McLaren is lauded for making some of the most enjoyable supercars out there. But they also have garnered attention for making some of the most complex and "alien" performance machines. The McLaren 720S is one such supercar. And it is because of its fragile visual design that many tuners stray away from bringing about exterior mods.
But Prior Design got around this hurdle and has come up with a more aggressive version of the 720S. It is one of the few tastefully modified McLarens we have come across. All the mods are confined to the exterior and consist of various plug-and-play parts. The visual makeover gives the 720S a GT racecar vibe. Prior Design calls its body kit, the PD720R aerodynamic kit.
But there is no information on the R&D that has gone into the making of this "aerodynamic" kit. So, we can't tell on the aerodynamic efficiency that this kit brings to the table. But Prior Design has clearly managed to elevate the alien-looking 720S with considerable attention given to the design of each of its bodykit components.
Back in 2020, they made a widebody kit for the 720S but that didn't quite sit well visually. But the latest attempt by Prior Design is laudable. As for the pricing, well, they are worthy of the McLaren 720S as well! The only other McLaren that Prior Design offers its body kits for is the 590S and it is much wilder than the 720S.
Prior design plays with aerodynamics to paint more aggression onto the complex McLaren 720S design, and the PD720R hits the right spots.
Prior Design Goes Subtle And Functional
For the untrained eyes, you might have to look twice to understand that the above is a modified McLaren 720S. That's how subtle Prior Design has gone here with the makeover, which is also very much unlike them. But as we said earlier, the 720S design needs to be modified upon very carefully. Because things can go from "wow" to "ugh" pretty soon!
These are a lot of functional aspects to this 720S makeover, as Prior Design denotes that its body kit is aerodynamic. By the looks of it, we can confirm that the tuner has gone for a safer route and most of the panels do align right in place with the stock contour. So, even if they didn't do a detailed analysis of the aerodynamic efficiency, the mods won't be doing any harm and deviating from the slippery levels of the stock car.
The 720S Gets Plug-And-Play Parts For More Aggression
All the custom "aerodynamic" body parts are made from high-quality fiberglass to offer superior flexibility and high-speed stability. An interesting claim that Prior Design puts forth is that there are absolutely no cutting modifications required to the stock body, and all the custom pieces are bolt-on bits. This actually makes the transformation a lot easier, and not as messy as the ones from Liberty Walk.
There are a total of six components that comprise Prior Design's body kit for the 720S. Up front, there is a custom hood that is more dramatic and aggressive than the stock one. There are a lot of curves and indents towards the front section of the bumper. Complimenting the hood is a new sharp-looking front splitter with a scooped intake design.
The front fenders are also replaced by a wilder-looking set with air outlets, like the ones seen on those GT-spec racecars. Coming to the side, the changes are rather subtle. There is a cool new side skirt set that syncs well with the aggressive front layout. The wheels appear to be stock and actually go well with Prior Design's version of this alien.
At the rear, the 720S flaunts a bigger diffuser with an "on-the-face" design. Going along with the "large" look is a huge custom spoiler that is well-detailed and also blends in along with the flowing body lines. It doesn't look custom at all! An interesting choice of color for the show car by Prior Design, and we dig the green.
The McLaren 720S Has A Very Complex Design
A major reason that we are applauding Prior Design's effort with the McLaren 720S is that it is a tough car to work on, especially when it involves modifying the exterior. There are a lot of curves and unorthodox design elements which go along well with a bundle.
And when a tuner house tries to modify bits and pieces (like the bumpers), things can go sideways pretty soon. And that also explains why Prior Design when the subtle and more mature route here. There have managed to blend the custom body panels well with the stock design. All the while adding a bit more grunt to this British alien!
No Tweaks Under The Hood For This Wild 720S
This makeover of the 720S by Prior Design is strictly visual and confined to the exterior as well. The powertrain remains unchanged with a 4.0-Liter twin-turbo V8 churning out a grin-worthy 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a seven-speed DCT.
The subtly aggressive aerodynamic makeover doesn't bring about any major changes in the athletic front, and it continues to do 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds and has a top speed of 212 mph.
Price Of The Prior Design Package For McLaren 720S
Prior Design offers customers the flexibility to mix and match as they have put up the pricing of each body panel on their website. The front splitter comes in at €2,990; the front fenders for €3,290; the rear diffuser for €3,490; the custom rear spoiler for €3,290; and the more aggressive bonnet for €4,990. For some reason, the side skirt pricing can only be known on inquiry, These prices seem quite sensible for a supercar like the 720S.
Sources: Prior Design, McLaren Automotive