2025 McLaren 750S Spider Review

As a professional car reviewer, you have those weeks when you are not excited for the vehicle you are getting to review, but don’t get me wrong, I am always thankful that a huge automaker would trust me with their product.  They go out of their way to deliver it in perfect condition, wipe it down again when they get to me in case it got dirty, they’ve filled it with gas, and they’ve preset my favorite radio stations.  No matter what it is, I am happy to have it.  Sometimes you have to look for the good in a vehicle-the bad is easy because it stands out.  I always point out both, I owe you that for being a listener or reader of our newsletter and website.

Then occasionally, you get the pinnacle of review cars, one that every car reviewer in America would sell their soul to get, but few are lucky enough.  This is one of those weeks.  I heard it before I saw it backing into a parking spot.  The delivery driver went around it with some cleaner and a soft rag, carefully wiping down everything in sight, including places not seen.  Then in a rare occurrence, he texted me and told me he needed to go over a few things.  Really? Usually, it is just a 10-second key swap and a “have a nice day.”  I know these cars, so wasn’t sure what we needed to go over, but I went out and then I saw it:

This is the definition of a Supercar: A stunning masterpiece known as the 2025 McLaren 750S Spider.

It has been a few years since I’ve had a McLaren, and you don’t see them on the road every day, but some things I had instant recall of.  The 750S is the replacement for the 720S, and the Spider designation means it has an electrically operated removable roof to welcome the sunshine on a beautiful day of driving an incredible piece of art with four wheels.  A car like this parked in your driveway is an event.  People drive by slowly, you find out you have friends you didn’t even know, and people stop just to take a picture.  The same thing happens when driving down the road, to that point it is a bit unnerving.

McLaren doesn’t comment on future products, and it has been rumored they were contemplating going all-electric.  However, we know they are working on gasoline hybrid technology, and given the electric vehicle climate in the U.S. this seems to me like a better plan.  I would assume the hybrid technology would be more for horsepower than fuel economy.

If you are not familiar with McLaren as a car company, just a brief history lesson:  McLaren was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963 in New Zealand.  Mr. McLaren was a renowned race car driver and is known as the founder of Formula One Racing.  In 1992, McLaren rolled out the very first McLaren F1.  Sadly, Mr. McLaren had passed away by that time.  Today, McLaren Automotive is owned by a holding company that is wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi.

2025 McLaren 750S Spider

Performance

There is so much to talk about this car, but let’s start with what sits in the middle of the car, just behind the driver.  It is a 4.0-liter V8 with twin-turbos, putting out a whopping 740-horses and 590-pound feet of torque. This beast will take you from a dead stop to 60-miles per hour in 2.7 seconds according to McLaren, but it will actually do a little better, trust me.  If you keep accelerating, the rear-wheel drive 750S will take you up to 206-miles per hour, which I cannot verify, but I truly have no reason to doubt that.

Adding to the performance is a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.  The shifting up or down is quick and decisive.  In fact, the transmission shifts quicker than you can hit the shift paddles on the steering wheel, but I like the feel of control shifting it myself.  Either way, it’s a rush.

On the dash to the left of the infotainment screen, you have a knob for three modes that control the handling, and to the right, a separate knob for the power train.  You can mix and match both controls and choose normal, sport, or track, and you can essentially have three different cars when you adjust the settings.  For me, I like both set in sport mode when driving in town, but sport on the handling and track on the power train when driving on the open highway.  After you play with the controls for a while, the default normal setting in both modes is just a little too tame to waste all the different modes and all those horses.

There is one other mode, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t try it.  From the screen, you can choose Variable Drift Control to do some impressive power slides.  Had this been my own car I would have played with, but who wants to be that guy who wrecks a $444,000 car?

The 750S weighs in at just under 3,000 pounds, less than the weight of most compact cars.  This is pretty amazing considering the weight of the big V8 engine. Much of the reason for the lack of weight is the 750S has a carbon fiber body, integrated into the chassis.  All the outer panels channel air through the car for aerodynamics and for downward force on the rear end. 

When you start looking at all the air channels on this car, it is pretty amazing.  New with the 2024 model was more venting that sits right on top of the front fenders, and besides being functional, they surprisingly look fantastic.

Exterior 

Outwardly, this is just a beautiful car with 19” front wheels and 20” rear wheels.  Total cargo space comes in at 7.3 cubic feet, which is divided between the front trunk and a rear storage area under the convertible cover. Space in the front measures 5.3 cubic feet and offers enough space for a couple of travel bags. Storage in the back is typically taken by the convertible top and only offers two cubic feet of space.  The huge rear spoiler can be adjusted up or down from the dash.

The 750S absolutely stops traffic when you open the twin-hinged dihedral doors that open out, then upward.  They are also soft close, which means you barely latch them and they’ll close themselves.  The doors are incredibly lightweight and easy to open and close. 

The doors also aid with ingress and egress of the low-to-the-ground car.  You’ll learn quickly the best way for you to get in and out of the car, but the first few times you do it, make sure nobody is looking, it’s a little awkward.  The windows roll down slightly when you pop the doors open to make it easier and to keep the window seals from wearing.

The 750S Spider maintains McLaren's signature, classic appearance that features flowing lines and functional aerodynamics. The retractable hardtop operates efficiently, allowing drivers to transition between coupe and open-top configurations with ease. The operation of the top is fast and efficient.

Interior  

Moving to the inside of this car, it hits you immediately that not only is the car fast, it is also luxurious.  The sumptuous Nappa leather and Alcantara seats hug you snugly in those tight corners and both front seats are power adjustable.

When you sit behind the wheel, you know this is a driver-focused cockpit with minimal distractions. The updated 8.0-inch touchscreen display has improved graphics and integrates Apple CarPlay and a higher-quality audio system. Android Auto is not available. The steering wheel has no controls or buttons letting you become one with the driving experience. Storage space, cup holders, and cubby holes are limited.

On the center console, you’ll find the engine start button, and the awesome launch control button. There are three large switches to shift the transmission from drive, to neutral, to reverse. When you hit the ignition button to turn the car off, it puts the car in park.  For some reason it has the start/stop system, but it can be disabled with the push of a button.  Still, start/stop in this car is very puzzling since anyone that buys this car is not worried about fuel economy.

To the left of the steering wheel are buttons to open the front cargo area (frunk), lock the doors, and lift the front end to save the front splitter for scraping.  A must if you have a driveway like mine at home or when going over speed bumps.

Center dash you’ll find the vertically mounted infotainment screen that operates the sound system, navigation, Track Telemetry (real-time racetrack data), Variable Drift Control, your garage door opener, rearview camera settings, and an electronic owner’s manual.

Options 

As you would expect, this car comes very nicely equipped with everything you could ask for.  My tester has $79,680 in options, one of my favorites is the $9,100 Electrochromic roof, which is a marvel.  The roof changes from clear to dark- shaded with the push of a button, but no electric cover, however, electricity is involved.  Two electrodes settle on either side and electrical contact layers attach to either side of the electrodes.  The lithium ions migrate via the separator from one layer to another. When the ions are bunched together in the outermost layer, they reflect light and make the glass dark. To make the glass clear again, the system just reverses the electric charge.

The glass roof that makes it a convertible is simple and folds back above the engine out of sight.  The process only takes 11 seconds and you can do it at speeds up to 31-miles per hour.  There is a rear glass that can be raised or lowered with the push of a button.  It is a very slick system for those times you want the open-air feeling.

Other notable options include:  The Black Pack ($3950) is a styling package that enhances the car's aggressive appearance with darker elements, including gloss black exterior trim, black badging, and black wheel center caps.  $8,750 for body color carbon fiber front fenders with louvers, $3,900 for memory heated seats, $5,700 for the carbon fiber steering wheel, $4,800 for park assist, the optional wheels are $5,800, and the America’s Accessories pack is $2,240.  This gives you a leather travel bag, luggage straps, a car cover, tire pads, a battery tender, titanium valve stem caps, a badge, a license plate frame, USB cables, and a microfiber cloth. 

Continuing with options there is the $9,400 Performance Interior package which is Alcantara seats with softgrain leather accents, contrast stitching, and brushed dark titanium brightwork, along with the new infotainment system and the McLaren Control Launcher.   The windscreen is $1,750, red seatbelts are $640, red stitching is $850, $400 for the Homelink garage opener, $300 for a fire extinguisher, and the list goes on and on.  This is a loaded McLaren.

Safety 

Standard Safety Features:  Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution which optimizes braking force distribution for better stability, front and rear parking sensors, 4 airbags are standard, Tire Pressure Monitor, impact sensing auto door unlock that automatically unlocks doors in the event of an accident, an alarm, and an emergency fuel cutoff device.  Notably missing is blind-spot monitoring and if there was ever a car that needed it, it’s this one.  It is somewhat nerve-racking to change lanes in a car this expensive.

MSRP and MPG

MSRP on this one as equipped is $444,180.  Fuel economy is 15 in the city and 19 on the highway if you behave yourself, but you won’t.  Expect around 12 if you are having some fun.

Ride and Drive  

The McLaren's steering is exceptional, especially compared to the electronic power steering offered by many sports cars. There's plenty of feedback through the wheel, so you always have a good sense of what the front end is doing.  Brakes do a great job of stopping this beast, but the brake pedal is firm and takes a little getting used to. The 750S has an upgraded version of McLaren's hydraulically linked suspension. This outstanding suspension design uses an adaptive hydraulic system instead of the usual stabilizer bars and it works to minimize roll when cornering, but it also provides optimum ride comfort.  This car does not beat you to death like some I’ve tested.

Verdict   

In summary, this car has unbelievable power and handling, and with many sports cars, you have to choose, but not with the 750S.  It is great no matter the road surface, and it would be an amazing car on a track. The exhaust sound is incredible, and it is a wonderful combination of everything you could want in a cruiser that goes over 200 miles per hour.

The engineers at McLaren did not try to reinvent the 750S, that wasn’t needed.  The did refine the Supercar from the 720S, cutting some weight, finding 30-more horses, and shaved off some top speed in favor of quicker acceleration, which I appreciated since finding a place to drive over 200-miles per hour is difficult.

I for one, did not think a car could possibly get better than the 720S, which I had back in 2021.  However, I was wrong.  McLaren took what was already a masterpiece on 4 wheels and took it up a notch. 

One thing I will warn you about…watch out for people trying to take your picture while you’re driving down the freeway, not paying any attention to where they are going.  These amateur photographers also tend to drift toward you when driving. Oh, and you will meet new neighbors you never knew existed when the 750S is parked in your driveway.