2025 McLaren 750S Review: Taking The Fight To Ferrari

The 750S is the most powerful and lightest series production supercar ever built by McLaren. And for the everyday enthusiast with means, this is as good as it gets.

And I’m not just talking about raw specs. We’ll get into those. There’s plenty of power and money associated with this machine. No, I mean this is as good as it gets as far as modern performance. Do you want something that can suck your eyeballs into your skull? The 750S sure can. It’s also reasonably compliant to drive around town. And while McLarens of a decade ago fell somewhere between cartoonish and overly simplified, the 750S is now dressed with a style that stands even or a bit ahead of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

We wax nostalgic about the good old days, and with other exotics, the chapters run long. McLaren, which dates to 1963 for racing and 1992 for road cars, is a bit briefer. How many people have actually driven a ‘92 F1, by the way? Point being, for McLaren, the time is now.

Now is the time to push the orange button, igniting the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 pushing out 740 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. It’s a beast, with a top speed of 206 mph, and you will get the first 60 mph of that in 2.3 seconds. Compared to the 720S, the 750S has 30 more hp and weighs 33 kilograms (66 pounds) less. It’s slightly wider and has quicker steering. In other words, it’s the next great thing in European exotics.

The engine is buzzy at normal speeds. During hard acceleration, it then lets loose an angrier torrent of power and noise. It actually gets a little throatier on downshifts. It’s a bit of work to drive this machine even in comfort mode. The steering is heavy. The brakes are direct and have minimal pedal travel.

Given the way the seat is positioned, I was literally on my toes and the balls of my feet when driving. It’s not super adjustable, and I maneuvered my 5-foot-10 frame close to the steering wheel via the seat-mounted switch and then pulled the whole steering wheel module toward me to get a decent setup.

Comfortable isn’t the word, but it’s a reasonable setup for non-racecar drivers. The leather ‘comfort’ seats are bolstered, yet relatively wide and flat-bottomed, unlike the vices in say the BMW M3 Competition.

On a day when the temperatures reached 100 degrees, the 750S was a drivable supercar. Being millimeters off the ground, I expected something less tolerable. But the visibility is solid straight ahead, and once I adjusted the mirrors, I felt reasonably aware of my surroundings and able to operate this thing with a degree of confidence.

The first time I drove at Willow Springs was in a McLaren 765 LT, and I lost sleep the night before for all of the reasons driving a McLaren at Willow would suggest. But, the Long Tail was quick enough to pick up, which is a vibe McLaren wisely conveys to its customers. Yes, you can drive these things. I’ve piloted Ferraris and Lambos that are far more intimidating. Even the Audi R8 takes a minute to figure out.

Be smart, though; the 750S can bite. I turned right onto Woodward Avenue north of Detroit, put my foot to the floor, and hit the speed limit instantly, reminding myself what speed, power, and adrenaline feel like in strong doses. The seven-speed dual-clutch shifts aggressively and makes the most of its ratios. Unlike the Ferrari 296 GTB or Corvette Z06, which run eight-speeds, McLaren has stuck with seven, which is more than up to the task. I’m shocked how long it stays in second on hard acceleration, and that’s generally a good thing.

The cockpit is loud—at times I wished I could turn down the radio to clear my head—and then realized it was the engine droning on. Driving a supercar is a bit like how I imagine underwater driving to be: enjoyable, addictive, and brief. Stay sharp, have fun. Get out.

There’s an infotainment/navigation system that you’ll hardly ever touch. The things you do, like most of the instrument panel, are covered in black Alcantara. Wisely, McLaren has kept things simple, and the suspension and transmission settings are integrated into the steering wheel console. It’s cleaner than a Hyundai or most Mercedes, which are filled with stalks growing out of the column and buttons galore. Given that this thing has more power than McLaren’s 2027 LeMans entry, keeping the driver interface clean is smart for the enthusiasts who hope to own and operate these road cars.

Call me crazy, but has McLaren lapped Ferrari in design? The most recent McLarens I’ve tested have sculpted, curvaceous styling that melds peak aero into something truly interesting. The big LED headlights integrate into the body, and everything seems to flow through the concave doors—it’s McLaren going for beauty in a way Ferrari used to when Pininfarina drafted its cars. There are elements of a pontoon shape up front before the back sharpens into more of a wedge. Now, Ferrari feels more technical and sharper. When’s the last time a Ferrari had curves? Editor's Note: The Ferrari Amalfi hadn't debuted yet at the time of writing.

Speaking of design, this $420,280 automobile does get attention. People slowed down and lingered in my blind spots. The driveway became a photo shoot stage for passersby. A guy knocked on my door and asked if he could wash it. That’s a first for me. This isn’t just any McLaren. It’s Volcano Yellow, a McLaren Special Operations color that’s an $11,500 option. Paired with black wheels and a contrasting black sloping teardrop roof, the 750S is the opposite of subtle in every way.

That matters. It’s why you spend the money on a mid-engine fighter jet on wheels, rather than the most expensive 911 you can buy. For McLaren, that means the company achieved a measure of success and staying power. And after 48 hours in the 750S that went by way too fast, I can safely say that this is as good as it gets. Peak McLaren. For now.

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