McLaren 720S: The Batmobile of the North Coast

A lot of people will ask themselves where a twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 has a place in Ballito.

But perhaps people don’t realise how lucky we are, with our straight stretches and clean bends on the road. SMD Ballito houses a demon that only the most worthy can take the reins of, and this comes in the form of a McLaren 720S.

A much prettier follow-up to the MP4-12C, the notion of 710 horsepower under my right foot makes me wonder what time warp I am being led into while opening the gaping gull-wing doors and seeing racetrack-ready elements on the dash.

I have never been in a supercar that rides as well as the 720S – hand on heart, and this is high praise – it rides like a Jaguar.

Speedbumps and sharp corners are no match for the McLaren, seemingly at home with Ballito traffic. A part of myself has always asked how would I feel sitting in traffic with a car like this?

Inconspicuous? Comfortable? Able to reach for my phone and ask my girlfriend whether I am meeting her at the Lifestyle Market for dinner?

The McLaren contrasts between convenience and hyper-speed. It even has a cup-holder, something premium brands forget while trying to cater for everything else apart from a drive-thru.

The concert of senses that come alive when the car accelerates is paralleled only by a jet fighter being launched from an aircraft carrier, as my head is pinned back to the seat and G-force dictates my ability to stretch forward and adjust the vent which is surprisingly effective at supercar speeds.

So many Ferraris and American muscle cars try to integrate a stoic impression into the start-and-go procedure, but opening up the 720S is about as difficult as getting into a Ford Fiesta.

This marriage of power and speed with everyday comfort and ease makes me wonder who would drive this and buy a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Perhaps they stand a bit too close to the urinal? Who knows.

There’s a sense of purpose mixed with style with the 720S that isn’t as pronounced with other vehicles, lending to its understated impression.

The door sills that are actually gaping air intakes for the mid-engine glory house and the traction control system that decides how much slide you would like from the rear end before the tyres bite tarmac and bring you back into line.

Watching the car switch from comfort to track mode, the instrument display collapses to reveal nothing more than the current speed, engine rev and gear. You know this car means business and is not about to trick you with gadgetry.

The sleek lines from the headlights to the functional-looking rear end are an indication of complete and composite dynamism between power and physics, but sitting inside the cabin and driving it makes it feel no less complex than being in a Polo.

The way McLaren has married this hurricane of potential with the ease of a golf cart puts one into mind of a subtle superhero.

Being all black on black with this 720S, you can imagine Bruce Wayne in his element with this grounded outside his door.

At a price tag of around R5,4 million, this kind of taste with neck-breaking performance isn’t cheap, but it does give a supercar buyer distinction over a common Porsche or Lamborghini.

It is function with form and delivery on promise. It is a mid-engined handbag that will lift you gloriously and comfortably from your home to the shops – and give you a wink on the way back.

This machine will put paid to the description ‘sniper’: never seen, but lethal.

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