McLaren 720S MSO Apex Collection
McLaren’s brand history began on the racetracks in the late 1950s and is continued there to this day. Although there were first considerations for a road-going sports car already under company founder Bruce McLaren, the M6 GT was built only in very small numbers and put aside after his death. It took until the mid-1980s before the legendary F1 was invented as a new supercar with road registration. It remained without a successor for two decades, but since then the British brand has been striving with power to enter the market and has meanwhile diversified its in-house model range widely. Nevertheless, the company remains true to its roots and shows this not only by racing versions of the 570S and 720S, but also again and again by corresponding special edition models for private customers. The latest one is called the 720S MSO Apex Collection.
The name refers to one of the most important points on racetracks: the apex of a corner. This is the driver’s point of reference at all times, in order to circle the bend on the ideal line and to be able to accelerate out of it as early as possible. Based on the 720S Coupé, McLaren is launching a total of 15 Apex Collection cars in five different designs. On the outside, the presentation vehicles show either white or red paintwork and thus reproduce the typical colors of curbs in the group photos when they are parked next to each other. The press release leaves it open whether other paint colors are also available for the special edition. The inscription ‘Apex Collection’ in front of the rear wheels refers to it. Air intakes, exterior mirrors and the active rear spoiler are made of visible carbon fiber. The wheel arches are filled with ultra-light forged ten-spoke rims and at the rear you can find the tailpipes of the sports exhaust, which comes as standard with the Apex Collection.
The driver and front passenger sit in the well-formed carbon racing seats. As the otherwise optional Track Pack is standard on the MSO Apex Collection, there is a titanium rollbar behind the seats including belt attachment points for six-point harnesses, which provide much more support on the racetrack. The infotainment system includes the McLaren Track Telemetry system (MTT), which allows drivers to keep track of their lap times. In addition, three cameras record vehicle and driver movements to provide the most focused analysis of drives on closed circuits as possible, helping to improve driver skills. From the MSO accessory range, the Apex Collection cars receive extended carbon shift paddles, an Alcantara steering wheel with color-contrasting 12 o’clock mark, a special accelerator pedal and an MSO key cap.
As soon as the doors are opened, you can see the carbon sills, whose inscription refers to the five different design themes
- Apex Great Britain – 110 mph (the speed of 110 mph is reached by the 720S in Silverstone’s Abbey Corner)
- Apex Germany – 85 mph (the speed of 85 mph is reached by the 720S in the Mobil 1 corner in Hockenheim)
- Apex France – 104 mph (the speed of 104 mph is reached by the 720S in the Signes-Kurve at Circuit Paul Ricard)
- Apex Belgium – 103 mph (the speed of 103 mph is reached by the 720S in Eau Rouges at Spa-Francorchamps)
- Apex Italy – 90 mph (the speed of 90 mph is reached by the 720S in the Ascari chicane in Monza)
Images: McLaren
