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I saw the review. I thought the guy rambled and wanted to boast about his driving experiences. His complaining about the lack of interior carbon fiber and a push-to-start button, given the cost of the car, didn't make sense. Three minutes of information packed into 29 minutes.
This is the YouTube age, lots of people trying to get fame and fortune by posting junk. There was a time when people used to make money by working hard and generating real value.
Out of curiosity, I visited this guy's website. He provides personal counseling sessions via phone. I bet he is an excellent resource to discuss Porsche build specs before going final with a dealer.
I have owned a bunch of McLarens over the last 6 years (570 Spider, 600 Spider, 600 Coupe, 720 Coupe, 720 Spider) and both a 991.2 TTS and a 992 TTS. Here are my thoughts:
A 911 will never handle as sharply as a lighter / monocoque carbon tub mid-engine McLaren. Frankly - nothing on the road under $1M handles anything like a McLaren...
The 992 TTS handles really well compared to the 991.2. Not sure what they changed, but the weight transfer and turn in feels a lot better.
I prefer the McLaren gearbox. I like the feeling of "banging" through the gears. The PDK in the TTS is tuned to be smooth... this is 100% personal preference.
Obvious any McLaren looks more exotic... however, I love the sophisticated and timeless lines of the 911... especially the rear hips on the 992 TTS.
The build quality of the McLaren is pretty ****ty. I had problems (mostly minor) with every single one of my McLarens.
The service experience with McLaren is also pretty ****ty. Everything takes way longer and costs more than it should.
I never worry about my 911 leaving me stranded because some ****ty part failed in the middle of a road trip
Porsche has far superior interior fit and finish... and electronics
Porsche wins hands down in daily-driveability and just overall daily driving experience and fun
McLaren wins hands down for aggressive canyon runs and "getting after it" driving
McLaren build quality really ruins the experience for me. I like to drive my cars a lot and always worrying what is going to break next takes a lot of the fun out of it. The 992 TTS is probably the best overall sports car I have ever driven.
I have a 992 TTS and had a 720S Spyder. The 720S was amazing to drive, but I got rid of it because the power steering pump was louder than the engine at idle. The dealer told me "that's normal", so I told them I didn't want it back.
992 TTS way better as an "overall/everyday" car -- 720S was kind of a pain to take places because of the clearance (or lack there-of) and attention it gets.
I saw the review. I thought the guy rambled and wanted to boast about his driving experiences. His complaining about the lack of interior carbon fiber and a push-to-start button, given the cost of the car, didn't make sense. Three minutes of information packed into 29 minutes.
His video's info hardsell: "GET MY BOOK - "The Unplugged Alpha, The No Bull**** Guide To Winning With Women & Life:""
This "entrepreneur" is unironically using the term "Alpha." I have a feeling all he wants to do is talk about himself.
Jason Putnam, co-founder of Tactical Fleet said he’d never sell a friend a McLaren, and avoids putting them in inventory as the average ticket to recondition is $10k.
He does boast about Ferraris and Porsche 911s though.
I also have Porsche Turbos, 930, 996, and 991 Turbo S, and a 720S for about six months as well.
Since my latest model year Turbo is a 991 gen, not the same comparison as the video, but still some feedback... The 991 TTS is also moderately modified, with catless Soul exhaust, DO88 intake plumbing, DSC suspension controller, Cobb tune, monoball suspension in the rear, and a more aggressive alignment, etc. Stock turbos, stock fueling, set up for reliability NOT over-boosting on the track vs. some kill mode airstrip attack drag racing
My 720S Spider has the 'track pack', which includes a bunch of otherwise separately orderable options, but most notably, the P1 seats. They are fixed carbon buckets. The sportier factory mclaren exhaust as well, and of course carbon ceramic brakes, etc which are standard.
The 991 Turbo is excellent. I can't think of a better car to jump in and drive cross country in, especially if it involved a combination of boring highway miles and back-road ripping. Comfortable, capable, reliable, blisteringly fast, good stoarge space, etc. Looks great without being overly flashy, Easy to drive in a mellow fashion. Easy to get in and out of.
The 720S Spider is imho the 'best street car' I have ever driven. A level above the modified 991 Turbo S in every performance category, it is quicker, faster, more track friendly, absolutely lights up 1/4 mile times and lap times even completely stock. The dual clutch transmission is smooth when driven in 'comfort' and/or with moderate throttle, yet hits like a brick (think Ferrari 430 Scuderia) when full throttle in track mode. Awesome! Much harder to get in and out of, both because of the wide carbon sills and the fixed-back buckets, but similar at least to getting in and out of the GT4RS with buckets. Comfortable enough for 3-4 hours at.a stretch, but It wouldn't be my choice to drive LA to NYC... It feels *really* special when ripping in the canyons, in my view much more so than the 991 Turbo S. Also, the spider version of the 720S is really no compromise... It looks great with the top up or down, the monocoque CF chassis is equally stiff even in the convertible, and the top goes up and down in 10 seconds while driving up to 35 mph. a 911 Turbo in a convertible (again, imho) forces you to give up too much rigidity and looks. I'll also note that I have noticed no unusual or loud power steering noises on mine, but will say the hydraulic steering rack has an AWESOME feel.
There are a few Mclaren 720S weak-points that are annoyingly excluded from extended warranty, but most have some work-arounds. 1. The hydraulic accumulators for the suspension fail. The latest 765LT accumulators can be retrofit into the 720S. If you buy one with the old-style accumulators, budget for the replacement. 2. The glass panels on the top of the coupe doors crack. Not an issue with the Spider. The best solution seems to be to replace them with CF panels instead of gorilla glass. 3. Windshields on the 720S are known for stress cracking. Mine was cracked when I bought it CPO and I had the dealer replace it, and it is speculated that the newer windshields have less of a problem, but not clear. EXPENSIVE to replace! Like 7K, so be prepared to either pony up if yours cracks or make sure you have good glass coverage on your insurance. 4. The factory uses lightweight lithium batteries, they don't like to be overly discharged. Keep it on a charger if you aren't driving it for more than a week. They are very expensive to replace, and have a proprietary controller built in which previously excluded using any third party batteries A company however now makes an external controller that sits between the battery and the 720S wiring harness that emulates the controller in the OE battery and allows the use of any lithium or lead acid battery that fits without issue.
The fit/finish, interior, electronics on my 2020 720S are superb. Easily the equal of my 911. I've heard that the earlier ones weren't quite as good, but it is definitely not a universal issue.
I only have a little seat time in the 992 Turbos, I know they do everything just a bit better than the 991... Faster, quicker, etc. but I suspect not that far off in performance when stock vs. my modified 991.
I'm not that into drag strips, but do go a couple of times a year just to check out my cars capabilities.
My best 1/4 mile in the 991 (high altitude) was 10.9 with tune/exhaust mods, PS4S tires.
My best 1/4 mile in the 720S (high altitude) was 10.5, bone stock, no drama, P Zero Corsa tires.
I have 70K+ miles on my 991 Turbo S, it drives like new, hasn't needed any major repairs, and I expect it to go another 70K+ without issue...
I have 5K miles on my 720S. While not nearly as mileage sensitive on resale as Ferraris, there are *very* few 720S's north of 40K miles. I've had no issues so far during my ownership.
I'd recommend a 720S without hesitation, especially if you have a Mclaren dealer nearby and really want a hyper-car level of performance.. I have recommended 911 Turbos time and time again, probably have had at least six friends buy some version of them and love them.
If I could keep only one, and factored in price, expected depreciation, service costs and hassles, flexibility, etc. it would be the 911 Turbo, whatever generation trips your trigger.
For absolute hyper-car performance levels and exotic car driving experience, a used but CPO 720S at the current price point is an astonishing bargain.
Sorry if that was long-winded, but hopefully of some help for someone seriously considering buying a Mclaren, particularly a 720S.
09-24-2023, 04:38 PM
