The mark of a great performance car isn’t just how much grip it has on tap, it’s how controllable the car is once that grip is gone. Some cars have almost endless levels of grip but the moment you exceed the physical limits of those tyres it can turn into a complete disaster with only the most talented drivers able to master such a car.
McLaren have sought to ensure that their Second-Generation Super Series, most likely to be called the 720S, offers up a stunning drive up to and beyond the levels of grip with their Chief Test Driver drifting up a storm during a testing session.
“Drifting isn’t just about show-boating and having fun. It actually teaches us quite a lot about the car and drives us in a direction that serves every driver on an everyday driving situation on the road.” Goodwin states.
“We have a mid-engine car with a super-stiff carbon fiber chassis. The development of our monocell with the MonoCage II, it’s stiff, light weight, allows the suspension do its thing, and the control of that and the development of the tires are all key in being able to drive the car to and over the limit, creating those nice perfect drifts, sustaining them and not going under and over the limit too much.”
All the details regarding the Second-Generation Super Series will be revealed at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show when McLaren debut their new pride and joy. What we can tell you is that it’ll be sporting a new 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 making around 700hp (522kW) which makes it good for a 10.3 down the quarter mile, just half a second off the ballistic missile of a car that is the McLaren P1.
