The McLaren 720S is one of the quickest new cars you can buy right now. It can run sub-three-second 0-60 times with ease, and post nine-second quarter-miles straight from the factory. Slap on a few simple mods, and you've got an eight-second rocket ship. But with the arrival of the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, the king may have met its match.
Mat Watson of the Carwow YouTube channel brought the two drag racing titans together for a recent comparison test, and, for once, the McLaren isn't the clear victor. Despite the mind-bending acceleration from the car's 710-horsepower twin-turbo V-8, it isn't able to keep up with the Porsche in a quarter-mile drag. That's thanks to the 911's grippy all-wheel-drive system and world-class launch control system. It's only towards the end of the race that the McLaren shows signs of catching up, but by then, it's too late. It also loses the braking test, with the Porsche stopping a car length shorter in a side-by-side comparison.
Where the McLaren does come out on top, though, is in the roll-racing comparison. Both cars hold their own at the start, but the 720S's top end is able to flex its muscles, and walk away after a few seconds, leaving the 640-horsepower Turbo S in the dust.
