Unlike almost every other supercar currently on sale, the steering wheel in the McLaren 720S Spider is completely devoid of any buttons or switches. The first thing the driver sees after sliding into the figure-hugging, carbon fibre-trimmed seats is simply a beautifully sculpted leather wheel and the road ahead.
This baseline connection between the driver and the 710bhp precision machine beneath their posterior is just one example where a pursuit of performance perfection has witnessed McLaren’s team of designers and engineers loop back to its fundamental philosophy of beautiful yet functional design, rather than superfluous decoration.
“Working alongside our engineers, we started with the glass cockpit and designed everything else around the driver, only adding bodywork where absolutely necessary,” explains McLaren Automotive’s design director, Robert Melville.
It is the strength of this cutting-edge carbon fibre tub, dubbed Monocage II-S, that has allowed McLaren to convert a high-performance coupé to convertible model without sacrificing structural integrity and adding excessive weight - the two pitfalls that tend to curb any convertible’s performance credentials.
Here, McLaren’s dramatic (and eminently practical soft-closing) dihedral doors are joined by an electronically retractable one-piece hardtop roof, giving occupants access to the outside world and the scintillating exhaust note produced by the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine at the press of a button while driving at up to 31mph… and in just 11 seconds.
“With the retractable hard top in place, the 720S Spider is one of the quietest and refined supercar driving experiences around. But lower the roof and it completely changes the vehicle’s characteristics. This car can still travel at speeds of over 200mph and accelerate from 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds with the roof lowered, but also efficiently dispatches of long distances in maximum comfort,” explains Ian Digman, Global Head of Product Management at McLaren Automotive.
Creating a supercar that is everything to everyone seems to go against the historically unhinged and temperamental characteristics that typically underpin this elite class of performance machine, but McLaren’s approach to everything it does is measured, considered and measured again.
For example, there are numerous settings to deal with every driving circumstance, from a genuinely relaxed and well-mannered Comfort mode, to a slightly more aggressive Sport setting and the full monty Track mode that unleashes every drop of power and frees the traction control system for truly banzai levels of performance. This is a car with a split personality, but one you’d happily introduce to friends.
Its meticulously considered approach extends to exterior design, where some might argue that the organic form of the Spider’s lines look purposeful, rather than properly poetic. But every panel, scoop and vent is in place to minimise drag and maximise aerodynamic prowess.
For example, the air flow can be traced from clever scoops around the menacing front headlights, along the flanks to separate channels at the rear haunches, which subsequently clean this dirty air and force it towards the car’s monstrous radiators and over the rear wing to provide additional downforce.
Another case in point are the glazed carbon-fibre rear buttresses, which form part of the roll-over protection and further enhance air flow, but they also increase rear visibility. Again, McLaren’s designers and engineers have returned to this idea of a truly practical, everyday supercar.
“McLarens are designed to be driven and owners will take every opportunity to use their cars, no matter the occasion or the weather,” says Ian Digman. This point is made apparent as soon as you set foot in the cockpit.
The surprisingly wide aperture windscreen wraps around the occupants and affords excellent visibility, while the rest of the McLaren 720S bodywork just seems to shrink around this central point. Despite its low stance and flared arches, it is almost comically easy to place the car on the road and those sticky scenarios of parallel parking or navigating a multi-story are about as easy as it gets.
Inside, McLaren’s Driver Interface takes care of all key information, while infotainment is projected on to this neat portrait touchscreen. There is a secondary screen that sits just behind the steering wheel, but this folds out of the way when the driver wants an unobstructed view of the road or track ahead.
“We spent a lot of time crafting the perfect interior, which balances comfort and ergonomics with the support that’s required for high speed driving,” explains Digman.
“That’s why we have ensured the most important functions, such as the drive mode selector, heating controls and infotainment volume remain committed to physical, easy to reach buttons or dials. The secondary driver display can also switch between Full and Slim Display Modes, depending on how much information the driver wants or needs at a specific time,” he adds.
There is also enough room for weekend bags to be stashed in the front storage compartment and a further 58-litres of space under tonneau cover at the rear when the roof is in place. Cubby holes for wallets and storage for cups and phones is also taken care of, something that is typically lacking in this segment.
But for all of its practical touches, the McLaren 720S Spider remains an undeniably special place to sit. Drop the top, flick the drive selector switch into Sport and drink in the screaming exhaust note that emanates from the rear. Its brutally efficient performance seems to melt the very fabric of space and time.
“When we set about doing the 720, the ambition was very much to shock and surprise people,” says design director, Robert Melville. The shock will come from its ability to alter your perception of speed and performance, the surprise comes later, when it settles back into being one of the most well-rounded and usable roadsters in existence.
-- For more information, visit mclaren.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
