One could have a worse day than driving a McLaren 750S on a picturesque road through the wilderness of Idaho. Former McLaren and Ferrari F1 driver Stefan Johansson recently had such a day, though he wasn’t exactly enjoying a leisurely cruise in the mountains. He was blasting down a two-lane highway at speeds over 200 mph.
This is how McLaren announced the official arrival of the 750S in North America, and for the record, yes the road in question was closed. In fact, McLaren was on hand for the 2023 running of the Sun Valley Tour de Force – a weekend set aside for unrestricted speed runs on a 3.2-mile stretch of asphalt in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area of central Idaho. This is the spot where a Bugatti Chiron reached 253 mph, and while Johansson’s 750S didn’t quite achieve that level of insanity, he did coax 204 mph – albeit briefly – out of McLaren’s new supercar.
“Driving the 750S is a truly inspiring experience,” commented Johansson following the run. “It is comfortable, predictable, and yet amazingly fast. You feel secure and confident behind the wheel, while still unleashing outstanding levels of performance. It’s a supercar that builds on the legacy of its benchmark predecessor the 720S in all respects.”
The 750S made its global debut in May 2023, packing 740 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Technically the successor to the aforementioned 720S, there’s still plenty of its predecessor’s DNA under the skin but that’s not a bad thing. Provided there’s sufficient grip for the tires, McLaren says the 750S can reach 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and complete a quarter-mile in 10.1 seconds.
At launch, the top speed was listed as 206 mph though we only see 204 mph in this run. Considering the Sawtooth Recreation Area envelops a portion of the Rocky Mountains with 10,000-foot peaks in the area, a bit less power from the boosted V8 at altitude is certainly expected. We’ll give McLaren a pass on this one.
The 2024 750S has a starting price of $324,000, but that hasn’t affected initial sales one bit. McLaren says allocations for US buyers are sold “deep into 2024.” Initial deliveries will begin later this year.
