Will it Kill me?
Discussion
I've had an M5Comp from new. I was waiting to see what the new one was like, which I've decided isn't on the cards.
So I've been looking into 720s's,
The M5C was the most capable car I've ever driven and as we do a 5 week Euro trip every year it can also take everything we "Need" Boot and back seats full. Obviously thats not going to happen with a 720s.
So my main questions are will a 720s kill me or are its electronics good enough to make up for the short fall in talent. The M5C has been amazing and i've only had 1 issue which was brought about by an attempt to get it sideways is MDM mode coming off a roundabout. The first slide on the roundabout was perfect but the 2nd spun me round.
Apart from that really pushing on in the Pyrenees was giggle inducing and much face gurning with what felt like F1 type G-Forces (yes I know, nowhere near). I've done 26k in 3 years as a daily and a holiday vehicle. I'll certainly miss it when its gone
So, Is the 720s a widow maker or will the safety features save me if I happen to lose concentration for a split second...
Watching these youtube vids of cars just veering off the road with no context doesn't help (TC switched off or just lack of talent)
Suppose its any new'ish supercar
So I've been looking into 720s's,
The M5C was the most capable car I've ever driven and as we do a 5 week Euro trip every year it can also take everything we "Need" Boot and back seats full. Obviously thats not going to happen with a 720s.
So my main questions are will a 720s kill me or are its electronics good enough to make up for the short fall in talent. The M5C has been amazing and i've only had 1 issue which was brought about by an attempt to get it sideways is MDM mode coming off a roundabout. The first slide on the roundabout was perfect but the 2nd spun me round.
Apart from that really pushing on in the Pyrenees was giggle inducing and much face gurning with what felt like F1 type G-Forces (yes I know, nowhere near). I've done 26k in 3 years as a daily and a holiday vehicle. I'll certainly miss it when its gone
So, Is the 720s a widow maker or will the safety features save me if I happen to lose concentration for a split second...
Watching these youtube vids of cars just veering off the road with no context doesn't help (TC switched off or just lack of talent)
Suppose its any new'ish supercar
Edited by matty g on Monday 27th January 14:25
Not driven a 720S but have driven a handful of other McLarens and currently have a 650S as my "daily" (or the closest thing for someone who doesn't drive every day).
Keep the electronic safety nets turned on and and don't do anything truly stupid and you will be absolutely fine. The electronic aids are first class and are more than capable of keeping you out of trouble if you are a little over enthusiastic. No electronic aids are perfect and nothing can overcome the laws of physics, try to enter a tight 90 degree bend at 180 mph and you are going off the road, but those in a McLaren are as good as you can expect any to be.
That being said, maybe I am going to get crucified here as being a killjoy, but one should never, ever RELY on them. I always try to drive as if the safety electronics are not there, keeping within the limits of both the car and myself, but in the knowledge that they are there if my judgement is a little off.
Keep the electronic safety nets turned on and and don't do anything truly stupid and you will be absolutely fine. The electronic aids are first class and are more than capable of keeping you out of trouble if you are a little over enthusiastic. No electronic aids are perfect and nothing can overcome the laws of physics, try to enter a tight 90 degree bend at 180 mph and you are going off the road, but those in a McLaren are as good as you can expect any to be.
That being said, maybe I am going to get crucified here as being a killjoy, but one should never, ever RELY on them. I always try to drive as if the safety electronics are not there, keeping within the limits of both the car and myself, but in the knowledge that they are there if my judgement is a little off.
I've been very impressed with my 570GT's stability control. At Bedford with it in 'Dynamic' mode (I guess equivalent of MDM mode), it looked after me even though I was, to be honest, somewhat out of my depth quite a bit of the time. In normal mode it's very safe, to the point the car almost doesn't feel rear wheel drive; dynamic felt like a really good balance, letting it start to move around but not going all the way.
The 720S adds Variable Drift Control, so you have a lot of choice in terms of how much rope you give yourself to play.
If you completely turn off the electronics then all bets are off, obviously, but the same's true of a rwd car with half the power.
Will a 720S kill you? No. Could you kill yourself in one? Yes, but I think only by being pretty reckless or very unlucky.
I wouldn't worry about the YT vids you see, they're either old cars like F40s with no electronics, or with them turned off.
The 720S adds Variable Drift Control, so you have a lot of choice in terms of how much rope you give yourself to play.
If you completely turn off the electronics then all bets are off, obviously, but the same's true of a rwd car with half the power.
Will a 720S kill you? No. Could you kill yourself in one? Yes, but I think only by being pretty reckless or very unlucky.
I wouldn't worry about the YT vids you see, they're either old cars like F40s with no electronics, or with them turned off.
Grey_Area said:
...Not cheap... by far, but great to find out what you aren't capable of.
I found that out for free when I crashed my first 650 
To answer the OP - at least with a 650, I found the traction control pretty woeful with Pirelli tyres. With Michelin, it worked as I'd expect.
I take a slightly different view than most posters OP. When it comes to buying silly cars, as a general rule, if they aren’t trying to kill you then they aren’t silly enough. Buy a Boxster, it will do almost exactly the same thing, be far more practical, be as fast 98% of the time and cost a fraction of the money. Your wife won’t actively hate it.
If you are going to buy a silly car, spend the silly money and accept the compromises of running it, then yes, absolutely - you want to know the thing actively wants to kill you.
Silly cars are like cats. If you don’t want all of the above - then buy a dog. Much better, much nicer, more loyal, more lovable and never wants to kill its loving owner.
If you are going to buy a silly car, spend the silly money and accept the compromises of running it, then yes, absolutely - you want to know the thing actively wants to kill you.
Silly cars are like cats. If you don’t want all of the above - then buy a dog. Much better, much nicer, more loyal, more lovable and never wants to kill its loving owner.
With the hydro crossed linked suspension OP it will give you a very sure footed feel as it keeps all 4 wheels planted and level and grip is superb.
No it won't try to kill you, but it does have 710hp through the rear wheels only, it obviously needs treating with respect.
It's perfectly silly enough though, active rear air brake, different opening doors.....I have no idea why it's been compared to a boxster or cats vs dogs, he wants a fast car for road trips
No it won't try to kill you, but it does have 710hp through the rear wheels only, it obviously needs treating with respect.
It's perfectly silly enough though, active rear air brake, different opening doors.....I have no idea why it's been compared to a boxster or cats vs dogs, he wants a fast car for road trips
Streetbeat said:
No it won't try to kill you, but it does have 710hp through the rear wheels only, it obviously needs treating with respect.
This.As long as you treat the power with a degree of respect, you'll be fine. I haven't owned a McLaren (driven a few) but I have owned some 'supercars' (silly word) - and I'd only ever accelerate quickly on decent tyres, in warm weather (warm tyres) and on a safe road. Booting anything with that power in sketchy conditions and yes, it'll spit you out.
I don’t think it does any harm to assume that it will try to kill you if you’re stupid. My first Ferrari, bought in 1999, was a 355. No traction control, stability control or any other driver aids apart from ABS. At the time my d/d was an Audi S4. Plenty power but four wheel drive and all the driver aids and frankly you could take liberties and get away with it. Every time I got into the 355 I used to remind myself that this car will kill me if I’m stupid. I still lost the back end numerous times on dry roads, usually due to too much power when not in a straight line, but the car and I lived to tell the tale.
Moving forwards, I had a test drive of a Mac round Dunsfold a few years ago. With the driver aids on I was clearly a driving god. When the instructor turned all the aids off I spun it at the first corner (too much power too soon). The instructor kindly said it showed I was trying but what I think he meant was that I was an incompetent idiot.
So in summary, a Mac won’t kill you if you are sensible and particularly if you use all the aids that McLaren has gone to great expense to develop. But like all high powered cars, they need to be treated with respect.
Moving forwards, I had a test drive of a Mac round Dunsfold a few years ago. With the driver aids on I was clearly a driving god. When the instructor turned all the aids off I spun it at the first corner (too much power too soon). The instructor kindly said it showed I was trying but what I think he meant was that I was an incompetent idiot.
So in summary, a Mac won’t kill you if you are sensible and particularly if you use all the aids that McLaren has gone to great expense to develop. But like all high powered cars, they need to be treated with respect.
Grey_Area said:
Ask Steve Glynn to give you a driver tuition day at Millbrook, best money I've spent on a driving day. Not cheap... by far, but great to find out what you aren't capable of.
I like the way you phrased this, it's definitely what you want to be taking away from a day like this.I owned a 4WD Lamborghini with near 700bhp and (took the profit) moved to a 720 two years ago. I too thought I’m in big trouble here and I was wrong, it won’t try to kill you as the electronics are real clever, however, you will need better tyres if it has stock items fitted, PS4 seemed the way to go but I went with Contis and I’m very happy, std tyres are s…
The traction control is superb but it will lose grip easily on a cold day at any legal speed.
My car has a lot of miles on it as a previous owner must have used it as his daily which would be easy though I use it for pleasure only and I have never looked back. Bang for buck a 720 is a bit of a bargain and mine has never missed a single beat, what’s not to like.
The traction control is superb but it will lose grip easily on a cold day at any legal speed.
My car has a lot of miles on it as a previous owner must have used it as his daily which would be easy though I use it for pleasure only and I have never looked back. Bang for buck a 720 is a bit of a bargain and mine has never missed a single beat, what’s not to like.
Yes, it may try to kill you, in specific circumstances. You need to be conscious that it's light, rear-driven, powerful and heavily turbocharged. Drive smoothly and it will be a pussycat; leave it on the stock Pirellis and mash the throttle on greasy, cold British roads and you will learn the error of your ways.
It helps to put it on PS4s and exercise due caution when it's really chilly (or do what I do and use the PS4s for the summer and have a spare set of wheels with Sottozeros for the winter) but in general if you don't drive like an idiot, you'll be fine - it's not a 930 or an F40 - the boost is progressive, the handling surefooted, the electronics capable.
I've done about 20k in two 720s and now my current 750. In that time I've had three proper moments - the first two where injudicious throttle, cold tyres and cold, damp roads led to the rear breaking away ahead of the stability control's ability to intervene. Both times on Pirellis, the first when I was very new to the 720, the second when the shorter gearing of the 750 caught me out early in my ownership. The third was a dramatic aquaplaning moment on a French autoroute in terrible weather, complete with unintended lane change, but any supercar would have done that in the circumstances.
On the other hand, the 750 was a complete peach around Silverstone, even on a damp day, even when driven with sufficient commitment that I ran out of front brake pads before the day ended. Not a moment to give me pause. I love 'em.
It helps to put it on PS4s and exercise due caution when it's really chilly (or do what I do and use the PS4s for the summer and have a spare set of wheels with Sottozeros for the winter) but in general if you don't drive like an idiot, you'll be fine - it's not a 930 or an F40 - the boost is progressive, the handling surefooted, the electronics capable.
I've done about 20k in two 720s and now my current 750. In that time I've had three proper moments - the first two where injudicious throttle, cold tyres and cold, damp roads led to the rear breaking away ahead of the stability control's ability to intervene. Both times on Pirellis, the first when I was very new to the 720, the second when the shorter gearing of the 750 caught me out early in my ownership. The third was a dramatic aquaplaning moment on a French autoroute in terrible weather, complete with unintended lane change, but any supercar would have done that in the circumstances.
On the other hand, the 750 was a complete peach around Silverstone, even on a damp day, even when driven with sufficient commitment that I ran out of front brake pads before the day ended. Not a moment to give me pause. I love 'em.
I've only owned a couple of rear wheel drive cars A 1980 1.6l Capri, an 1984 20l Capri and a 2007 SLK AMG, The AMG caught me out whilst I could still see the dealer 2 mins after picking it up, Greasy M27 booted it and fishtailed across 2 lanes. That made me pretty nervous of the car and never really drove that hard.
The M5C really looks after you, Or at least it feels like it does..
The M5C really looks after you, Or at least it feels like it does..
I had a 720s in lockdown for around a year, truly bonkers and way too much power for the road. Strangely it could also do 30mpg with ease on a sensible journey
The open diff will take some getting used to, especially coming from an M5. I had zero confidence with all the systems off and it wasn’t pleasant. Best to be left in sports/track mode, that’s when the car seemed to be working its best and never lost traction.
The variable drift control is an interesting thing, just a novelty function, but it does make sense for the car’s setup with the open diff
If I ever were to get into another, tyres would definitely be one thing I’d be changing. The factory p zero’s are not great at all and car felt very sketchy on them
On another note, it is definitely the best car for the money right now. The build quality wasn’t great but I’m told the 17/18 models should be skipped for a later car. I can’t see them going any lower in value any time soon
The open diff will take some getting used to, especially coming from an M5. I had zero confidence with all the systems off and it wasn’t pleasant. Best to be left in sports/track mode, that’s when the car seemed to be working its best and never lost traction.
The variable drift control is an interesting thing, just a novelty function, but it does make sense for the car’s setup with the open diff
If I ever were to get into another, tyres would definitely be one thing I’d be changing. The factory p zero’s are not great at all and car felt very sketchy on them
On another note, it is definitely the best car for the money right now. The build quality wasn’t great but I’m told the 17/18 models should be skipped for a later car. I can’t see them going any lower in value any time soon
Edited by Planetstank on Wednesday 29th January 05:29
I've looked into the 17/18 critiscm as I'm currently in the market and from what I've read with no real substance or data on aything specific is there was talk of early software gremlins (updated) not specifically down to build quality vs post 18.
I don't doubt newer cars got better honed on the production line over time but that's probably true of any new model, low volume, hand built car.
I certainly wouldn't be put of a 17/18 car, BUT, as with any mclaren purchase a main dealer or decent indy inspection will be worth the outlay and also be cautious as to advert specifics, I've viewed a couple of cars that were not as described, I.e full service history when it hadn't etc
I don't doubt newer cars got better honed on the production line over time but that's probably true of any new model, low volume, hand built car.
I certainly wouldn't be put of a 17/18 car, BUT, as with any mclaren purchase a main dealer or decent indy inspection will be worth the outlay and also be cautious as to advert specifics, I've viewed a couple of cars that were not as described, I.e full service history when it hadn't etc
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