The McLaren is unique, 1 of 400 launch edition cars and the only one in India, since its launch the car has constantly touched new pinnacles of performance and dynamic driving experience.
Gautam Singhania is quite a known figure in India, he is the boss of Raymond and other companies and has a net worth upwards of $1.5 Billion, but perhaps he is most well known for his collection of cars, some of which are unique in India. One of his most prized cars is the McLaren 720S, and it is unique for a number of reasons. It is the 720S launch edition, which is one of 400 cars, and Singhania has the only launch edition McLaren in the country, but it’s story is a bit unique. Another 720S goes to Poonawalla garage.
Some of you might be aware that McLaren does not retail in India, and the only way to own one is to get it imported. What Singhania did was to purchase and register the car in Dubai where McLaren is a popular car and then via a service called Carnet, through which one can import or export their goods without excise duty. And the supercar was seen being driven on Mumbai roads, but alas the Carnet terms require the vehicle to be sent back after a certain period of time. And thus the rare car spent a rare amount of time in India but it sure was a memorable one for car spotters and Singhania alike.
Let’s talk about the McLaren, the 720S was the first totally new car launched after the McLaren brand was rechristened. A brand new monocoque made out of carbon fibre was developed, making it stronger and sturdier, competing with the best that the supercar world has to offer, the McLaren quickly spread a legend of its own as a British icon of supreme performance engineering, packed neatly in a beautiful package. Packed with a 4 litre twin turbocharged V8, which develops a monumental 710 horsepower and 568 pound per feet of torque which is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which gives it immediate shifts. The McLaren is capable of rocketing to a hundred in 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 341 kph.
The British engineers took inspiration from one of nature’s most evolved predators, the Great White Shark and embodying the sleek but dangerous machine. The body has one job, to make air flow faster from its surface and create downforce to make it faster and planted on any track under any condition. The headlamps are inside these massive aerodynamic inlets which are also openings for air ducts which run the length of the car, and push the air below the spoiler which is infused into the bodywork to create as less turbulence as possible.
The cockpit of the supercar is designed for optimal race performance, making use of Alcantara and carbon fibre with the central control panel aligned towards the driver for easier access to all the driving aid buttons, it might not feel as wild as the cabins of the Italian supercars but it has a sense of British styling. The digital instrument panel is unique, because it slides down when the car is put into track mode, and displays on a thinner display just the Rev counter, the speed and some other important data which is useful for a driver to have maximum visibility and least distraction while posting lap times.
On paper, and in real life the British supercar has Formula 1 level performance but the aesthetics of a futuristic spaceship with dihedral doors (doors which open upwards), in comparison to the Ferraris and Lamborghinis, the McLaren embodies a specific control over itself. While the other cars are capable of going sideways quite easily, the 720S has so much grip on demand that sliding the rear out is a task, it is a 2.7 second accelerating supercar with British etiquettes.
Singhanias 720S is a white colored one, as the sunken roof part of all the cars comes out in carbon fibre. The particular car owned by him is one of 400 cars which were booked and sold before the launch of the car, with subsequent models like the Spyder and performance versions coming later. He also owns a Ferrari 458 Speciale, LaFerrari, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Ariel Atom and a Nissan Skyline GT-R are one of his other prized possessions. Because the car is not retailed in India, the exact price cannot be determined but it currently costs upwards of 1100500 Dirhams which is costlier than a lot of its competitors, which means it would cost above INR 4.5 Crores here. We hope that the British supercar company enters India soon.
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Favourie Car: Nissan GT-R R35
Quote: What you do in life echoes in eternity- Russell Crowe, Maximus, Gladiator
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