McLaren is certainly milking the hype for its upcoming 650S successor, rumored to be called the 720S. We'll get to see the full car in all its glory at Geneva this March, but until then McLaren is showing it off piece by piece. Literally. First, we got to see its bare-naked Monocage II chassis. Now, without further ado, here's an extreme close-up shot of its rear wing. Much appreciated, McLaren. It's all designed to bring your attention to this car's smartly designed aerodynamics.
McLaren says the 750S, or whatever the first of McLaren's second-generation Super Series turns out to be called, will be twice as aerodynamically efficient as the McLaren 650S, with increased downforce and improved cooling. "A range of advanced aerodynamic technologies contributes to maximum generated downforce over 50% greater than that of the McLaren 650S and ensures truly outstanding levels of grip and stability," commented McLaren's Executive Director of Product Development, Mark Vinnels. We have also markedly improved cooling efficiency, with a 15% gain overall and a particular focus on airflow to the engine's high temperature radiators through a unique new design of dihedral door."
There's more aerodynamic wizardry going on here, too. McLaren explains how the active wing, which extends over the full rear width of the car, moves upwards and increases in angle to further optimize its aerodynamic efficiency. When it needs to act as an airbrake, the wing will deploy to its most extreme angle in less than half a second to keep it balanced under braking at high speed. Even the doors have integrated air ducts, with one pushing the air from the top of the door into the radiators to cool the engine, and another to draw air from the front wheel arch to increase downforce. If this technology sounds familiar, that's because it was first used on the P1 hybrid hypercar.
Let's hope its "visually beautiful" looks and performance matches its aerodynamic prowess, though early reports suggest it will have over 700 horsepower. This will only be the first of 15 new cars released by 2020 as part of McLaren's ambitious plans for the future. Watch this space.