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McLaren already has a special version of the just-out 720S

McLaren hasn't wasted anytime showing a special variant of the 720S. Just a day after the standard model was shown at Geneva, it rolled out a custom version built by McLaren Special Operations. It's the McLaren MSO 720S Velocity, and is one of five custom 720S models built by the company. The Velocity is the only one on display at Geneva, though, and its other models, the GT, Pacific, Track, and Stealth, are just shown on screens at the McLaren booth. According to McLaren, the Velocity and its counterparts are meant to show buyers how the MSO division can customize a 720S to their specific tastes. The Velocity specifically features a paint job consisting of both a light pearl red and a darker shade. The light red covers the tail and sides, while the dark red covers the front and top portions of the car. The two reds fade into each other, and the dark red even fades into a red-tinted hood from MSO. Other MSO carbon fiber parts adorn the exterior, too, and custom-painted bronze wheels contrast with the red. Inside, the interior is swathed in black Alcantara with bright red leather accents and stitching. And of course, more exposed carbon fiber bits from MSO decorate the cabin. If all of this looks good to you, McLaren would be happy to build one just like it, or something completely original, for you. The company estimates the cost of a car like the Velocity at GBP335,000, which is about $407,500 at current exchange rates. The final pricing for the standard 720S hasn't been released yet, but even if it's a bit higher than the 650S, which retailed at $265,500, the MSO version commands a steep price. But for people who absolutely must have a one-off car, it might be worth it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The McLaren 720S leaks out on Instagram before Geneva debut

The McLaren 650S is an excellent vehicle, but it's time for a replacement. We've seen spy shots of said replacement before, codenamed P14 and expected to be called the 720S, but not the finalized car fully uncovered. Thanks to an Instagram user known as Lamborghiniks, that changes today. Take a look: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Like all modern McLarens short of the P1, the name is significant. It's a sure indicator that the 720S will make 720 metric horsepower (PS), or roughly 710 horsepower on the SAE scale. That's within the realm of possibility, since the 675LT makes 666 hp just fine thanks to a tweaked version of the standard, Ricardo-developed 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. The 720S might have to stuff another couple of radiators in its underoos somewhere, but it shouldn't have much trouble producing more than 700 hp. You'll notice quite a divergence between the 650S (and its predecessor, the MP4-12C) and this car. For one, it ditches trademark boomerang-shaped headlights for ovoid units stuffed inside a deep triangular vent that also appears to house the turn signals or marker lights. And there's the roofline – it's not body colored, for one, and it also dives into the rear bodywork more sharply. It gives it a bit of a fighter jet bubble canopy look, or perhaps its reminiscent of a Pagani's roofline. Either way, it's different. And unlike the 650S, there's no ductwork behind the door. Instead, the door is accentuated by a blade of sorts protruding from the fender just behind the front wheels. It recalls the three-dimensionality of the 570-series cars' door ductwork without necessarily echoing its shape. The bottom line is that the 720S represents a big external styling departure and may set the tone for all McLarens moving forward. The car will officially be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, so we can expect more details and better photos then. Stay tuned! Related Video: News Source: Instagram via Jalopnik Spy Photos Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Future Vehicles Performance Supercars mclaren 720s

McLaren testing an EV, but challenges remain to electrify a hypercar

There are new details on McLaren's ongoing quest to build an all-electric supercar. Autocar reports that the specialty carmaker has been testing an EV mule to evaluate driver engagement and has discovered it's still a big leap to fully electrifying a track car. The biggest stumbling block remains the battery technology and the enormous energy demands of track racing. "Let's say you want to drive on a track for half an hour," Dan Parry-Williams, McLaren's engineering design director, told Autocar. "If that was an EV, that car would have over 500 miles of EV range, and it would be flat as a pancake at the end. The energy required to do really high performance on track is staggering. And then you have to recharge it." He notes that the technology is improving but adds that "there's a lot more investment" going into range-extending energy-dense batteries than into the kind of power density needed for supercar performance. McLaren has been talking about making fully electric versions of its cars for a while now, but it sounds like a pure EV hypercard is still a ways off. Meanwhile, expect it to focus on hybrids: McLaren plans to have half of its fleet feature hybrid powertrains by 2022. Its P1 already has a hybrid powertrain, as will the forthcoming BP23. "You can potentially manage (a flat battery) with a niche car," Parry-Williams told Autocar. "If you exhaust the battery but then have to do one recharging lap, that strikes me as being OK. But if you haven't got an on-board generator (and) you've got a full EV, you haven't got the luxury of doing that."Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. McLaren 720S First Drive | Autoblog