Buying a McLaren 720S: what to look for, spec and colours

Buying a McLaren 720S: what to look for, spec and colours

The 720S is the car that proved McLaren could build a usable everyday supercar. Built in Woking from 2017 to 2023, it replaced the 650S and brought a new carbon tub, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 710 hp and a shape that still looks like nothing else on the road. For a UK buyer it has a particular appeal: it is a British car, right-hand drive by default, and it has now settled to a point where the best examples are a genuinely usable long-term ownership.

The cars

720S Coupe (2017 to 2023). The core car. 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (M840T), 710 hp, 568 lb ft, seven-speed dual-clutch (SSG), rear-wheel drive, 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and a 212 mph top speed. The benchmark and the most abundant on the used market.

720S Spider (2019 to 2023). The folding hard-top. A little heavier, but the roof is one of the best engineered on any supercar and it adds enormous usability. Slightly more expensive than the equivalent coupe.

720S Performance and Luxury. The two main trim lines. Performance adds more standard carbon and a sportier cabin; Luxury adds full leather and a softer cabin. Neither changes the engine; they are about spec and feel.

765LT (2020 to 2022) and 765LT Spider. 755 hp, lighter, longer tail, more aggressive aero, a more focused suspension and a louder exhaust. The halo of the Super Series line and the one that has held its value best.

What to look for

Battery and electrics. The 720S is sensitive to battery health; a tired or undercharged battery is the single most common cause of a cascade of warning lights and limp-home behaviour. Confirm the car has been on a conditioner if it has been stood, and check for any stored faults before you buy. A healthy battery and a clean diagnostic scan are the first green flags.

Hydraulic suspension. The 720S uses ProActive Chassis Control II, a linked hydraulic system with no anti-roll bars. It is brilliant, but the accumulators and pipework are a wear item; check for leaks at the dampers and a settled or bouncy ride, and confirm the suspension mode switches cleanly between Comfort, Sport and Track.

Carbon tub and body. The MonoCage II carbon tub is strong, but any impact that cracks the tub is a write-off scenario. Insist on a structural check and a paint-depth scan for accident repair. The front splitter and sill extensions are the first casualties on UK driveways, so check for repairs and resprays.

Paint and PPF. McLaren paint is soft and thin; cars without paint protection film on the nose and leading edges will chip badly. Many cars have had PPF from new or a respray; a partial respray devalues the car, so look for original paint or a full, documented respray.

Air brake and active wing. Cycle the rear wing through its modes and confirm the air brake deploys and retracts cleanly under braking. It is hydraulic and not cheap to put right.

Brakes. Carbon ceramic brakes (CCM II) are standard; check disc thickness and edge lip and the pad wear. A full set of discs and pads is a large bill. Listen for any squeal under light braking, which is normal on cold ceramics.

Gearbox. The seven-speed SSG dual-clutch is robust; check for clean, smooth shifts and no shudder on the 1-2 upshift, and confirm the latest software has been loaded. Early cars had revisions to the clutch and software, so a stamped service record matters.

Engine. The M840T is generally a strong unit. Check for oil leaks around the sump and the wastegate area, and listen for any wastegate rattle. The 720S runs cylinder deactivation on light throttle; confirm it switches in and out smoothly, as a faulty actuator is a known fault. Ask for the engine diagnostic and the over-rev report.

Doors and struts. The dihedral doors are the 720S's signature; check the struts hold the doors open and that the shut lines and hinges are straight. Worn door struts are common and cheap to fix.

Tyres and wheels. The 720S wears its rear tyres quickly, especially on the Trofeo R option. Check the forged wheels for kerb damage and the tyres for heat-cycling on the shoulders. Check the tyre age, not just the tread.

Recalls. Confirm any outstanding recall work has been completed; some cars were subject to a recall for a foam heat-shield concern near the exhaust. A car with a clean recall record and a clean diagnostic is the one to buy.

Must-have specification

• Vehicle lift (front axle lift). Essential on UK speed humps and driveway entries; a car without it will cost you splitter repairs.
• Sport exhaust. The standard car is quiet; the sports exhaust transforms it. Desirable and worth a premium.
• Carbon ceramic brakes (CCM II) are standard, but check the disc life and the caliper colour.
• Bowers and Wilkins 12-speaker audio. The premium option and the one to have over the standard system.
• Carbon fibre racing seats (the MSO carbon seats are lighter and more desirable than the standard electric sport seats).
• MSO forged or diamond-cut wheels.
• Carbon fibre mirror caps and rear deck, if the budget allows.
• 360-degree parking camera and front and rear sensors. Essential for a car this wide and this low.
• Carbon fibre interior trim pack.
• Alcantara headlining and steering wheel.
• Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R or Corsa for the more focused car.
• On the 765LT, the spec is largely fixed; buy on condition, history and colour.

Colours

McLaren Orange (the papaya) is the heritage colour and the most desirable on the used market; it suits the 720S, it photographs beautifully, and it is the colour most buyers want, so it sells fastest and holds its value best.

The bright MSO specials are next: Ventura Orange, Burton Blue, Amaranth Red and the bespoke MSO colours. A well-chosen MSO colour commands a premium among collectors because it stands out, but it is also a smaller pool of buyers, so a bold colour can sit a little longer to sell.

Onyx Black, Silica White and the greys (Sarthe Grey) are the most common and the least loved; they are the cheapest way into a 720S and the colours to buy if value matters more than resale speed. They photograph well but they do not have the McLaren character.

If you want the safest resale, buy McLaren Orange. If you want the cheapest way in, a clean black or silver car with the right spec is the value buy. If you want a car with character and are prepared to wait for the right buyer, a Burton Blue or Amaranth Red MSO car is the one to hold.

Values (UK, 2025)

These move, but as a working guide:

• 720S Coupe: £110,000 to £175,000, with early standard-spec cars at the bottom and well-specced late cars at the top.
• 720S Spider: £140,000 to £195,000.
• 765LT Coupe: £230,000 to £320,000.
• 765LT Spider: £260,000 to £360,000.
• 720S Le Mans and other MSO limited editions: a premium over the standard car, by spec and mileage.

The 720S has settled well below its new price, which is exactly why it is now an honest ownership proposition. The 765LT is the long-term hold and the one that will hold strongest.

Servicing and where to go in the UK

The 720S is a modern McLaren, so it wants to be used, not stored. Budget around £1,500 to £2,500 a year for an annual service, more for the larger services, and keep the battery on a conditioner if the car is used intermittently. The carbon ceramics and the hydraulic suspension are the two areas to keep an eye on over the long term.

In the UK, you have the McLaren main-dealer network (McLaren London, McLaren Manchester, McLaren Birmingham, McLaren Hatfield and McLaren Edinburgh) for the factory stamp, and a handful of well-regarded independents for the routine work: RS Williams (London) is the best-known McLaren independent; RPM Performance (Hertfordshire) and Clive Sutton (London) also know these cars. A 720S with a continuous, stamped history at a main dealer or at RS Williams is worth a premium over a car with gaps, because it is the history that protects the car's value.

Buying advice

I will always outsource a pre-purchase inspection on a 720S to a McLaren specialist. The battery and diagnostic scan, the hydraulic suspension, the carbon tub, the active wing and the over-rev report are the checks that need a specialist with the McLaren tool, and the report is what tells you whether a car is a sound buy or a bill waiting to happen. Buy the 765LT if you can stretch to it, the Spider for the open-air V8, and a well-specced, McLaren Orange coupe for the best everyday ownership. Whatever you choose, the car with the best history, a clean diagnostic and the right spec is the one to own.