McLaren 600LT and 720S get a tie at the Nürburgring

Christian Gebhardt, a racing driver, felt like finding out which car would be faster at the North Loop of the Nürburgring: the McLaren 600LT or the 720S. Despite the sizable performance gap between the two, he ended up with nearly identical lap times.

The 720S crossed the finish line in 7 m 8.3 s, while the 600LT did the same in 7 m 8.8 s – that is, a mere half-second later.

In terms of technical specs, the 720S is far ahead with its 720 PS (530 kW) and 770 Nm (568 lb-ft) of torque. The 600LT packs a 3.8-liter V8 twin-turbo with 600 PS (440 kW) and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft). The difference should have been sufficient to warrant the 720S a victory at the Nordscheife – but it never happened.

Analyzing the aftermaths, there are two reasons that could even out the odds for the two supercars. First, the 600LT weighs 63 kilos (139 lbs) less than its rival. Second, the particular example chosen for the test wore soft Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires, whereas the 720S used normal rubber.