World Record-Setting McLaren 720S Runs a 9.15 Quarter Mile

Upgraded turbochargers lead to 943 wheel horsepower, allowing this McLaren to run low-9s on a warm day.

The video above comes to us from the DragTimes YouTube channel and it features the world’s quickest McLaren 720S. Well, it became the quickest in terms of elapsed time in the quarter mile on the run showcased in this video, with the lightly-built-and-tuned supercar packing nearly a thousand wheel horsepower. Even though it was a warm, humid day with positive density altitude, this monstrous McLaren still grabbed two quarter mile world records.

The Record-Setting Supercar

The McLaren 720S in the video above is provided by Wheels Boutique, but this isn’t just any 720S. The factory turbochargers were removed and sent to Pure for upgraded internals, along with a full Velocity exhaust system, a catalytic convertor delete and an engine tune from DME. The result of the upgrades and the custom tune is 943 horsepower and 690 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

As DragTimes video host Brooks Weisblat points out, those numbers allow this worked McLaren to crush his stock 720S in a half-mile battle, during which time the tuned car set the world record for the highest speed in a half-mile by the British supercar.

Setting the Record

The video above begins with Brooks explaining the day’s events before driving to Palm Beach International Raceway, where he meets up with the crew from Wheels Boutique. We watch as the track is prepped, the car is filled with four gallons of 100-octane leaded race fuel and the new Toyo tires are carefully heated. The air conditions were in the range of 800 to 900 density altitude, but that doesn’t stop this McLaren from setting a couple world records.

The driver revs the 720S a ton as he creeps to the line for what will be a world record-setting run, and it sounds pretty great, but that tone is nothing compared to the way this McLaren sounds under full throttle.

As the green lights drop, the engine speed soars and the 720S rips away from the line, rocketing down the track and sounding more like a jet than a car. Really, the sound is amazing, so we shouldn’t have to tell you twice to have your speakers up when watching the track action.

The sleek supercar stops the timers on this first run with a 9.15 at 155.56 miles per hour, setting the world record for the quickest and fastest McLaren 720S in the quarter mile. We get to watch this run from a few different angles, along with seeing the numbers recorded by the VBox and a phone app.

The second run doesn’t go quite as well, with the driver short-shifting second gear while running into some traction troubles, but it still lays down a 9.22 at 154 miles per hour. As was the case with the first pass, we see the second from several different angles and while this run didn’t reset the record, it never gets old listening to this McLaren soar down the drag strip.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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