McLaren Just Killed Its Flagship 720S
McLaren’s flagship 720S has been killed after just five years in production. Production actually ended at the end of 2022, after making its debut at the Geneva Auto Show in 2017. As supercars go, it was a relatively short production span. While McLaren says a replacement is in the works, the company is keeping details close to the vest.
What will replace the McLaren 720S?
“We have not spoken about this vehicle,” McLaren president Nicolas Brown told Automotive News. “But customers, of course, they see that, ‘OK, well, you can’t order a 720 anymore.’ They realize that production is ending. So putting two and two together, something is coming. They’re anticipating that it will be a refinement of 720. They have started to put deposits down with dealers.”
The 720S was the replacement for McLaren’s 650S, which began production when the company first started in 2010. Available as both a coupe and convertible, McLaren couldn’t keep up with demand. Later, a limited production 765LT was added with more power and a lighter body.
Was the McLaren 720S not selling well?
With popularity still strong, it is puzzling why McLaren chose to discontinue the 720S. “Even with the competition that comes out of the same segment, from your Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, there is still a demand,” Peter Frigerio of McLaren Newport Beach in Irvine, California, told Automotive News.
He too says he has received orders for the 720S replacement, without anyone knowing anything about it. “It will be something different, but not completely,” Frigerio said.
Powering the 720S is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 700+ hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. Zero to 60 time is under three seconds. The V8 is also found in the 765LT, 720S LeMans, and GT3 racers.
Will the 720S successor be electric?
McLaren recently introduced the Artura coupe, a bookend hybrid to the Speedtail. But instead of the 720’s V8, the Artura runs with a twin-turbo V6 in conjunction with an electric motor. Combined, they make 671 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque, with zero to 60 times the same as the V8.
As to the Speedtail, its 1070PS hybrid package propels it easily to 250 mph. The carbon fiber three-seater combines its hybrid system for 1,055 hp and 848 lb-ft of torque. As you can see, the carmaker is finding a successful formula with hybrid power.
Could this be why the 720S was killed?
The move to stop 720S production rests mostly with Europe’s mandates for EVs, with McLaren’s new Artura being another step towards becoming all-electric. But the move to kill the 720S might also have something to do with how good its entry-level cars are.
Its 540C and 570S models are less expensive than its supercar siblings. Yet, they offer similar performance and seat-of-the-pants thrills, with top speeds at 200 mph. Though not cheap as cars go, with prices starting at $185,000, it pales in comparison to the 720’s $400,000 tab.
