McLaren 720S: What comes next?

LAS VEGAS — Production of the McLaren 720S, a cornerstone of the British exotic brand’s lineup since it arrived in 2017, ceased at the end of 2022, McLaren said. But what happens next is less clear.

Nicolas Brown, McLaren’s president of the Americas region, was mum on specifics but said customers have been putting down deposits on another vehicle, which has yet to be shown publicly.

“We have not spoken about this vehicle,” Brown told Automotive News on the sidelines of a media event last month. “But customers, of course, they see that, ‘OK, well, you can’t order a 720 anymore.’ They realize that production is ending. So putting two and two together, something is coming. They’re anticipating that it will be a refinement of 720. They understand that it’s not a next-generation, all-new, ground-up vehicle. They have started to put deposits down with dealers, although we haven’t said anything.”

In fact, Brown said, the vehicle is “sold out through deep into 2024 without even having spoken about this.”

The 720S debuted at the 2017 Geneva auto show and went into production later that year. It replaced the 650S and marked the first time McLaren had replaced a car since the company was formed in 2010.

The 720S later spawned a convertible variant, followed by the powerful, lightweight and limited-run 765LT and 765LT convertible, both of which McLaren said had three to four times the demand than the automaker was able to deliver. Production of the 765LT coupe has ended, while 765LT convertible output is ongoing but winding down, a McLaren spokesperson noted.

Pietro Frigerio, dealer principal of McLaren Newport Beach in Irvine, Calif., said the 720S is still coveted in his market.

“Even with the competition that comes out of the same segment, from your Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, there is still a demand,” Frigerio said.

Frigerio, who has not seen the upcoming vehicle, said he already has orders for it after informing customers that a 720S couldn’t be ordered.

“It will be something different but not completely,” Frigerio said.