In the latest installment of Chris Harris Drives, the one and only sits behind the wheel of a McLaren 720S Track Pack and takes it for a hot lap around the Algarve International Circuit, Portugal.
Harris is not your average day car reviewer. The journalist and race driver gives the 720S a proper workout and the car performed beautifully. He said it and we’ll say it – McLaren 720S is one of the best supercars in the world.
Even though there is a newer McLaren flag model and top cars come out with 4-figure horsepower, 720S is a remarkable vehicle.
Getting good times on the lap requires the car to become an extension of the driver’s body and operate at the speed of their mind. That’s something the 720S does exceptionally well. The car employs a mind-boggling amount of sensors to record every relevant information:
- Speed, acceleration, and orientation of the wheels
- Pressure in each individual shock absorber
- Positions and angles of the suspension components
The sensors pull any piece of data you can possibly need, the computer crunches the numbers and then tunes the settings of the chassis, active aero, and drivetrain to give you the best possible performance. And it does it in real time, dynamically adapting to the new conditions.
It’s like you’re cheating physics. McLaren 720S offers phenomenal handling and stability giving you the confidence to push it harder than you otherwise would.
Before falling in love all over again, Chris Harris set out to test whether the $37,000 Track Pack option provides any practical performance improvement.
We can’t deny the added safety factor of the titanium roll bar and a 6-point harness. However, most features of the Track Pack are either cosmetic or superficial and do not offer significant benefit to your track performance.
The McLaren Track Telemetry module and 3 cameras can be a great help when you’re testing or racing your 720S. Lightweight forged wheels are always good.
But neither of these will improve your lap times. In fact, even McLaren admits that although you can shed as much as 52 lbs of weight, the Track Pack doesn’t yield any additional speed or acceleration.
So, the verdict is:
- If you’re serious about racing the 720S and you actually need the safety features…you probably don’t need our advice.
- If you have money to spend and want to throw them down for a bunch of carbon fiber trim and gadgets, then sure buy the McLaren 720S Track Pack.
- If you just want a fast car and have the guts to drive it, the base 720S will offer you plenty.
