2017 Car of the Year runner-up: The McLaren 720S might be the best supercar in the world

McLaren 720S 8

Editorial note: Business Insider will name its 2017 Car of the Year on November 14, based on 15 finalists. Each day this week, we're taking another look at the five vehicles that were runners-up. On Monday, it was the Acura TLX A-Spec. Today, we present the 2018 McLaren 720S.

The 2018 McLaren 720S delivers blistering speed, precise handling, and a luxurious ride.
The 720S features the latest in McLaren's traction management and carbon fiber chassis technology.
With 710 horsepower and a 212 mph top speed, what more could you want in a supercar?

Earlier this year, I was invited to be one of the first people to the drive the new McLaren 720S supercar. The catch? I had to go to Italy to do it. Because of an unfortunate flight schedule which required one day, three flights, and a detour through Switzerland, I finally arrived in Rome.

And boy was it worth it. I had the opportunity to experience the McLaren both on the roads in and around Rome as well as around the challenging corners of the Vallelunga Circuit. Through it all, the 720S lived up to the hype.

In my driving review of the car, I wrote: "The 720S is the supercar equivalent of a five-tool player in baseball. It excels at just about anything and everything required for a vehicle in this genre. There are no holes in its game. It delivers blistering, yet accessible performance, luxurious comfort, robust build quality, cutting-edge technology, and head-turning looks. To top it all off, the 720S delivers all of this with enough pomp and circumstance to put on a show for the driver. "

"Simply put, the McLaren 720S is the most "complete" supercar ever produced. Period," I gushed.

However, since then, I've wondered if my high praise of the 720S was affected by the picturesque settings and breathtaking driving roads? Was it all a holiday romance?

To find out, we asked McLaren for another 720S to test out. This time in an environment far less hospitable to supercars, Business Insider's headquarters in New York. (Although the car spent most of its time with us in neighboring New Jersey.)

A few weeks ago, McLaren dropped off a 2018 McLaren 720S Performance in a striking Paris Blue paint job. The 2018 720S starts at $284, 745 while our Performance spec car with extra carbon fiber starts at $296,175.

Here's a closer look at the 2018 McLaren 720S.

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