750s or...?

[964Cup]

<incoming first world problem trigger warning>

I have a deposit down for a 750s spider. I do not, as yet, have a confirmed delivery date or spec lock date. As the weeks go by without an update on either, I can't help thinking that the money (about £330k) provides quite a wide range of alternatives.

Whatever I buy doesn't have to be new. It does need to be a convertible. It also needs to be very fast and a genuine pleasure to drive and own. It needs to look good - which is of course entirely subjective. It doesn't need to be loony hypercar fast, although I don't want to feel too much as though it's a step down from a McLaren.

I don't especially care about residuals. I will drive the car a good deal - my current 720s coupe has 21.5k miles and I'll probably add another 5k this year. It must be both reliable (don't laugh, my 720 has been faultless, ymmv) and usable - not an Aventador or something else that's hopeless around town. It needs to have at least as much luggage space as a 7x0s spider - not very much, but more than some - and a little more capacity would be a nice thing.

I would like to get it no later than next spring, and I don't want to have to pretend to like social media or play other stupid games in order to be permitted to buy it.

I have other toys, so please no "you could get a GT3RS and have change for a used [insert car here]". I have a GT3RS - so although competent track performance would be a nice to have, I won't be routinely tracking the car. I also have a couple of old Porsches - I'm not looking for a classic.

To save time I'll rule out the 992 Turbo S (boring and see above regarding Porsches) and the 296 because I think it's ugly. I quite like the looks of the 488/F8 but haven't driven either - and I think the Roma is a rather excellent looking thing, but is it sharp enough? So many other choices, though...

Sticking with the 750 order is of course an option, but WWYD?

[samoht]

On the Ferrari front I'd look at a lightly used 812 GTS, more different from another McLaren and would seem reasonably usable
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212282...

This Huracan looked pretty special in the metal, if you fit in the Huracan/R8 Spyders may be worth considering
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206176...


I'd probably end up getting a 720 Spider, since I'm not convinced the 750 will be better enough to pay ~£100k more for, and if it turns out later that it is, you can always pick one up nearly new then. But if you want to buy new, then why not.

[interstellar]

I read the first paragraph and thought 720 Spider would be my choice.

I think that car is perfect.

[964Cup]

samoht said:

On the Ferrari front I'd look at a lightly used 812 GTS, more different from another McLaren and would seem reasonably usable
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212282...

This Huracan looked pretty special in the metal, if you fit in the Huracan/R8 Spyders may be worth considering
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206176...


I'd probably end up getting a 720 Spider, since I'm not convinced the 750 will be better enough to pay ~£100k more for, and if it turns out later that it is, you can always pick one up nearly new then. But if you want to buy new, then why not.

I can't find a 720 spider in the spec I want. That was always the plan originally but after more than 6 months of looking I jumped at the 750 instead. Weirdly the spec I like (grey or blue over light tan leather) is quite common in Ferraris, but almost all McLarens have the pretend racecar black alcantara thing going on. There seem to have been almost no luxury spiders, and of that almost none, even fewer have a light interior. The extra £100k+ is indeed not obvious value - in fact for me the use of the 765 ratios is a step back, not forward.

I feel as though the 812 is a much bigger and less wieldy car - but perhaps I should go and look at one. The R8 doesn't excite me and I have a slightly prejudiced view of Lamborghinis. What actually prompted the post was a YT video of the new DB12 - not yet a convertible, obviously, and not necessarily my thing, but the closing segment where they talk about the expected price reminded me that if I'm prepared to pay for a 750 then I can consider pretty much everything else in the supercar/super-GT segment.

[BobM]

I read your post and also immediately thought 720S Spider. Find a nice one and get the interior retrimmed perhaps?
Otherwise wait for the 750S.

[RSbandit]

Maserati MC20 Cielo? Wouldn’t be as quick as the 720/750 but beautiful looking thing and it’s a Maserati !

[Bispal]

964Cup said:

<incoming first world problem trigger warning>

I have a deposit down for a 750s spider. I do not, as yet, have a confirmed delivery date or spec lock date. As the weeks go by without an update on either, I can't help thinking that the money (about £330k) provides quite a wide range of alternatives.

Whatever I buy doesn't have to be new. It does need to be a convertible. It also needs to be very fast and a genuine pleasure to drive and own. It needs to look good - which is of course entirely subjective. It doesn't need to be loony hypercar fast, although I don't want to feel too much as though it's a step down from a McLaren.

I don't especially care about residuals. I will drive the car a good deal - my current 720s coupe has 21.5k miles and I'll probably add another 5k this year. It must be both reliable (don't laugh, my 720 has been faultless, ymmv) and usable - not an Aventador or something else that's hopeless around town. It needs to have at least as much luggage space as a 7x0s spider - not very much, but more than some - and a little more capacity would be a nice thing.

I would like to get it no later than next spring, and I don't want to have to pretend to like social media or play other stupid games in order to be permitted to buy it.

I have other toys, so please no "you could get a GT3RS and have change for a used [insert car here]". I have a GT3RS - so although competent track performance would be a nice to have, I won't be routinely tracking the car. I also have a couple of old Porsches - I'm not looking for a classic.

To save time I'll rule out the 992 Turbo S (boring and see above regarding Porsches) and the 296 because I think it's ugly. I quite like the looks of the 488/F8 but haven't driven either - and I think the Roma is a rather excellent looking thing, but is it sharp enough? So many other choices, though...

Sticking with the 750 order is of course an option, but WWYD?

I would keep the 720s or trade for a spider and then (as the convertible requirement is ticked) would take the remaining cash and but a Superformance GT40. The most unhinged, visceral, thrill ride of a car you can buy. That's what I would do, as your asking....

[Nuttbelle]

Hold out for a 720S spider in a spec you like unless you are " comfortable" spending almost twice the
money and immediately losing £100k on a new 750S which looks like a mild face-lift IMHO.

Not much beats a £200k 720S spider.

[AndyC_123]

Pista Spider?

Edit: Crikey, didn't realise what a premium the Spider is over Coupe

Edited by AndyC_123 on Thursday 22 June 10:19

[964Cup]

AndyC_123 said:

Pista Spider?

Aren't those rather more expensive?

...your edit noted. Quite.

[justin220]

For that money, could you get into a 765LT spider?

Edit, maybe not quite.. but wow what a thing!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023031050...

[ex-devonpaul]

RSbandit said:

Maserati MC20 Cielo? Wouldn’t be as quick as the 720/750 but beautiful looking thing and it’s a Maserati !

With the added bonus of not having to rarrange the garage to keep the cars in alphabtical order.

964Cup said:

I can't help thinking that the money (about £330k) provides quite a wide range of alternatives.

Whatever I buy doesn't have to be new. It does need to be a convertible. It also needs to be very fast and a genuine pleasure to drive and own. It needs to look good - which is of course entirely subjective. It doesn't need to be loony hypercar fast, although I don't want to feel too much as though it's a step down from a McLaren.

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1509937 ???

964Cup said:

- I'm not looking for a classic.

Ahh, bugger.

[964Cup]

Nuttbelle said:

Hold out for a 720S spider in a spec you like unless you are " comfortable" spending almost twice the
money and immediately losing £100k on a new 750S which looks like a mild face-lift IMHO.

Not much beats a £200k 720S spider.

Indeed. But you find a spider in a non-shouty colour with a light luxury interior, electro roof, exterior carbon 1 and interior carbon 1 & 2 and B&W. [Seriously if you find one, I'll buy it].

Frankly at this stage I'd take one with a black lux interior if I had to. There's a silver car at Ascot that might do the job in extremis (wrong interior completely and no interior carbon 2) but they're remarkably aggressive on cost to change. Maybe I should just suck that up. I've missed a couple of cars that approximated what I'm looking for from them because they wouldn't move on price and underbid me £15k on my car (compared to other Mcdealers). It's not the money so much as the principle - and no, I can't explain why overpaying £25k for a used 720 puts me off when instantly losing £100k on a new one is somehow fine.

The whole dark grey alcantara on everything approach leaves me cold - or worse, the dark grey alcantara with shouty orange inserts thing. I do wish McLaren produced more cars with Ferrari-like interiors. I like a bit of light-coloured leather with interesting upholstery detail - this is pretty much the spec of my 750 order: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304066...

I might have to go and look at it but I'm just not a Ferrari person, I think

[964Cup]

justin220 said:

For that money, could you get into a 765LT spider?

Edit, maybe not quite.. but wow what a thing!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023031050...

Prices are falling, but not that fast. Also subtle spec and 765 are not words often found in the same sentence.

[964Cup]

RSbandit said:

Maserati MC20 Cielo? Wouldn’t be as quick as the 720/750 but beautiful looking thing and it’s a Maserati !

That is a thought, although I don't know about availability. Also isn't the rear boot more of an oven than a sensible place to keep madam's shoes?

[RSbandit]

Not sure on luggage space ! I thought you had put a deposit down on a 720s Spider at Hatfield that had a tan interior ?

[964Cup]

RSbandit said:

Not sure on luggage space ! I thought you had put a deposit down on a 720s Spider at Hatfield that had a tan interior ?

No - I had a deal on an Amaranth (interesting purply black) spider with a dark interior as a reluctant compromise (and because it was good value) but they couldn't get the car to work properly, so I never bought it. Eventually that led to an order for a new 750 instead. I've even looked at getting a car retrimmed, I might revisit that if my 750 order gets pushed out a long way.

They are supposed to be looking for an interim 720 spider. James was dangling a Volcano red car with an almond lux interior at me, but he doesn't actually own it and apparently the owner doesn't want to sell. So I'm still in the coupe.

[Nuttbelle]

964Cup said:

No - I had a deal on an Amaranth (interesting purply black) spider with a dark interior as a reluctant compromise (and because it was good value) but they couldn't get the car to work properly, so I never bought it. Eventually that led to an order for a new 750 instead. I've even looked at getting a car retrimmed, I might revisit that if my 750 order gets pushed out a long way.

They are supposed to be looking for an interim 720 spider. James was dangling a Volcano red car with an almond lux interior at me, but he doesn't actually own it and apparently the owner doesn't want to sell. So I'm still in the coupe.

Saw a Volcano red 720S spider with almond interior and it was a stunning combo. Looked really classy

[DRZ]

964Cup said:

The whole dark grey alcantara on everything approach leaves me cold - or worse, the dark grey alcantara with shouty orange inserts thing. I do wish McLaren produced more cars with Ferrari-like interiors. I like a bit of light-coloured leather with interesting upholstery detail - this is pretty much the spec of my 750 order: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304066...

You and I are very much aligned on this - but the market *hates* the Luxury cars. I have no idea why, to me the alcantara looks and feels absolutely awful in comparison to leather. Luxury cars generally sit toward the bottom of the market and take forever to sell in comparison to the Performance spec cars. I guess that's then self-fulfilling, with people being steered toward the alcantara spec when ordering.

[SydneyBridge]

Bit older, 675LT?