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    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    andrea:

    so minacious!

    test by Malmedie

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M72cRp5SXpQ

    Love the part where he pulls into the Italian cafe and draws a crowd... hard to claim this car lacks presence. Smiley


    --

    2011 Range Rover Sport S/C,  2009 Porsche 911S


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Fantastic car - no doubt kiss


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    I was few days in Italy Piemont with my 650s - the Italians are so excited about the car.

    IMG_1145.jpg
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    IMG_1119.jpg
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    IMG_1116.jpg
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    --

    AM


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    You took the car with you on a trailer? Smiley Why? Family? Luggage? Let the wife drive with the luggage... Smiley Smiley


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    very nice Combo - wheels and Color kiss


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    BjoernB:

    very nice Combo - wheels and Color kiss

    Smiley Actually, I would keep it and not exchange it for a 720S...yet.


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    RC:

    You took the car with you on a trailer? Smiley Why? Family? Luggage? Let the wife drive with the luggage... Smiley Smiley

     

    It was easy - you could have all luggage you need - golf equipment.....


    --

    AM


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    BjoernB:

    very nice Combo - wheels and Color kiss

    thnx - no exchange until 720s spider


    --

    AM


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    ALDO:
    RC:

    You took the car with you on a trailer? Smiley Why? Family? Luggage? Let the wife drive with the luggage... Smiley Smiley

     

    It was easy - you could have all luggage you need - golf equipment.....

    Is that a S8?


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    ALDO:
    BjoernB:

    very nice Combo - wheels and Color kiss

    thnx - no exchange until 720s spider

    From what I heard the 720s is a different league. All owners which been test driving the 720s immediately start thinking about trading!

    Regarding bags - I would have rather send someone bringing me the bags and enjoyed that beauty on the road. Too rare are the moments where you can enjoy your cars - so this sounds like a dream of a trip for taking the car on the road.

     


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Very nice, Aldo. Timeless colour choice kiss..


    --

    throt

    "I Have Done It!".

    991 GT3 pick up in October 2014.

    Rennteam Hairy Chest Advisor.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Amazing color combo and what a way to do a trip ! 


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    RC:
    ALDO:
    RC:

    You took the car with you on a trailer? Smiley Why? Family? Luggage? Let the wife drive with the luggage... Smiley Smiley

     

    It was easy - you could have all luggage you need - golf equipment.....

    Is that a S8?

    Yes!


    --

    AM


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Lars997:
    ALDO:
    BjoernB:

    very nice Combo - wheels and Color kiss

    thnx - no exchange until 720s spider

    From what I heard the 720s is a different league. All owners which been test driving the 720s immediately start thinking about trading!

    Regarding bags - I would have rather send someone bringing me the bags and enjoyed that beauty on the road. Too rare are the moments where you can enjoy your cars - so this sounds like a dream of a trip for taking the car on the road.

     

    On McLaren forum, some say that the car is a huge improvement and other say an update from 650s. 

    I have talked at Goodwood with an engineer from McLaren, he told me three areas for performance improvement: 
    1. new chassis
    2. improved proactive chassis control - reacts much faster
    3. tires - tires are so significant - new pzero are on track as fast as old trofeo r

    Interior and exterior are very fresh.

    The 650s was the best car in this class and the 720s is better then 650s.


    --

    AM


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    ALDO:
    RC:
    ALDO:
    RC:

    You took the car with you on a trailer? Smiley Why? Family? Luggage? Let the wife drive with the luggage... Smiley Smiley

     

    It was easy - you could have all luggage you need - golf equipment.....

    Is that a S8?

    Yes!

    Smiley


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    I've just finished a 3 hour test drive with the 720S. It was my first drive ever with a McLaren. Unfortunately it was raining heavily and there was a lot of traffic but I still managed to find some curvy roads and try it within reasonable boundaries. So here's the resume:

    Comfort and ergonomics

    Outstanding. The best visibility I've ever experienced in a sports car, perfect driving position. The test car was with the most comfortable seats and they fit me perfectly (I am 1.87). Getting in and out of the car was not a problem for me. The thing that amazed me is how airy inside and yet how small the car feels on the road. It feels like you can position it very precisely. After that the RS felt so much bigger. As pervert as it might sound the 720S is one of the better ways to drive around a busy city. The surround view cameras work great and the sound of the B&W is better than the JBL in the 488. More test are needed to compare it to the Burmester in the 911.

    I am not a big fan of the steering wheel which is a bit too thin and plain looking. The peddle shifters are a bit small and they are connected which seemed strange but not really a functional problem. 

    The noise in the cabin king of surprised me. In the 100 - 150 range it felt noisier than the Turbo S and far noisier than the 488 which up to 145km/h on 7th gear is dead quiet. But at 200km/h I felt like the McLaren is the most quiet of the 3. Once again, this is how I felt at the moment...I could be wrong. 

    Steering and chassis

    Another 10/10. The steering precision felt like the best I've ever experienced, maybe even slightly better then the GT3 RS and miles better than the 488. Of course this is a very subjective first impression. Evenly impressive was the suspension. Strangely enough I didn't feel huge difference between comfort and sport maybe because I drove on smooth roads but I never felt like "this is too soft" / "this is too harsh". The damping, the wheel travel - just perfect. Overall I felt extremely confident to slide the car a little but on tighter corners and it was extremely tactile. 

    Engine and gearbox

    Let me start with the really bad news. The engine sound sucks big time. It's disappointing, even with the sport exhaust. It's like a far noisier Turbo S at high rpm. You never hear a hint of a V8. I love how my 488 sounds, more than the 458 and more than the GT3 RS. Next to it the 720S is a hot hatch. It was a big let down. The car looks extremely exotic, feels exotic inside and then you start the engine and...nothing. The rest is all good. There's nothing to be desired about the engine response and turbo lag. Gearbox calibration is perfect but so are the rest of my cars. Auto mode in Sport works surprisingly well, better than the 488 which after a long time of slow driving goes to sleep and has to be kicked. Unfortunately I couldn't explore the pulling power of the engine because of the heavy rain but as expected it felt like a monster across the rpm range and very happy to rev but I guess that's not news.

    Breaks

    That was a serious issue for me. Maybe I am used to Porsche's breaks which I find to be absolutely perfect but I find the 720'S break pedal to be way too firm, way too long and with an initial dead zone. So much that I didn't trust the breaks. I am not a big fan of the 488's break feel for similar reasons but the 720S felt even worse. At slow speed they work ok. When you break really hard the car breaks fine. But for spirited driving on public roads there is no middle ground. Even on the autobahn it was like ON/OFF. Maybe it was the rain, maybe I could reprogram myself after more driving but I have ceramic breaks on all my cars and this was the worst break feel I've ever experienced.

    Build quality issues

    I saw one of the first car to be delivered to a customer and couldn't believe it. Misaligned panels and gaps...it looked terrible. I can't believe that this car has passed any quality control. If they deliver my car in that condition I will return it and never look back at McLaren.

    In Summary

    I am glad that I ordered the 720S but I am also glad that I don't have to trade my 488 for it because.....I wouldn't.

    Tomorrow I will drive the Performante...


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    I'm hoping that it's quieter than P11 in 7th and cruising speeds. P11 was just way too loud in the cabin. I wish it was dead silent like you say the 488 is.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Herbaliser:

    I've just finished a 3 hour test drive with the 720S. It was my first drive ever with a McLaren. Unfortunately it was raining heavily and there was a lot of traffic but I still managed to find some curvy roads and try it within reasonable boundaries. So here's the resume:

    Comfort and ergonomics

    Outstanding. The best visibility I've ever experienced in a sports car, perfect driving position. The test car was with the most comfortable seats and they fit me perfectly (I am 1.87). Getting in and out of the car was not a problem for me. The thing that amazed me is how airy inside and yet how small the car feels on the road. It feels like you can position it very precisely. After that the RS felt so much bigger. As pervert as it might sound the 720S is one of the better ways to drive around a busy city. The surround view cameras work great and the sound of the B&W is better than the JBL in the 488. More test are needed to compare it to the Burmester in the 911.

    I am not a big fan of the steering wheel which is a bit too thin and plain looking. The peddle shifters are a bit small and they are connected which seemed strange but not really a functional problem. 

    The noise in the cabin king of surprised me. In the 100 - 150 range it felt noisier than the Turbo S and far noisier than the 488 which up to 145km/h on 7th gear is dead quiet. But at 200km/h I felt like the McLaren is the most quiet of the 3. Once again, this is how I felt at the moment...I could be wrong. 

    Steering and chassis

    Another 10/10. The steering precision felt like the best I've ever experienced, maybe even slightly better then the GT3 RS and miles better than the 488. Of course this is a very subjective first impression. Evenly impressive was the suspension. Strangely enough I didn't feel huge difference between comfort and sport maybe because I drove on smooth roads but I never felt like "this is too soft" / "this is too harsh". The damping, the wheel travel - just perfect. Overall I felt extremely confident to slide the car a little but on tighter corners and it was extremely tactile. 

    Engine and gearbox

    Let me start with the really bad news. The engine sound sucks big time. It's disappointing, even with the sport exhaust. It's like a far noisier Turbo S at high rpm. You never hear a hint of a V8. I love how my 488 sounds, more than the 458 and more than the GT3 RS. Next to it the 720S is a hot hatch. It was a big let down. The car looks extremely exotic, feels exotic inside and then you start the engine and...nothing. The rest is all good. There's nothing to be desired about the engine response and turbo lag. Gearbox calibration is perfect but so are the rest of my cars. Auto mode in Sport works surprisingly well, better than the 488 which after a long time of slow driving goes to sleep and has to be kicked. Unfortunately I couldn't explore the pulling power of the engine because of the heavy rain but as expected it felt like a monster across the rpm range and very happy to rev but I guess that's not news.

    Breaks

    That was a serious issue for me. Maybe I am used to Porsche's breaks which I find to be absolutely perfect but I find the 720'S break pedal to be way too firm, way too long and with an initial dead zone. So much that I didn't trust the breaks. I am not a big fan of the 488's break feel for similar reasons but the 720S felt even worse. At slow speed they work ok. When you break really hard the car breaks fine. But for spirited driving on public roads there is no middle ground. Even on the autobahn it was like ON/OFF. Maybe it was the rain, maybe I could reprogram myself after more driving but I have ceramic breaks on all my cars and this was the worst break feel I've ever experienced.

    Build quality issues

    I saw one of the first car to be delivered to a customer and couldn't believe it. Misaligned panels and gaps...it looked terrible. I can't believe that this car has passed any quality control. If they deliver my car in that condition I will return it and never look back at McLaren.

    In Summary

    I am glad that I ordered the 720S but I am also glad that I don't have to trade my 488 for it because.....I wouldn't.

    Tomorrow I will drive the Performante...

    Great review, many thanks !!


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    +1,,,, sound yet again is a let down then. So its quick but no event...broken heart..


    --

    throt

    "I Have Done It!".

    991 GT3 pick up in October 2014.

    Rennteam Hairy Chest Advisor.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    I also did a drive today and am posting without reading Herbalizer's review first - then it is more fun to compare the findings...

     

    Drove the 720s today and I am very happy thinking about the experience. I feel the car is a huge step forward compared to the 650s. Much more refined and also, subjectively, much more fascinating in terms of interior and exterior design.

    The car feels very precise and light-weight, cart like I would even say. The steering (in all modes) is very precise, nice feed-back. The car is super nimble on steering input.

    Brake pedal feel is on the firm side, Porsche probably still being the benchmark here. The performance of the brakes is wonderful though.

    Suspension is superb in all three modes. The softest mode is now precise and yet comfortable. Ideal for daily travles. While it was wet/rainy today I could still develop a very high confidence in the qualities of the Sport and Track mode. Last test (impossible today) would be front grip (with Corsa tires) on a dry track. That might be the only area where the GT2RS could be a sincere rival, maybe.

    Gear box is not super quick on manual input – except for the track mode where the reactions are super quick. Auto mode works wonderfully.

    The whole car has a high-quality feel and it is just lovely to use it also in normal situations.

    The engine/gearbox combo has quite a bit of turbo lag in Comfort/Sport mode and gearbox in Auto mode – which I personally like as it adds to the excitement when all the engine power gets to work. I don’t need to talk about the engine power…

    In summary, I enjoyed the car very, very much. Congratulations to McLaren SmileySmileySmiley      


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Are you describing a gearbox delay between clicking the paddle and it's initiating the shift under light throttle?


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    noone1:

    Are you describing a gearbox delay between clicking the paddle and it's initiating the shift under light throttle?

    No - the auto mode works very well. The thing is that the gearbox reacts not super super fast on manual input (Porsche PDK works quicker I would say) - unless you go into Track mode. In Track mode the manual shift is super quick Smiley


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    I don't follow. What do you mean by not super fast? What aspect is slow when manually using paddles?


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    @Herbaliser - Thanks for the review. Very surprised by your comments about the 488 sounding better than the 458 though. My response to a first aggressive downshift in my 488 Spider was to go out and buy a 458 Speciale to join the Speciale Aperta -  which I am really glad I did. There will never be a greater NA mid-engined V8 Ferrari. Not surprised by your comment on the steering feel in the 720S though - if its anything like the 570 it must be superb - benefit of staying hydraulic.It will be interesting to drive an 812 and see how that feels with its new trickery. I have written before as you have that when stepping from a Ferrari to a McLaren you always feel you are stamping on the McLaren's brakes to make anything happen in a 650S, though it was much better in the 675LT. I have just sold the latter as I think the 720S is going to be so good, and inevitably there will be an LT version of it.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    noone1:

    I don't follow. What do you mean by not super fast? What aspect is slow when manually using paddles?

    The manual shift happens with a slight delay (larger than with the gearboxes of competing cars) Smiley


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    crayphile:

    @Herbaliser - Thanks for the review. Very surprised by your comments about the 488 sounding better than the 458 though. My response to a first aggressive downshift in my 488 Spider was to go out and buy a 458 Speciale to join the Speciale Aperta -  which I am really glad I did. There will never be a greater NA mid-engined V8 Ferrari. Not surprised by your comment on the steering feel in the 720S though - if its anything like the 570 it must be superb - benefit of staying hydraulic.It will be interesting to drive an 812 and see how that feels with its new trickery. I have written before as you have that when stepping from a Ferrari to a McLaren you always feel you are stamping on the McLaren's brakes to make anything happen in a 650S, though it was much better in the 675LT. I have just sold the latter as I think the 720S is going to be so good, and inevitably there will be an LT version of it.

    The 488 steering is lighter and probably even more direct than the 720s steering - this combination makes it feel a bit more synthetic in the 488, I feel.

    Also, the low weight and stiffness of the 720s in combination with the superb steering makes another big difference to the 488 as the 720s feels extremely cart like as a result.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    crayphile:

    My response to a first aggressive downshift in my 488 Spider was to go out and buy a 458 Speciale to join the Speciale Aperta.

    First world problems there, cray Smiley.. 

    You really have some stable. Let me know if you need a trustworthy driver to take them out for a run you Smiley....


    --

    throt

    "I Have Done It!".

    991 GT3 pick up in October 2014.

    Rennteam Hairy Chest Advisor.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Some practical details I forgot to mention:

    - the navigation/sound system works quite Ok now (of course, the Porsche system is still better in terms of traffic flow information and also how to operate it but the 720s is now fully acceptable and much, much better than the 488 for example)

    - the standard sound system should be upgraded to the B&W if one likes to listen to music...

    - the car misses some buttons to switch to next song etc. while using the central display for the navigation (as the system is structured now you constantly have to switch from navigation to music, then skip to next song, then switch back to navigation)

    - fuel consumption is fairly low (usual mid-range speeds in Germany (i.e. Autobahn between 80 and 180kph) is easily doable with around 12l/100km - similar to the turbo s

    - the buttons to operate the power seats are a nightmare... Manual seats are lighter anyhow Smiley


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    throt:
    crayphile:

    My response to a first aggressive downshift in my 488 Spider was to go out and buy a 458 Speciale to join the Speciale Aperta.

    First world problems there, cray Smiley.. 

    You really have some stable. Let me know if you need a trustworthy driver to take them out for a run you Smiley....

    I am indeed blessed, except when it comes to Porsche allocations Smiley. However, increasingly feeling like a dinosaur with the onslaught of turbo charged torque monsters and electric vehicles. This is despite mentally  embracing the potential for electricity to enhance the sports car experience by low end torque fill -in or whatever else manufacturers come up with .

    BTW only my son @Porker gets to drive the cars , but he's not old enough yet Smiley.


    Re: McLaren on a winning streak

    Also kind of interesting:

     

    Nürburgring:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRCE3AcAIK0&feature=youtu.be

     

    Autobahn:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGarK2kpaw0&feature=youtu.be

     


     
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