Meet the McLaren 750S Spider, Robb Report's 2025 Car of the Year

Yahoo

11-02-2025

The term 'supercar' may be losing some gravitas as a superlative these days. With electrification raising the automotive industry's performance bar across the board, some luxury sedans and family haulers now have output greater than the max allowed at Le Mans. Yet one marque that remains committed to that descriptor and continues to embody its true definition is McLaren, which is synonymous with the pairing of motorsport-focused engineering and refined road manners showcased within a package of inimitable design.
It's been a banner few months for the British marque. Capping off the 2024 Formula 1 season, its racing division claimed the Constructors' Championship title for the first time in 26 years. Now, the production side starts out 2025 with an accolade it's earned for the first time ever, as the McLaren 750S Spider has been named Robb Report's Car of the Year.
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McLaren has come close to our top podium spot before with its 720S finishing second in 2018, bested only by the Lamborghini Huracán Performante. With 740 hp, the new 750S Spider—with approximately 30 percent of its makeup either new or improved compared to the 720S—is not only more powerful than its 710 hp predecessor, but weighs less as well, thanks to its new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) platform introduced on the hybrid McLaren Artura. With the carbon-fiber Monocage II chassis as its foundation, the convertible—with its track widened by 6 millimeters—also benefits from, according to the automaker, 'a new spring and damper design' as well as a bolstered hydraulic steering system, already incredibly responsive on the 720S.
Unlike its sibling Artura, though, the 750S is propelled solely by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8—generating 590 ft lbs of torque—mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The power train allows the 3,170-pound (curb weight) roadster to punch from zero to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and crest 206 mph. Tempering that ability to surge are Brembo carbon-ceramic stoppers that arrest the car's cast-alloy wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber. Those brakes, with precision and potency that judge Sean McConnell touted as 'spot-on,' bring the vehicle from 62 mph to a standstill in 98 feet.
'Absolutely at home on the track, and the 'wow' factor is activated at every single turn,' stated judge Morgan Saliny, while Jeff Mitelman called it a 'beast' that's 'only limited by your guts to push it.' Commenting on the model's 'near perfect balance of acceleration and handling' as well as its 'raucous soundtrack,' Eric Murphy opined that it's 'a truly fabulous car that will make any average driver feel like an F1 pilot.'
After entering through the dihedral doors and settling into the carbon-fiber racing seats, you'll find an instrument setup that now moves with the steering column, an enhanced infotainment display, and a more ergonomically intuitive location for a few of the controls. There's also the new McLaren Control Launcher (MCL), which allows the driver to customize certain drive dynamics and have the combination of those key adjustments available with one-button activation.
While on the private racetrack at the Concours Club in Opa-Locka, Fla., some of our judges opted to lower the retractable hardtop roof, an action that takes only 11 seconds and can be done at a speed of up to 31 mph. Whether flooring it through the straightaways or tackling the slalom sections of the segmented testing ground, they soon found there was no need for the onboard Bowers & Wilkins audio system, as the only harmonics of note were from the power plant's eight-cylinder song. That soundtrack is one that can be equally enjoyed while carving canyon roads or, in our case, having the 750S prove its street cred in traffic on Florida's I-95 when returning to the Boca Raton resort.
'A masterpiece for driving dynamics,' is how James Wilson Jr. described the car, extolling its 'great road feel through the steering.' He also commented that its 'handling is on another level; excellent turn-in allows you to nail the apex every time.' John Quigley called the 750S Spider a 'showstopper,' while a prescient Tim Olzer summed up the consensus of the judging majority, stating; 'Great looks, great acceleration, great handling, super fun to drive—gets my vote. This is the car!' Yes, Tim, indeed it is.Best of Robb Report
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