The McLaren 720S was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2017, and effectively replaced the 650S model. It is one of the first of a whole new generation of McLarens, which are planned to be unveiled leading up to 2022.
Designed by Robert Melville, the car features some interesting styling cues, making it more visually appealing than earlier McLarens. In late 2017, the 720S Spider version was released, with a steel retractable roof. In open-top form this car is even more exciting, partly because you can feel the wind in your hair, and partly because it lets more of that glorious V8 noise into the cabin.
Related: Invasion of the Spiders! Read more about the McLaren 720S Spider in our launch report.
Performance
Performance-wise the 720S employs McLaren’s own M840T engine, which is a twin-turbo V8 displacing just under 4.0 litres. Power output for the 720S is rated at 530 kW, with 730 Nm of torque on offer. Transmission is a 7-speed dual-clutch device that drives the rear wheels. The 0-100 km/h time breaks the magical 3-second barrier, coming in at 2.9 seconds, and top speed is claimed to be 342 km/h. Even more impressive, perhaps, is the 0-200 km/h sprint time, which has been tested at under 8 seconds — that's quicker than the iconic McLaren F1 from the 1990s!
Topping up the windscreen washer bottle
With a car as exotic as the McLaren 720S, all mechanical work should be carried out by McLaren specialists, which, in South Africa’s case, falls under the auspices of the Daytona Group. They are headquartered at the posh Melrose Arch complex, close to the Wanderers cricket ground.
However, the McLaren sales executive at Daytona assured us that topping up the windscreen washer bottle can be done by the owner without fear of invalidating the warranty, as there are no tools required. This makes sense, as long as you top up the correct fluid container!
Here’s our step by step guide.
1. The washer fluid bottle is situated at the front of the car, in the luggage compartment (the McLaren, of course, has the engine located towards the rear, behind the passenger compartment).
2. To open the luggage compartment (most will still refer to it as the “bonnet”), you press the appropriate button on the key.
3. The screen washer bottle is housed under a plastic cover at the far right-hand corner of the luggage compartment, the cover having an identifying screen washer symbol.
4. To open the cover, press the retaining clip and remove the cover.
5. The screen washer bottle is identified by the blue cap with the washer logo embossed on it. Do not confuse it with the hydraulic fluid container (which has a black cap marked with a yellow icon), which is housed under the same cover.
6. Use the tab on the blue cap to prise it open with your thumb or index finger. Once open, the cap is retained by a ring tab to prevent it from being misplaced.
7. Use a normal 500 ml drinking water bottle to top up the bottle, as it is very nimble and handy to use. Add ordinary tap water to the screen washer bottle, and slowly top up until you can see the water level appear in the container neck. Don’t overfill.
8. Close the cap firmly.
9. Replace the cover carefully, making sure the retaining clip is clicked home.
You are done! Close the bonnet lid and test the screen washer by using the function on the wiper stalk. With such a fast car, clear forward vision is essential, so make sure you keep the screen washer bottle topped up regularly.
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Shop for a new or used McLaren 720S here.