The McLaren 750S is a truly purist expression of the modern supercar template

What makes a supercar? Some would point to provenance, others performance, whilst a vocal contingent suggests that a supercar is all about style, not substance. Whatever the definition, supercars used to be rarefied beasts that were only infrequently sighted by the hoi polloi. Today, you can barely hurl a latte in a crowded conurbation with splashing some low-slung piece of Italian exotica, usually found alongside a fleet of similar machines piloted by likeminded showboaters.

That cluster might include the McLaren 750S, firmly established as a quintessential modern supercar thanks to a close resemblance to its equally dramatic predecessor, the 720S. Like the 720S, the 750S is a carbon fibre-swathed two-seater with V8 power. All the basic metrics have been upped, along with a series of discrete bodywork and mechanical modifications.

In all, 30% of the car has been overhauled, with power increased, weight saved and basic levels of tech brought more in line with the industry standard. Most supercar buyers want a combination of class-leading stats and peacock-level looks.

To achieve the latter, you would probably want to go above and beyond the surprisingly tasteful standard specification and dive into the infinite pool of options available via McLaren Special Operations (MSO – more on this another time). MSO will do pretty much anything, up to and including a tailor-made car, but the most common requests are for things like special paintwork and finishes like the Blue Spectrum livery shown here.

When it comes down to the raw numbers, the 750S doesn’t top any tables. The newly announced Ferrari 849 Testarossa is more powerful (thanks to its hybrid powertrain) and a better sprinter, while the Lamborghini Revuelto is faster. Aston’s upcoming Valhalla is more luxurious, whilst the limited-edition Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is arguably the most beautiful of the lot.

Once you’ve put away your pack of top trumps, remembering that a fair percentage of this car’s target market will own two, three or maybe all of the above, where does that leave the 750S? In our opinion, it’s undeniably the most interesting of the lot.

Performance stats are irrelevant to the real world, even on a track, but the 750S bundles its performance with a packaging of predictable handling, excellent visibility and genuine all-round usability that makes it the kind of car you can easily use every day, for everything.

On the open road, the 750S simply excels. Near instantaneous gear-changes bring the V8 to vivid life, providing a bottomless pit of torque and power that communicates seamlessly with the road via the sublime steering set-up. Levels of traction, throttle and suspension response are easily switchable via the rocker switches on the instrument binnacle.

Other controls – heater, navigation, audio, etc. – are confined to the smartphone-like vertical touch screen. It’s more idiosyncratic than ergonomic (and Android Auto is still a conspicuous absence), but this has the effect of strengthening, not breaking, the bond you develop with the car.

Sensitive city-dwellers might baulk at submitting their fellow humans to the ferocity of the V8 on a day-to-day basis (in which case, the hybrid Artura is the better choice), but if your driving life consists of a blend of twisty B-roads and long-haul motorway miles, the 750S will tackle the former like a go-kart and devour smooth asphalt like a limo.

You’ll quickly learn to respect the car’s delicate carbon fibre extremities, but the combo of a swift front end lift mechanism and all-round cameras make parking this machine easier than most.

It's all a question of intent. Supercars are both technical showcases and investment assets, and the latter role means that many examples rarely get used as their engineers intended. At the opposite extreme, companies encourage customers to push the extremes via lucrative customisation services. MSO, Q by Aston Martin, Lamborghini's Ad Personam program, Atelier Ferrari, Bentley’s Mulliner and Rolls Royce’s Bespoke divisions, as well as various after-market services of varying taste and distinction, results in huge numbers of personalised cars that are, shall we say, aesthetic outliers.

All this leaves the ‘basic’ 750S in something a sweet spot. By forgoing the extremities of customisation, the essential elegance of the car is preserved. The absence of hybrid power keeps things (relatively) simple, as well as keeping prices below the Ferrari and Aston Martin equivalent.

Of course, the 750S is a technical tour-de-force, but in today’s ultra-high-tech auto market, it has an increasingly rare mechanical purity. Supercars are not for introverts, of course, but like all superlative driving machines, the McLaren 750S contains multitudes, a tool for focusing the mind on the road ahead and the act of driving, not what everyone else is thinking of you.

McLaren 750S, from c£250,000, Spider from c£270,000, Cars.McLaren.com, @McLarenAuto