McLaren 720S to blitz Ferrari 488 to 200km/h

A drifting video is McLaren’s latest teaser for its second-generation Super Series model expected to be named 720S when it debuts on 7th March.

McLaren has promised more power and torque, and sharper throttle response, from the car that is expected to again take its name after its horsepower – pointing to an output of 529kW, compared to 478kW (650PS) in the 650S.

Last week the company revealed details of the 720S’s uprated twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine that will accelerate from 0-200km/h in a Ferrari 488 GTB-beating time of 7.8 seconds. (The 650S previously trailed the GTB by a tenth, with 8.4 seconds.)

Details released overnight shed more light on the 650S replacement’s enhanced braking and grip performance.

Equipped with stiffer brake calipers, standard carbon-ceramic discs and improved pedal modulation, McLaren says the new Super Series model will come to a halt from 200km/h in just 4.6 seconds – or 117 metres, six metres less than the 650S and just one metre short of the flagship McLaren P1.

McLaren also confirmed customised Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber will bring a six per cent improvement in mechanical grip.

A significant improvement in downforce is also expected, along with further development of the company’s Monocell carbonfibre tub.

Proactive Chassis Control II will bring multi-modes comprising Comfort, Sport and Track, and a Variable Drift Control function will allow drivers to adjust the threshold of electronic stability aids with a simple finger-swipe.

The second-generation McLaren Super Series model will debut at the 2017 Geneva motor show.

You can watch a camouflaged prototype of the new supercar being drifted around a track by McLaren’s chief test driver, Colin Goodwin.