One of the most desirable supercars out there, the 720S is hugely impressive on wide-open throttle thanks to a really potent engine and Pirelli P-Zero tires with custom construction. As you would expect from a twin-turbo V8 and a curb weight of 3,128 pounds (1,419 kilograms), the British interloper needs 2.7 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 kph).
The question is, does a carbon-clad supercar with Formula 1 technology and a starting price of $299,000 hold a candle to American muscle? YouTube channel Auto Glory has the answer to that question with a series of roll races against a tuned seventh-generation Corvette Z06 and a blown Camaro SS.
As far as the ‘Vette is concerned, bolt-on mods and an E50 tune have taken the small-block V8 engine to 670 rear-wheel horsepower as opposed to 650 crank horsepower in bone-stock guise. From a 60-mph roll, the sports car from Kentucky tried its utmost best but simply couldn’t match the Macca.
Moving on to the fully-built Camaro SS, the sixth-generation pony car boasts a Magnuson 2650 supercharger, supporting mods like the cold-air intake, and methanol injection. And, as if 850 horsepower at the rear wheels wasn’t impressive enough, the rear seats and truck have been stripped for good measure. First time they raced from 40 mph (64 kph), the British contender didn’t stand a chance because the driver wasn’t on point. On the second attempt, however, the McLaren 720S made easy work of the ‘Maro up to 150 mph (241 kph).
As for the elephant in the room, I think we can all agree that racing on public roads can go south very easily for the racers and other traffic participants. If you own an exceptionally sporty machine and you want to push it as much as possible in a straight line, the drag strip is a much better location for high-speed thrills thanks to sturdy barriers and medical response personnel.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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