It was just less than a year when one of the top performing sports car brands Ferrari introduced its hybrid 296GTB which broke all the records and placed itself as on of the fastest rear-wheel-drive vehicles that was ever tested by any driver in this world. Now another sports car giant, McLaren has introduced its model McLaren 750S, and it accelerated itself to the throne of most fastest car defeating the Prancing Horse. Comparing the engines of both cars, Ferrari used a V-6 electrically assisted engine, producing 819 total horsepower whereas, McLaren used a 4.0 ltr twin-turbo V-8 engine producing 740 horsepower and 590 pounds of torque. The 750S lower curb allowed it to reach 60 mph in just 2.3 sec defeating its opponent Ferrari.
McLaren’s “Rolling Burnout” Gives Early Edge, But Ferrari 296GTB Regains Lead in High-Speed Performance
The “rolling burnout” feature of the McLaren was essential to its record-breaking sprint to 60 mph. Pinpointing the throttle when stability control is entirely deactivated triggers this relatively hidden feature. The engine then needs a beat to build up a boost before letting go of all that torque on the back tires in a fit of wrath, sending tire smoke billowing behind. Not only does this draw attention, but it also cleans the tires of debris, readying them for the best possible launch. Dave VanderWerp, the director of testing who flew the 750S during testing, observed that using this technique to clean the tires saved around a tenth and a half of the 750S’s zero-to-60 time.
Still, as it continued to accelerate, the McLaren’s small lead over the Ferrari was lost. As the two automobiles reached 70 mph, they were virtually tied. With 4.7 ticks to reach 100 mph compared to McLaren’s 4.8 seconds, the Ferrari surged back ahead. In the quarter-mile sprint, which takes 9.7 seconds to complete at a speed of 150 mph, the Ferrari still maintains the record. Though a tenth of a second off is still a deficit, the McLaren time comes in close behind, clocking in at 145 mph in 9.8 seconds.
Ferrari 296GTB Outperforms McLaren 750S in Acceleration and Braking, But McLaren Edges Ahead in Cornering Grip
Even the testers ran a 5-to-60-mph blast, which is designed to simulate the kind of acceleration you might get from a complete stop, and the Ferrari beat the McLaren in this race. The dash took the 750S 3.3 seconds, but the 296GTB finished it in 3.0 seconds. And in our top-gear passing tests, the Ferrari dominated the McLaren. The McLaren completed the 30-to-50 mph and 50-to-70 mph runs in 2.4 and 2.3 seconds, respectively. Because of its quick-acting electric assist, the Ferrari finished the same passes in just 1.9 and 2.1 seconds, respectively.
The Ferrari hybrid still has an advantage when it comes time to slow down. When stopping from 70 mph, the 296GTB required only 130 feet, whereas the 750S required 136 feet. The Ferrari needed 245 feet to come to a stop from 100 mph, 19 feet less than the McLaren. The McLaren and Ferrari are equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, which are incredibly gripping, and both vehicles have carbon-ceramic brake rotors with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear clampers. The C7 Corvette ZR1, with a 127-foot stop from 70 mph, is the fastest car we’ve tested; the Ferrari isn’t the fastest, though.
But the McLaren isn’t just winning in the 0–60 mph sprint. Due to its 326-pound weight advantage over the Ferrari, the 750S was able to report a higher cornering grip (1.13 g’s versus 1.12 g’s) on our 300-foot skidpad.
