McLaren 720S Spider vs GT: Which is most fun?

McLaren 720S Spider vs GT: Two big horsepower beasts with different personalities, one rainy day to drive them in succession. Which was most memorable?

Having driven the McLaren 12C, 650S, 570S, 720S, 600LT and Senna, it was nice to add the 720S Spider and GT to the list. Even better, the McLaren driving event at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedford let me to drive them back to back. A rare opportunity.

One inhaled coffee and safety briefing later, it was time to get into the 720S (once I remembered where the door handle lives). A supercar that, for a while, was so cheap second-hand relative to its performance it was silly to ignore. Even factoring in the potentially obscene running costs.

As part of the McLaren super series, there is little about the 720S and its convertible 720S sibling that is not super. 0-124 takes 7.8 seconds. Seven. Point. Eight. Thanks to a couple of runs at Millbrook’s 1-mile straight, I can attest to how absurdly fast that feels. Even in the rain.

0-62mph, meanwhile, comes and goes in 2.9 seconds – sub-3 the realm of monstrously powerful and ludicrously expensive thoroughbreds and high-end electric cars with multiple motors. As for the folding hard-top roof, open to closed and vice versa takes a speedy 11 seconds.

It is fair to say that M804T twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 may not culminate in the most memorable roar as all 720 horses power the rear wheels. However, the brutal, ‘did you really need your spine?’ way it delivers power stays with you indefinitely.

Admittedly, Millbrook is hardly conducive to pushing a car to the limit. Nor was the fact it was six degrees Celsius (according to the incredibly dull VW Golf Estate I arrived in), wetter than an otter’s pocket and dark by the time I ended my drive in the McLaren GT.

Pick a colour, any colour

Pulling up at the start of the tarmac mile, you can sense the 720S Spider is not a car you mess with. Especially when served in left-hand drive as it was today and with the lovely buttresses (there to help smooth airflow turbulence flowing over the car) heavily obscuring my view.

As I tentatively pressed the accelerator to hit the designated 120mph(-ish) speed, it was clear by all the sideways movement that those big rear wheels were screaming for grip. And with road cones to the left and a metal barrier to my right, self preservation Ben was screaming for more space.

That is not to say you struggle in bad weather in a McLaren, far from it. The 570S I had for a week was as happy pootling in slow traffic as it was hurtling through bends. It is much the same for the 720S Spider. That hardtop roof design does a good of keeping external noise out.

At 120mph, my co-driver casually told me it was time for the brake test. Braking is, of course, more brutally served in a car with a combustion engine and so, despite surface water and tyres indicated in the infotainment display as blue (cold), we stopped uncomfortably fast.

In fact, what felt dangerously heavy-footed – hello unforgiving barrier – was still not enough to upset the clever electronic systems. And when I eventually Flintstoned my foot, the 720S Spider’s directional corrections were minimal. Casually brushing off the event like it was nothing.

McLaren GT time

I then tried the same in the heavier McLaren GT. This is the ‘budget’ model, budget in inverted commas of course, and is designed for a more comfortable drive. But then it still offers 450 horses per tonne so save the pipe and slippers for another day.

In its softest driving mode and with that 450-litre boot, plus a smaller front trunk, you genuinely could commute to work in it. If you could afford to forget the depreciation. It helps that extra padding reduces road noise beyond that of the 720S Spider.

Back-to-back, you can really feel the difference in characters between the GT and 720S. The former is by no means slow, 0-124mph is only a second a bit slower. But a combination of heavier, less eager steering, reduced cabin noise and less brutal torque delivery give it a more casual vibe.

I say casual. As the GT took its turn to reach 120mph, I decided to give it more beans. As a result, that more muted engine note (improved by opening the rear-facing window like in the 600LT I drove at Estoril) was second in my mind to how much corrective steer was needed to live.

Even without as many horses under the British-built bonnet as the 720S, the McLaren GT is still mesmerisingly quick. And, as I braked as hard as I felt was wise in terrible conditions, we rapidly came to a halt.

McLaren’s use of carbon fibre for the main internal structure of its cars, as well as other weight-saving measures, makes each one especially inclined to challenge the laws of physics.

Ups and downs

Next up was the hill climb, which is a tricky section of road that really could do with resurfacing. The ups and downs alone make it reminiscent of an alpine route, complete with sweeping curves, abrupt horseshoes and even some road cones. Even McLaren events are subject to roadworks.

With still relatively cold tyres and strict safety rules, I was never going to reach the limit. That and the fact my first run was in the most relaxed driving mode, causing gear changes that made it harder to modulate the throttle. I felt less in control and more at the mercy of microchips.

Even so, I was reminded of how sharp and lively McLaren steering feels. The continued use of hydraulic as opposed to electric really pays dividends in terms of feel, as does the balanced nature and grip of the 720S. Rapid direction changes are served intuitively and without fanfare.

On my second attempt in the 720S Spider, we went into the sportier mode (but not track). A wise decision in hindsight as that lovely and helpful delayed gear change keeps you in the torquiest power band, making things more controllable but also snappier and scarier.

In the 720S Spider, the acceleration is so brutal that the usual focus on when to put power down is almost entirely replaced by remembering when to brake. Because to brake late is likely to result in a visit to your local A&E. Not to mention an awkward chat with your insurer.

Sideways saviour

In fact, as a lovely sweeping right-hander crested the traction gods decided they had been too kind. The line between understeer and oversteer was thin and for a split-second I unwillingly went over it.

And so the 720S rear end stepped out far enough to make me grin like an idiot. But apparently not enough to ruin my co-driver’s trousers. With the accelerator dialled back and enough opposite engaged, we continued on without having to pick bits of tree out the bumper.

Without traction control? Let’s just say the outcome may have been a little different. I could feel the electronics ensuring we did not rotate a ‘sub-optimal’ amount. Honestly, it was hard not to be impressed by how complimentary and progressive the system did its thing.

When out in the McLaren GT on the hill road, we got a walkie talkie warning to stick to the speed limit and so I eased off. But I still enjoyed the drive. The GT corners brilliantly. More than you could ever want on bright summer’s day – let alone one with increasingly heavy precipitation smacking into the windscreen.

It helped that the cabin looks good enough to provide a sense of occasion and it has added practicality over the 720S Spider. Though not as much as a proper GT car, it must be said.

Driven with no gap between, I was surprised at how much of the core modern-day McLaren experience is shared between the two. Gone are the days of the clinical, disconnected 12C vibe – both cars were bags of fun even at slower speeds. Yet neither felt uncomfortable or unwieldy.

By no means is the McLaren GT the best grand tourer. I would probably look elsewhere if that was my main aim. But as a budget supercar that looks great and makes you feel good, a much stronger case could be made. Well, that or a 570S.

However, it is the 720S that really sticks in the brain. Regardless of the speed you are going, it just feels more eager, punishing, harsh and serious. Even in its spider form, it has the capacity to thrill and scare you like relatively few supercars. Impressive for a car that launched in 2017.

You could go elsewhere for a tad more drama, but the 720S continues to be a strong choice for those craving power, performance, precision and poise. But never total peace of mind, which in a supercar is exactly how it should be.