Meet the new McLaren 750S

This is the new McLaren 750S and make no mistake, though it is not once referred to in a 7000-word press release other than obliquely as ‘its nearest rival’, it is the Ferrari 296 GTB that is squarely in its sights.

Broadly comparable to Maranello’s superstar in price, performance and power-to-weight ratio, upon the shoulders of this heavily facelifted 720S does McLaren’s credibility as a true Ferrari rival rest.

McLaren says this is its lightest, most powerful series production car to date, with not only power rising by 30bhp, but weight dropping by 30kg too, thanks mainly to lighter carbon seats, lighter wheels and thinner glass. And while the 740bhp of its 4-litre twin-turbo V8 seems to pale next to the 819bhp of the Ferrari’s 3-litre V6 hybrid powertrain, the McLaren is, staggeringly, almost 200kg lighter and therefore has the better power-to-weight ratio and acceleration.

How fast? Try 0-62mph in 2.8sec and 0-124mph in 7.2sec, all without the benefit of four-wheel drive traction. But speed is never everything down McLaren way and the chassis, which few would have regarded as exactly letting the side down, has itself been comprehensively updated. The unique linked hydraulically actuated suspension has been given all-new software, lighter springs and new geometry to sharpen it up further while the still hydraulic steering gets a quicker rack.

Visually you’ll be able to tell the car from a 720S from its extended front splitter, narrower eye-socket intakes, new rear wheelarch vents, lengthened carbon fibre active rear wing and new front and rear bumpers. Inside there is a new column-mounted instrument display with rocker switches allowing the driver to toggle through drive modes without moving hands from the wheel, just like the Artura. Apple CarPlay is finally, mercifully standard.

McLaren says the car is on sale now, but won’t say how much. Off the record I’ve been told it will be around 10 per cent more expensive than the list price of the 720S, which brings it up to a little less than £250,000. Deliveries however won’t begin until towards the end of the year and we’ll need to wait until the autumn at least before we can drive it. But the McLaren 750S versus 296 GTB promises to be one of the contests of the year.