"Why do I feel that Angus's experience is so different from mine?" On a hot Los Angeles afternoon, when I was idling a certified second-hand (CPO) 2020 McLaren 720S Spider in the driveway of McDonald's , I said to myself loudly. Meanwhile, across the pond, MotorTrend's former editor-in-chief and International Bureau boss Angus MacKenzie (Angus MacKenzie) owned a CPO-like McLaren GT and spent his summer vacation in the UK. Along the way, he would take a road trip in the Scottish Highlands, and here, I was tracking the happy meal toy that promoted a widely criticized movie starring the self-styled King of Basketball in Los Angeles. (Ascribe this task to the 6-year-old child.)

I imagined MacKenzie's window facing down, his iconic mane fluttering in the salty wind, hammering an anvil in his GT’s past fairytale Scottish castle, his soothing Australian accent calling for historical landmarks. I can hear the bagpipe legato bring me to a standstill...

"Hey, my dear, can I take some money? Come on!" A vague voice came along with the slight bump from the rear of 720. I suddenly regained my concentration. Looking at the mirror on the driver’s side, I absorbed the reflection of a middle-aged woman who was exposed and sunbathing (and it was simply grilled), and the impression of zombie dust dancing on the rear bumper. . When McLaren offers longer use time in its super fast hardtop convertible, this is not what I thought. sigh.

The parameter for the 2020 McLaren 720S Spider’s “long-term” loan is a three-month or 1,500-mile allocation, as McLaren strives to align the time/mile equation with its typical U.S. rental customer’s time/mile equation. These people usually rent a car for three years with a limit of 5,000 miles, so 1,500 miles is approximately equivalent to one year of driving time.

I arrived at O'Gara Beverly Hills, the nearest McLaren dealership to me, where Barrett Mitchell, a sales ace and amiable autobot, waited with a triumphant personality and a brief visit to this small but stylish shop. When I want to sit in the Marlboro-painted Ayrton Senna brand Senna GTR in the showroom, or when I open its detachable steering wheel to take a closer look (just for fun, really, because the racing-style detachable steering wheel is cool) . What I expect is that a relatively brief exchange before the handover of the 720S Spider will turn into an hour-long happy bull meeting about cars, motorsports and general car life.

This completely deviates from the standard scripted ceremony of some dealers handing over the car keys to someone, the price of this car is as high as six figures. There was no open bottle of champagne, and Macca was not arranged under the lid in the middle of the room as expected for a dramatic car show-style display. Not that someone would mind such an introduction, but when it comes to getting you excited about celebrating your new acquisition and driving it, old-fashioned, true car enthusiast conversations are more important than pomp and environment.

We ended up meandering to the small backyard, where she was, ready to rock. The 2020 McLaren 720S Spider almost shines in metallic Belize blue paint, described as a vibrant, turquoise color that always looks at me (additional US$5,270). The 2020 McLaren 720S Spider is equipped with 10-spoke forged wheels with excess carbon fiber (US$3,850), sports exhaust (US$5,940) and McLaren’s electrochromic transparent roof panel option, which can change the shade percentage (US$9,100!) with the push of a button. New total cost: $375,020. There are 2,209 miles on the McLaren ticker, and if I arrive on this day and buy a real car, it will be priced between $345,000 and $350,000. Therefore, roughly the depreciation is approximately $12.70 per mile, whether given or accepted.

Mitchell gave me a standard functional summary, which I saw as the 97th opportunity in my career to belittle the position and design of a McLaren power seat switch. The controls are mounted on the inside of the front bottom of the seat, which means you must clamp your hands between the center console and the seat to reach them. This ill-conceived position prevents you from seeing what your fingers are doing while adjusting, and through various settings through multiple switches, you can find your favorite driving position. A crazy game similar to Russian roulette, the rule is to use Braille Written. A proper and comfortable position was finally achieved, I saved it in the seat memory and vowed never to touch any of these controls again.

When you drive your car a full five blocks away from the dealership, the reality of how fast you can drive 1,500 miles in a modern supercar can be achieved. Between the busy work schedule, the 720S Spider's MotorTrend photo shoot that consumes miles, and the personal philosophy of maintaining a high degree of caution during the Southern California pandemic, I gave up the idea of ​​track days and overnight road trips. Instead, I vowed to stay calm and not worry about pseudo-limit driving antics or seeking opportunities to reach the highest possible speed, but to use McLaren as a "normal" car. Grocery store, post office post office, hardware store trip (small items), takeaway dinner pick-up, you can think of-just grab the spider's key. At first I felt guilty, as if I was cheating on a car, until I realized that I was more interesting than anyone in performing daily and mundane errands. But this is not necessarily due to reasons I might have anticipated.

This is about the overall situation of the McLaren 720S: Since its launch in 2017, it has received a lot of praise, and it also has many quirks (more on this later). But as an MT editor commented to me after he took control of the car for a few days (and I reminded him to be careful because of its speed and speed, as we already know from previous tests): "People today like the 720S, but I think history will make it a legend. The first time I put the Spider on the floor, when I was talking with a friend in the passenger seat, he was in a few minutes later Still gasping and giggling. This is a kind of depressed edge fast. I mean, too fast. Too scary. Fast. In its most aggressive powertrain settings, full throttle will look like some stale B movie special effects Just narrow your vision. Not to mention the dramatic power that bursts when these wheels try to control; there are so many skating and fast running, almost as compelling as the driving force. Seriously, this is the GOAT modern supercar One, even if it has not been recognized."

Despite the aforementioned wild character, the answer is, yes, you can use 720S, and it's relatively easy. Even with skin-melting properties—no matter who you are, you can never overcome bold straight-line speeds—McLaren provides comfort and at least a little practicality when you want it. It has been more than a minute since the super sports car fully compromised in the name of performance, or at least a large-scale compromise that severely limited its daily driving performance, usability, and comfort. Nevertheless, the 720S reminds you that the old days of exotic cars are gone.

For example, loading a week's worth of food for the Spider from Trader Joe's, or transporting a bunch of packages to UPS, or going wherever I need it. I didn't think twice and didn't find any challenges. (Note: If you are completely concerned about keeping the front splitter, the standard front-end lift system is a godsend, especially in places like Los Angeles, where there are steep lanes, and every turn has obvious road sinking and undulations. .) Of course, the grocery store can only accommodate one person’s food supply for a week or so, not the entire family, so if your cupboard is empty and your McLaren car almost exceeds your family’s entire transportation budget , You need to go to the store a few times and there is nothing else to drive.

Maybe, maybe, there may be a stubborn McLaren owner on the planet that fits this description. Let's keep it true: no one will buy a car like this and will bother with storage capacity, and they may not bother with the overall 12.2 mpg figure we recorded during the loan. (Blam the numbers on the lack of highway driving and the firm desire to accelerate as often as possible; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rated the 2020 McLaren 720S Spider as 15/22/18 miles/gallon city/highway/combination.) Potential customers It is more likely to do this and want to know the quality of the ride. No problem; with the excellent adaptable suspension and the comfortable power system and the control of my right foot, there are many small moments where I almost forget how much purgatory power I can use.

However, due to the reaction of onlookers to the 720S Spider, I have never forgotten a minute or three. Maybe it’s the outer spaceship that complements the Tremor-Graboid styling, but when talking with people, it’s clear that the paint that must not be missed helps to attract attention. Whatever the reason, the enthusiasm for this car has even made the journey of a quick COVID test worth looking forward to. We drove and tested a lot of cars in MT, but the car experience is much more than the original number, and it is difficult for me to recall the last time the car I drove caused such a big commotion almost every outing; maybe It was the Lamborghini Murciélago more than ten years ago that matched it with its pure street shock value. Surprisingly, Spider seems to be more eye-catching, or at least a more consistent positive response than the McLaren Senna we drove in Los Angeles a year ago.

With all the attention of the 720S command, you have two options: behave like an arrogant SOB and incorporate expensive car owner stereotypes (which is not good for anyone or car hobbies), or have a fact that you might bring Come the light of joy—no matter how big or small, no matter how fleeting—a day for others. I don’t like to eat a lot of Schmalz, but in an over-stressed world, I have repeatedly experienced an extraordinary phenomenon with this car: strangely, for a long time, decadent spiders let me It feels more normal than anything else.

The only disadvantage of using this process is that you have to be patient. A Trader Joe with a loan in advance ran 30 minutes longer than expected, because the moment I got out of the car, quick questions and comments swept me through. There are many other interactions and comments that stand out during the 1,500-mile journey, including:

I can continue. The point is that the 720S Spider is not only a social channel-an active social channel-but also a tool for stimulating adrenaline and stimulating the canyon. I don't know where to start assigning values ​​that are so difficult to define. I'm still scratching my head over that question, but this is a real thing you can't ignore.

It is no secret that McLaren is known for its quirks and problems, and this 2020 720S Spider is no exception. During my time watching the game, it has never failed completely, but there are a few things that have always annoyed me:

After three months and 1,500 miles of certified second-hand 2020 McLaren 720S Spider proves to be more than just a rolling statement of wealth or a self-indulgent rich man toy. Its high price and scorching performance automatically make it both, but if you let it do so, the 720S will also bring you rewards beyond those superficial and superficial metaphors. Back in McDonald’s drive-thru lane, the restaurant staff drove away the revolving stage dancers, and when I rolled to the pick-up window, a 20-year-old employee started to hand me a drink and then flinched.

"Wait a minute!" He said as he pulled the glass back to the dining room. "Let me wipe it off for you; I don't want it to drip on anything in your car." When I said that this might be the best fast food service I have ever received, he smiled and replied excitedly: " Where do you go when you get out of the car?! Man, you must turn right from here on the road so I can see and hear this thing passing by. Hold on, man!"

When I was about to leave that road, my home was within sight of a block on the left. I smiled, flicked the right turn signal, waited for traffic to flow, and then slammed on the gas pedal. My last glance at McDonald’s that day was a fist pulled out of the driveway window. I laughed even harder. At that moment, another understanding became clear: the castles and bagpipes in Scotland, although so wonderful, had no effect on the experience.

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