Editorโs Note: This story originally appeared in Volume 5 of B.H. Magazine. To get your copy (and access to future issues), subscribe here.
(Photos by Thomas Wielecki)
Sure, $654,600 does sound like quite a bit to spend on a car, but the McLaren 750S comes with some impressive free features, including an invisible defibrillator.
Iโm not exactly sure how it works, but I saw it in action several times as the McLaren delivered a jolt of electricity into the hearts of my passengers, causing them to scream, squirm, and, in one case, lose control of their legs.
Iโve seen many people phantom braking while in the passenger seat of a fast car โ and to be clear, this McLaren is quite simply the fastest thing Iโve ever driven, capable of launching to 200km/h in just a breath over seven seconds โbut this poor fellow was so frightened his right leg started wobbling and jiggling uncontrollably, as if it had decided that it was getting the hell out of the car, regardless of what the rest of his body wanted.
I must admit the 750S Spider also defibrillated my own chest, and filled it with a mix of exultation, ecstasy, and fear during our few days together.
I never, ever quite managed to apply full throttle at any point, partly because I was pretty sure doing so would either send me flying off the road or cause my eyeballs to squish into the back of my skull, but as I gradually got braver and more adventurous, I might have pushed the throttle to 80 per cent of maximum.
When one does that, the experience is very much like a full-immersion version of watching the in-car footage from a McLaren F1 car on Drive to Survive. Quite simply, too much is happening, far too fast, and your brain boggles to conceive, let alone process, all the information and blurry scenery being thrown at it.
The numbers are truly wild. This mental machine โ a lighter and more powerful version of the already hugely bonkers McLaren 720S โ produces 522kW and 800Nm from its โracing-derivedโ 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which is enough to hurl it to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. I can confirm that it feels faster, and while I didnโt reach its claimed top speed of 332 km/h, I have absolutely no problem believing that itโs possible.
RELATED: The Only Way Iโll Ever Do The Singapore Grand Prix Again
The incredible thing is that it probably couldโve hit 100 and 200km/h even faster than it does โ if McLaren had decided to make it all-wheel drive and given the front wheels a chance to assist with its hyperspeed acceleration. But F1 cars donโt have all-wheel drive, and McLaren stays true to that philosophy, building cars for the sort of people who genuinely believe, in their more deluded moments, that they could make a go of Formula One. Thatโs post thinking nothing could go wrong, sending 522kW to the rear wheels in the first place.
The fact is, even the giant and prodigiously grippy Pirelli P Zero tyres on this savage Spider are (occasionally) overcome by the job of getting all that grunt to the ground, and if you dare apply too much throttle while also applying some lock to the steering wheel, you will feel the chill thrill of the McLaren sliding sideways. Fortunately, the traction control is as cleverly engineered as everything else in the 750S, and you are quickly tugged and prodded back into line โ although the engineers have made sure that youโll get the sensation of slippage first.
Obviously, the 750S can be a frightening and intimidating machine, and itโs one that takes some building up to. But thatโs possibly what I most love about it; itโs a supercar in the old mould, not just fast, but properly terrifying. Several feet outside of the envelope of whatโs sensible.
Unlike many McLarens that have come before it, the 750S possesses the kind of audible theatre that predecessors were often lacking. The 750S is loud, and gets wildly so in Track mode, with the kind of deep bass booms and high-pitched howls that you want to hear from a V8 engine thatโs this highly strung.
Not only that, but if you get your gear shifts just right โ using the beautiful carbon-fibre shifters behind the tiny, racy steering wheel โ you will get what can only be described as deafening, whip-crack explosions from behind you. At that point, fuel is being dumped and catching fire, genuinely shooting flames out of the exhaust. This would be a jaw-dropping sight for any cars behind you, if they were piloting anything even remotely capable of keeping up with you.
The hard-top folding roof is another highlight. Concealing it to let the sun in, even in winter, is a profoundly merry moment. Honestly, convertibles are almost too hot to drive top down in Australia in summer anyway, and with the beautiful, crisp winter days we get in Sydney, itโs a great time to be relishing in a Spider like this.
Getting comfortable in the 750Sโs cabin may still pose a challenge for some, however. The high-sided, deep-bucketed seats really do seem to have been designed for slim-hipped racers like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Anyone with a wider behind is going to find themselves perched on these seats like a duck on a coffee cup, but frankly, once youโve experienced how perfect the driving position is when youโre in it, youโd think this car was worth dieting for.
While the acceleration is what stays with you, itโs also worth pointing out just how astonishing the brakes are, because not only do they pull you up instantly from warp-factor speeds, but they do so with such great feel and modulation from the pedal.
Enjoyably, braking hard in the 750S also deploys the giant rear wing, which suddenly enters your rear-vision mirror, basically blocking out the sun. This is the McLarenโs high-tech aerodynamic system doing its work, and shoving the car into the ground with plenty of g-forces when you need them most. The front end, in particular, always feels rock solid and glued to the road, providing the confidence to absolutely tear up a winding road, with the help of super-sharp steering.
My heart might have had to work hard to come to grips with this incredible vehicle, and it spent plenty of time in my mouth as well, but the McLaren is such a staggeringly capable, stupendously and violently fast machine that it is quite simply unforgettable and unmatchable. Itโs absolutely worth every one of those 654,600 dollars.
If youโve enjoyed this review of the McLaren 750S, consider a few more of our favourite stories โ direct from the pages of B.H. Magazine:
- Raconteur to โRampartโ: How Joe Aston Became Australiaโs Most Feared Business Journalist
- Man At Work: A Conversation With Alexander Volkanovski
- Triple Threat: Aussie Cam Wurf Reveals What It Takes To Be A Pro In Three Different Sports
- Slow Craft, South Of Saigon: The Art Of Cloisonnรฉ Enamel Watch Dials
- Front Of Mind: How Ken Sakata Turned A Fake Footy Club Into A Fashion Label
