Ferrari 488 Compared to the McLaren 720s | Page 37 | FerrariChat

Ferrari 488 Compared to the McLaren 720s

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by racerdj, Mar 9, 2017.

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  1. Horst997tt

    Horst997tt Karting

    Jun 4, 2017
    107
    I am not a Mc Laren enthusiastic guy, MP 12 had too much turbo lag, I did‘nt buy.
    720 S is good, no big emotion, soundlevel ok, but not emotional, but 720 S is very fast.
    That is the sense of this car. And for me much better as my 488 GTB, 488 has Ferrari aura,
    better sound , but that is it compared to 720 S
     
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  2. QueueCumber

    QueueCumber Formula Junior

    Jul 9, 2015
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    This thread is still going??? :rolleyes: :p
     
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  3. Horst997tt

    Horst997tt Karting

    Jun 4, 2017
    107
    #903 Horst997tt, Jun 8, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2018
    Fact is, 720 S has typically about 730 hp and 488 like in my case only 620 hp.
    720 S is about 130 kg lighter and result is 100–200 kph 4.5 s instead 6.1s at my
    488 GTB currently.

    Ok, 488 has better sound, overall quality may be a little bit better, pretty design, and a Ferrari is a Ferrari, but 720 S scores with performance and precision.

    Really impressive, what McLaren did to come to the top. 720 S is the last and best Mc
     
  4. Shadowfax

    Shadowfax F1 Rookie
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  5. SVR

    SVR Karting

    Feb 9, 2017
    188
    Moscow, Russia
    You always told 488 100-200 5,6-5,7
    And now you say 6,1.
    Something changed?
     
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  6. Horst997tt

    Horst997tt Karting

    Jun 4, 2017
    107
    Yes, currently 6.1 s 100 – 200 kph, I have to check what is wrong
    with engine. Here my 720 S video measured today:
    normal start, no LC , ESC on in sport mode. Runs well.
    100–200 kph GPS 4.6 s and 100–250 kph in 8.9 s.
    Impressive how fast 720 is revving to switch rpm of 8200 rpm

    https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=jjL2z9
     
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  7. jyupitt

    jyupitt Karting

    Jul 14, 2015
    175
    Nyc/Nj
    I’m new to fchat and the brand. Came from mclaren 650s spider, huracan and 991 turbo s cab. I have driven the 720s and just got into a 488 spider last week.
    The 650s spider is a great car when it works. Although it’s Unmistakably a turbo car, power delivery is not linear and felt similar to my 991 turbo s. 488 feels more linear and Na like. As far as speed, to be honest I can’t tell that much of difference between the 720 vs the 488. 720 is extremely smooth and can get to scary speed with ease. The 488 felt a little bit more exciting. On paper 720 will murder 488 no question, it just doesn’t feel like so in real life.
    The reason I got rid of the 650 is due its reliability. I had 2 suspension leaks and non stop error messages in the first 9 months of ownership. On the drag strip, I could not get the car to launch reliably, there was always something - clutch overheating, engine stall, and other error messages.
    I consistently lose to 488s and turbos on the strip.
    I have many friends who have taken the delivery of 720s and they love it. For me it will be another few years before I look at Mclarens again. I like what the company stands for and its progression is admirable. But until it gets quality control and customer service up to standard, I will play safe this time.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  8. chris5150

    chris5150 Formula Junior

    Apr 16, 2009
    500
    My journey has been few 458's then onto a 458 spider 488GTB, 458 Speciale...then i cashed in a little and went Mclaren 570s/650s and ended up in a 720s
    Now i am back in a 488 but a 488 spider.
    Yes Mclaren 720 epically quick no doubt , but not for me,stepping back into a 488 ( spider ) you can instantly feel the quality is far superior to the Mac.
    The Ferrari has so much more character & charm, and the sound is just in a totally differant league all together.
    Think I have done my Mclaren thing, and i really cannot see me buying another one at all, 458's /488's just get under the skin in a way the Mac leaves you cold
     
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  9. jyupitt

    jyupitt Karting

    Jul 14, 2015
    175
    Nyc/Nj
    I felt the same when I test drove the 720s, impressive car but don’t love it. I liked the 650spider better than the huracan, and huracan was a little bit more interesting than the turbo s ( Cobb stage 2).
    Bottom line is I didn’t love any of those cars, I hope the 488 spider will make me fall in love with cars again. Only had it for a week and it’s been in the shop for cosmetic upgrades.



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  10. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
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    Feb 24, 2011
    8,325
    East
    After more time with my 720 I dont think it is a direct competitor with the 488. The 488 is more of a competitor to the 570 so if I had to choose between the 570 and the 488, I would also go 488. There really isnt a direct competitor to the 720 until the Pista is available. You can make better comparisons then. With this said I doubt that you would be unhappy with the 488, it is a wonderful car and they are a bargain right now pre-owned. Lots of car for the money.
     
  11. Lukeylikey

    Lukeylikey F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 3, 2012
    3,053
    UK
    488 and 570 are not competitors. Very different customer for each. The best comparison for a 488 is a 650, which is a couple of years older but similar power. The 488 is a nicer car than the 650 but the 650 was a good car of its time other than appearance and reliability concerns. The 570 offers near 650 level performance for a lesser cost, aimed at the Turbo S market. An old trick from McLaren - choose a competitor then offer more power and performance. But it doesn’t offer the same feel and tech as the 488, and it is not as fast, though fairly close. When McLaren launched it they gave their own 488 competitor a problem and effectively killed it off. The 488 launched at a similar time and did well.

    On that basis the 720 is absolutely the competitor for the 488 - similar price but McLaren offers more in terms of performance and for some people (the ones who buy the Ferrari) less of the other things that make a car worth buying. They are direct competitors, they just compete for the same dollars with different sweeties.
     
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  12. MANDALAY

    MANDALAY F1 World Champ
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    May 23, 2013
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    Your funny :)
     
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  13. MANDALAY

    MANDALAY F1 World Champ
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    May 23, 2013
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    In the land of the down under where our Government gives a jar of Vaseline when buying an exotic car which basically is double the price that you guys pay.
    This is important as quoted

    “I think what’s most important with this car and the range of Ferraris, which no other car maker has followed us surprisingly, is that included in the price of the car is a seven-year maintenance program. That gives enormous confidence to our clients that there’s not going to be these additional costs which they may be scared of. I guess that’s one of the reasons why we’re getting so many people from other brands, these new-to-Ferrari people, is because we’re taking that element of risk out of the market.

    This is a very big deal given a standard 488 GTB is about $450,000 USD.
     
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  14. exoticcardreamer

    exoticcardreamer Formula 3

    Dec 9, 2014
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    Not sure if this is really a big deal (ie., 7 year maintenance). Many people who own exotic cars do not live a short driving distance to a dealer. It wouldn't even be worth the cost of shipping your car to get the annual free maintenance. You'd probably service the car locally to where the third party shop may do the repair type work. A lot of people own these cars and aren't anywhere near a dealer.
     
  15. noone1

    noone1 F1 Rookie
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    Jan 21, 2008
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    7 year maintenance is built into the price, maintenance is not that expensive, and most people only keep a Ferrari for a few years and don't even see the full term of benefits of it.

    Maintenance is also overrated. Oil changes are probably all you need given the low miles most exotics see and how far cars have come. Modern exotics don't need much maintenance. It doesn't cover things that actually break either, so warranty is about 100x as useful as free maintenance.

    Free maintenance is pretty meaningless to me and Ferrari is apparently quite strict about when you bring it in. I couldn't be bothered to make sure my car is in for maintenance in a 30-60 day window ever year, even if I barely drove the thing. I'll bring it in when I bring it in, and nothing bad is going to happen if my oil is 75 days overdue and it's only got 1500 more miles on it.
     
  16. chris5150

    chris5150 Formula Junior

    Apr 16, 2009
    500
    dont quite understand the 488 not being a competitor with the 720 thing but is with the 570...supercars at this price point are all supercars and competitors with each other, just because one may be slightly faster does not change the comparision
    The build quality & sound alone to me make the 488 league apart from the 720, a car I wanted to love, but was left feeling cold
     
  17. noone1

    noone1 F1 Rookie
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    Jan 21, 2008
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    Build quality of the 720S isn't good? Since when and based on what exactly?

    I've never been in a modern exotic that doesn't have build quality equal to just about any other exotic. 570, R8, 458, 720S... build quality is excellent on all of them. I notice no real differences in build quality in any exotic.
     
  18. jyupitt

    jyupitt Karting

    Jul 14, 2015
    175
    Nyc/Nj
    I will speak from my own experience and most of the time my experience is different than others / public reviews etc.
    I felt the 720s interior built quality was not as good as my 650s. Things felt loose, the cockpit screen was broken and could not flip up automatically. Screen contrast during the day is not the best. Overall it just didn’t feel as special as the last year 650s where everything was solid and full of carbon.
    Granted it was the first year model and quality will improve. My first year huracan was the same way, interior felt plasticky, which has been vastly improved over the years.


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  19. Clembo

    Clembo Formula Junior

    The 720 is not a very good competitor to the 488 which is why it has very limited demand. The 720 is faster, that's it. It looks weird, the interior is a compromise, it has a limited dealer network, it has barely any heritage, and it is assembled by a firm that buys the engines from a third party OEM supplier.

    If a buyer just wants just speed, then the 720 may appeal to them, the speed is impressive. But most buyers at this level want many of the attributes that I listed and more which is why many people don't consider the 720. McLaren will always have some compromises when compared to a Ferrari which is why they need to go faster, but it is good that they are gaining legitimacy as a brand as Ferrari at least needs to pay attention to them.
     
  20. Jo Sta7

    Jo Sta7 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 13, 2015
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    Only part of your post that’s objectively accurate is the limited dealer network. However, not like Ferrari dealers are around every corner either.
     
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  21. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
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    Feb 24, 2011
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    I have none of these issues, sorry your experience wasn't so good. I think you know that some cars that come off the line are just prone to issues and this goes with any mnfr. I can understand your frustration and point of view if this was your experience. Mine has been very different. The car is super tight and I cant imagine another car taking its place except for the Pista and the LT version.
     
  22. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
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    Feb 24, 2011
    8,325
    East
    Agreed that the 720 is not a good competitor to the 488, it is at a different level or two above in the super car world. The 570 is a much better comparison.

    Overall performance not just speed it well above the 488 which is why Ferrari felt the need to match it pound for pound with the Pista - that wasnt by accident. More people care than dont. I dont care about heritage, what happened 50 years ago with the mnfr means nothing to me today. I could care less.

    Looks are subjective. The 488 is beautiful from every angle as are most F cars, this is undeniable. The 720 is also beautiful and I am glad they can do this without mimicking another mnfr.

    Regarding the engines, I see people reference the 3rd party mnfr but I doubt they know the details behind this and how much is actually outsourced vs in-house. It is easy to point this out without any real substance. All mnfr's source parts and mechanical's from others. i.e. Ferrari from GM for suspension...
     
  23. REALZEUS

    REALZEUS F1 Veteran

    Feb 16, 2011
    7,658
    Bournemouth, UK
    Which means that you do care... :D
    PS: Ferrari procures its dampers from Aptiv (formerly Delphi), which was a GM subsidiary, but not anymore.
     
  24. Clembo

    Clembo Formula Junior


    Yes - every manufacturer sources parts. McLaren doesn’t design or build its engines. It is a Nissan design assembled by a third party. The engine is the soul of these cars, it is not just a subcomponent. You may not care, others may not either, but to some people, when you pay this much for these cars, we think it matters.

    McLaren has done a great job building fast cars, they deserve a lot of credit. But to many buyers more matters than just speed. So we can debate all day what is the most important aspect - we will not convince one another. That is why it is good that choices exist. But Ferrari has never been about just the performance - it has always also been about the heritage, the racing success, the Italian passion, design and Enzo. If none of that matters, why buy one. You are paying for it with every car.
     
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  25. LVP488

    LVP488 F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2017
    4,839
    France
    To be fair the 488 GTB is superior to the 570S in all performance metrics, at least as much as the 720S is superior to the 488 GTB (the Ferrari has actually a few in-gear advantages against the 720S); one could say the 488 GTB is somewhere in-between the 570S and the 720S in terms of performance (as the claimed hp figures - and list price - suggest) but saying it's closer to the 570S is debatable to say the least.
     
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