McLaren Showdown: 720S Fights 675LT In Drag, Rolling Races

The McLaren 675LT was the ultimate evolution of that generation of the brand's Super Series models, but the company eventually replaced it with the 720S. In a new video, Carwow finds out just how much of an upgrade the newer McLaren is in comparison to the predecessor.

As a refresher, the 675LT features a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with 666 horsepower (496 kilowatts) and 516 pound-feet (700 Newton-meters) of torque. The 720S has McLaren's new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, and it makes 710 hp (529 kW) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. Another big differentiator is weight. A dry 675LT tips the scales at 2,711 pounds (1,230 kilograms), but a 720S is a bit chubbier at 2,917 pounds (1,322 kg).

The 675LT in this test belongs to YouTube star Shmee150, and the only slight change over the stock car is a set of ultra-sticky Trofeo tires for track work. After warming up the rubber with a burnout, he lines up next to the 720S for a trio of tests.

First, there's a quarter-mile drag race from a standing start. We don't want to give away the winner but can admit that the results are very close. The two supercars stay side-by-side for much of the distance before one of them starts inching ahead. At the finish line, the gap between is a mere two-tenths of a second.

Next, the drivers find out which McLaren is quicker from a 50-mile-per-hour (80-kilometer-per-hour) roll. In an interesting twist, they put the vehicles in their comfort driving modes, which is usually for highway cruising. We can spoil the result this time because the winner is indisputable. The 720S just runs away from the 675LT. According to Shmee, the transmission is the issue because at least in comfort mode, it is very slow to downshift through the gears.

Finally, they check the cars' brakes from a 70-mph (113-kph) roll. Yet again, the results are very close. Check out the video to see whether the 675LT wins the other two challenges to make up for the loss in the second test.