McLaren 750S Spider | Test Drive

26 January 2026 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

Imagine being kicked repeatedly, as fast and hard as possible. Pure bliss. Its chassis is delightful as well, perfectly capable of reading the ground irregularities and letting you keep your right foot down. The 750S’s response is always mechanical. These are not things to be taken lightly, unlike connectivity with your smartphone or a state-of-the-art audio system, which should be kept strictly switched off.

Words Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Federico Bard

At first, I was almost sure they’d given me the wrong car. Bear with me, the differences between the new 750S and the 720S are genuinely minimal, at least at a quick glance. Then again, there was never really a need for a replacement, let alone for something that would dare to break sharply away from a supercar that — whether you like it or not — marked a historic moment: the point at which supercars definitively started nipping at the heels of far more expensive hypercars. And while we could ramble on about exclusivity, limited runs, tailor-made models and so on, I believe that having always been someone who values facts over words fits perfectly with McLaren’s philosophy.

Nearly a decade (eight years) has passed since we welcomed the 720S, and in the meantime the world certainly hasn’t stood still. McLaren itself has introduced a plethora of variants and models, including the Artura, namely the bridge model that uses a hybrid power unit to deliver equally astonishing performance. That’s not the case with the 750S, nor with the Spider version that, after an excruciating wait, has finally arrived in our garage. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is confirmed once again and, even though it adds “just” 30 horsepower, it’s one of the many aspects that once again place the newcomer firmly among the top contenders for the supercar crown.

Admit it, you’re thoroughly tired of reading the same old spec sheets, often copied and pasted straight from endless press releases. I am and having recently refreshed my memory behind the wheel of a 720S (coupe, but that hardly matters), I climb into the 750S Spider at my disposal and get as far away as possible from the urban environment, which is certainly no place to put a car like this to the test. No surprise if my eyes turn toward the mountains, where the roads are freer and the late-July (early-August) sun is tempered by low humidity and a cool morning breeze. The kilometres between toll booths disappear effortlessly, letting the car handle everything on its own in the most relaxed and soothing mode available: Comfort.

As soon as the Alps begin to take shape beyond the windscreen, I quickly set handling and powertrain to Sport, switch the gearbox to manual and confirm how the placement of the selector just a few centimetres from the steering wheel isn’t merely better ergonomically than when it was on the central tunnel. It’s also a much faster process for something that should never take your eyes off the road. Unlike the 720S, selecting Track mode no longer leaves you alone with only basic information. A shame, maybe, but you’ll already have plenty to deal with and you won’t miss that option too much.

McLaren claims that the 750S features many completely new elements compared to the 720S (some suggest around 30%), while everything else has been refined to the point where you genuinely feel a difference behind the wheel. I’ll admit it: those differences are there and although they’re only noticeable with almost obsessive attention (and ideally a back-to-back comparison with the previous model), they reveal themselves gradually and certainly not thanks to the modest power increase. Besides, it’s not like more horsepower was needed. Exactly, that’s a key point of the 750S and its driving experience. It’s the way the V8 delivers its power to the rear wheels that’s more substantial. There are 800 Nm of torque (+30 Nm over before) and the decision to retain a hint of turbo lag doesn’t detract one bit from what happens in the blink of an eye that follows.

The 750S is constantly pressed to the asphalt. It’s rock-solid, confirming itself as the most track-focused of the bunch when compared to Ferrari and Lamborghini. Its feedback is granite-like, just like the brake pedal, which I personally find exceptional in the mountains and on track, but far less relaxing in city traffic. This isn’t about smooth, linear travel; it’s about how much intensity you’re willing to apply to slow down an object capable of moving through space at speeds you’ll struggle to justify to anyone who hears you kilometers away.

What an insane blast. The twin-turbo V8 has never been famous for a historically memorable soundtrack, but the new exhaust system is now centrally mounted at the rear with a single large outlet. Air exits faster — and so does heat — so much so that McLaren’s engineers have had to wrap it in a shell of heat-resistant metal to cope with the extreme temperatures it can reach, especially on a day like this. Just above it sits a spoiler similar to the one seen on the 765LT, manually deployable via the Aero button and also acting as an air brake. If you remember well, despite lacking flashy aerodynamic appendages, the 720S could cling to the ground in an almost supernatural way. The concept remains unchanged and is even enhanced by those air intakes that cleverly suck the celestial body — Tokyo Cyan — towards the asphalt, a colour offered by MSO for just over €10,000.

The 750S is brutally fast, there’s no doubt about that. But once again, McLaren has gone further. The moment I realised the car weighs less than 1,400 kg (1,389, to be precise), I truly understood what the hell I was driving. Or perhaps “piloting” would be more accurate, because once you’re immersed in that carbon-fiber and Alcantara monocoque, the world around becomes muffled and indistinct. The 750S isn’t meant to be estreme, at least not to the level of universally defined “special” versions like the Longtail. And that’s exactly what sets it apart from its rivals and makes it unique. You feel it after just a few minutes behind the wheel, a sensation that grows as confidence builds in its disarming ability to stay glued to the road, transmitting a level of reassurance you wouldn’t have thought possible.

And if I need to widen my line more than usual in tight hairpins due to the low ground clearance, in fast bends I keep my foot planted and exploit an engine that revs all the way up to 7,500 rpm. It’s a crescendo that seems to grab and squeeze your internal organs, especially when you don’t lift for even a second and watch the tachometer climb past 3,000, then hit 5,000 just before you’ve even finished exhaling. Oxygen runs short, the noise becomes increasingly relentless, especially with the ultra-light roof folded behind the heads of driver and passenger. The 750S is the automotive equivalent of John Wick. It arrives, annihilates everything and is ready to do it again. You are not. You’re drenched in sweat, not so much from physical effort, but because the human body and brain still struggle to accept that a road-legal car can maintain this kind of pace on a mountain road that packs more corners into less than a kilometer than Spa-Francorchamps.

At this point, I have to point the finger at something, otherwise someone might think the enthusiasm is unjustified. Nothing is perfect, after all; what matters is that the flaws are things you can live with. A few examples? The seat adjustment buttons are awkwardly placed. It’s impossible to reach them without scraping your hands and you’ll only truly understand their layout (around six buttons) after months of failed attempts. The steering-wheel paddles are beautifully made — that allow upshifts or downshifts depending on how you press them — but they’re a bit too small for my taste. Then there’s the rear-view camera displayed in the driver’s screen, which — as with other supercars — is completely useless when you actually need it, because your hands and steering wheel block the view. Oh well. It’s not a daily driver anyway, also because it gets hot. Very hot. Which is normal in the middle of summer, but it’s important to make sure the V8 can breathe properly, because seeing coolant and oil temperatures approaching 100°C isn’t something to ignore. So, just like on track, it’s best not to sit right on the bumper of the car ahead, especially at low speeds.

The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is — no surprise — lightning fast. In fact, it’s one of the best parts of the McLaren driving experience. Think of those old-school kicks in the back that feel great but cost you precious tenths. Now imagine being kicked, but in a furious hurry. Pure bliss. Just like its chassis, perfectly capable of reading road imperfections and letting you keep your foot down, because those extra 6 mm of front track width are anything but a trivial detail. The 750S’s responses are always purely mechanical. Steering precision is what allows you to carve into a corner, projecting the A-pillar toward the exact apex. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is not something to be taken lightly, unlike smartphone connectivity or a state-of-the-art sound system, which should be kept strictly switched off.

Today, the V8 provides the soundtrack. With its huffs and that unmistakable turbo whistle as air rushes in and out, always ready to pin you to a seat that remains surprisingly comfortable even over long distances. The 750S — and forgive me if I almost forget to reiterate that this is the Spider — is a shot of pure anti-boredom. There isn’t a single moment in which you don’t want to be inside the cockpit, because it’s precisely the nonconformist roughness of its character that makes every journey a little more special. A little? Don’t be ridiculous. Everything is amplified, turned up to eleven, in perfect poster-car style. The doors open upwards, the rear end is as wide as an aircraft carrier and let me remind you that all it takes is a press of the infamous Kiwi button to recall your favourite driving settings. Why a Kiwi? Because Bruce McLaren was from New Zealand and that small absurd bird perfectly represents a brand that knows how to stand out from the crowd, just like its spectacular homeland.

Kids alert their parents, adults dream. Some stop and stare, mouths agape, as it passes by, who knows how many of them actually know what it is. But no one, unless they’ve driven one, can truly understand what it means to go fast. Fast in the way only a McLaren knows how. Today the road isn’t as empty as I’d hoped (damn summer!), forcing me into more stops than expected and making me realise that perhaps I’ve always placed too much importance on the scenario. After all, I’m not here to contemplate the peaks beyond the Bonette, but to push a supercar that’s so confident in itself it dares to change very little, fooling the naked eye and any distracted beholder.

It’s here, in the real world — where the asphalt isn’t as smooth as Estoril and 0–100 figures matter as much as sand in the desert — that you find out whether the lofty claims of press kits and over-excited media are justified. The 750S is by no means an easy car to drive. The Pirelli P Zeros need to be warmed up to temperature, or things could end very badly. But once you tune into those hard, mechanical responses — even where electronics are obviously at work — you discover the true added value of a McLaren. I’ve heard friends describe it as a giant Lotus on steroids, while I firmly believe the supercar that comes closest in driving feel is the Maserati MC20 (now MCPura). But comparisons are pointless, because each has a clearly defined identity and McLaren’s, whether 750S or even Artura, is about offering any driver an object with unmistakable racing DNA. And when I say racing, the absence of massive wings or Sebring-style theatrics is the best way to underline that what really matters is often invisible to the eye.

The sun is about to set and with it most of the tourists, eager to leave the mountain pass before dusk. The V8 breathes behind my head, and once the roof is opened — a very quick operation — the increased exposure to the elements only amplifies the impact of a driving experience that hits you in the gut. It’s incredible how just a flick of the steering wheel is enough to set your desired line, physically feeling every small imperfection in the road as the massive wheels follow even the harshest bumps, constantly reminding you that you’re not in a Sunday cruiser.

The 750S thus confirms itself as another step forward and even if it does so with an overly understated aesthetic, that torque curve combined with a twin-turbo engine capable of astonishing you every time you bury your right foot is enough to banish any doubt. McLaren always hits the bullseye. Building a fast car isn’t particularly difficult anymore. 600-horsepower sedans and SUVs prove that. Creating a car that slices through the air like a bullet and constantly makes you feel as though you’re skirting the edge of what’s allowed is a far more delicate mission and the 750S accomplishes it just as the 720S did when it reshuffled the deck back in 2017.

Did I fall in love at first sight? Absolutely not. I knew what I was getting into and — once again — having refreshed my memory with the 720S a few days earlier certainly softened that emotional punch you feel every time you hold the key to a car like this. But it’s the way an already extremely effective concept evolves that truly impressed and surprised me. I didn’t expect something radically different, but not something identical either. Shifting the bar within such an apparently unquantifiable gap was an impossible mission I didn’t believe could actually be accomplished. And yet I found a performance increase, or rather, a heightened sensory involvement primarily thanks to improved ergonomics (seat controls aside), but above all to a power delivery that blends a hint of old-school turbo lag with a thrust that NASA could probably put to use. The result? 0–100 kph in 2.8 seconds and 0–200 in 7.2. The fact that none of this relies — even minimally — on any electric assistance makes those numbers permanently available at the tip of your right foot. At this point, you only need two things: the courage to push hard and a very thick wallet.