New McLaren 720S Supercar Chassis and Tech Features Detailed

Believed to be called the McLaren 720S, the upcoming vehicle from the British supercar maker will sport a very advanced chassis that will be able to adapt to the road and driver inputs in order to provide an extremely responsive drive.

Dubbed Proactive Chassis Control II, drivers can toggle the system into three modes: Comfort, Sport, or Track. More importantly, the system features a ton of sensors, 12 more than the last vehicle including an accelerometer on each wheel hub. McLaren says these sensors can read the inputs from the road, and even determine the contact patch of each tire. The data from the sensors is ‘milliseconds’ and will optimize the suspension damping according to the chassis mode selected.

“Proactive Chassis Control II generates a significant amount of additional grip, but not at the expense of the balance and feel of the car,” explained Mark Vinnels, Executive Director of Product Development at McLaren Automotive. “The depth and breadth of handling precision and ride comfort in combination with the peerless level of driver involvement in the second-generation McLaren Super Series is simply extraordinary.”

Furthermore, the car will get a variable drift control mode, that will let drivers explore the car’s limits in cooperation with the electronic stability control. Using a slider on the touchscreen, drivers can adjust how much stability control intervention they want, and in theory get some sideways drifting action on the track.

Expected to make over 700 horsepower from a mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the McLaren 720S is the successor to the old 650S. It will use a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and features extra an aerodynamic edge over its predecessor with 15 percent better aerodynamic efficiency and 50 percent more downforce than the 650S.

We’ll learn more about the next McLaren including its official name and pricing next month during the Geneva Motor show.