set a Volkswagen Golf GTI and the 720S off together and at the point the Golf hits 60mph (6.2secs) the McLaren is north of 110mph. A BMW M3 is a massively fast car. Yet it takes precisely twice as long to hit 150mph as the 720S – 22.22secs.

How about the full house Tesla P100D Ludicrous+? Well that’s one of the very few cars we’ve had that out accelerates the 720S to 60mph (by 0.09secs). Piling another 60mph on top of that takes the Tesla 7.29secs. The McLaren could be standing still when the Tesla came past at 60mph and beat it to 120mph.

In fact we’ve only figured two cars that have the measure of the 720S – and one of them is another McLaren, the P1. The other is the Porsche 918 Spyder. Both of those hit 100mph in 5.0secs, but look at what they had to employ to do it, how costly those extra three-tenths were. Clearly we need to test a Chiron soon to give this 720S something to chew on. How about it Bugatti?

McLaren Special Operations presents unique McLaren 720S customer commission at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

• Bespoke McLaren 720S by McLaren Special Operations combines fuchsia paint finish with white leather interior featuring body-coloured accents to create a McLaren like no other
• ‘Fux Fuchsia’ paint colour is to the individual specification of Michael Fux, the US-based entrepreneur, philanthropist and car enthusiast who commissioned the car from MSO
• Car presented to customer by McLaren Automotive CEO, Mike Flewitt and displayed on the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Concept Lawn on Sunday 20th August

A truly striking, one-of-kind McLaren 720S makes its public debut this weekend at the illustrious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California. The Bespoke division of McLaren Special Operations crafted the unique McLaren supercar, to the specification of entrepreneur and philanthropist, Michael Fux. McLaren Chief Executive Officer, Mike Flewitt, presented the car to Mr Fux in Monterey, ahead of it being displayed on the ‘Concept Lawn’ on Concours Sunday,

The exterior paint colour immediately identifies the car as being designed to order, a service available to all McLaren customers through McLaren Special Operations. Named ‘Fux Fuchsia’, the colour was created for Mr Fux by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited and subsequently redeveloped by MSO; Mr Fux will retain exclusive rights to its use on any other McLaren vehicle.

“Challenging the art of the possible to meet the most demanding customer requirements and then delivering beyond expectations are integral to the service that McLaren Special Operations offers,” commented Jolyon Nash, McLaren Automotive Executive Director, Global Sales and Marketing. “MSO provides McLaren owners with virtually limitless possibilities to tailor a car exactly to their needs and tastes; unique paint colours and finishes, custom leather and stitching and exotic materials are all available within a bespoke commission, while beyond this there are opportunities all the way up to complete vehicles designed to individual specification.”

The distinctive hue also features as a detail on the lightweight wheels, contrasting with the platinum finish of the alloy. Inside the car, door appliqués, a pinstripe on the steering wheel and even the rear-view mirror are all in body colour, providing highlights of fuchsia in a cabin that is otherwise resplendent from headlining to cup holder – and almost everything in between – in MSO Bespoke white leather with white stitching. White Alcantara® floor mats, again with white stitching, complete the theme.

In addition to the bespoke elements of the vehicle, the exhaust and window surrounds are in Stealth grey finish and carbon fibre components from the MSO Defined range have also been specified. These can be ordered on any McLaren, of any colour.

Michael Fux is renowned as a collector of highly desirable, rare cars and has previously commissioned a McLaren 12C in McLaren Orange, a 12C Spider in bespoke purple and a McLaren P1™ in bespoke green.