McLaren 720S local pricing revealed

Look out Ferrari 488 GTB – the all-new and just-unveiled McLaren 720S will land in Australia priced from $489,900 plus on-road costs, just $20K above its fierce Italian rival.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8-engined 720S also moves $25K beyond the 3.8-litre 650S it replaces, but there are of course output increases to match – power moves from 478kW to 530kW at 7250rpm, and torque from 678Nm to 770Nm at 5500rpm. There’s also a new carbonfibre chassis handing it a 106kg-lighter kerb weight than before, now 1322kg.

Zero to 100km/h falls by a tenth to 2.9 seconds, but the real kicker is 0-200km/h in 7.8sec – six-tenths speedier than the old model – on the way to a 341km/h top speed.

McLaren is also offering 720S Luxury and 720S Performance model grades each priced from $515,080 plus on-roads.

The standard 720S gets ‘dark palladium’ exterior trim, ‘satin graphite’ window surrounds, Alcantara interior with Alcantara or Nappa leather seat trim; while the 720S Luxury gets ‘tungsten slate’ exterior trim, silver window apertures, ambient engine lighting, ‘luxury’ leather trim with brushed silver brightwork and electrically adjustable/heated sports seats.

Picking the 720S Performance swaps in an exterior trim mix of carbonfibre (bonnet air intakes, door mirror casings, and rear three-quarter air intakes) and grey (front splitter, front air intakes, lower side intakes, rear ‘aero bridge’, lower bumper and diffuser) with dark graphite window surrounds, brushed silver brightwork and carbonfibre ‘primary’ cabin components, and Alcantara and Nappa leather interior without the electric/heated seats.

Not that McLaren buyers are in any way locked in to such combinations. The company has pushed live a configurator that reveals a vast array of personalisation options, with only three standard paint jobs (white, silver, blue) but a staggering 31 special colour choices.

Three alloy wheels can each come in a duo or trio of finishes, wrapped in either Pirelli P Zero or P Zero Corsa tyres and with a choice of eight carbon-ceramic brake disc colours.

Another three carbonfibre exterior packages are available, in addition to a ‘stealth’ package with dark-hue exterior trim bits.

A purchaser can almost completely lather their 720S in carbonfibre, with the material available on the bonnet, bonnet air intakes, front air intakes, front splitter, mirror casings, mirror arms, upper door trims, roof, and rear aero bridge, diffuser and decklid.

Carbonfibre racing seats are optional, as is a racing harness, while the A-pillar trim can also be left in a raw, exposed finish given the new chassis is a carbonfibre monocoque.

The 720S is now available to order, with deliveries set to arrive in the third quarter of 2017.