The 720S road car was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2017 as McLaren Automotive's second-generation Super Series vehicle, replacing the 650S. It is built on the MonoCage II carbon monocoque and powered by McLaren's M840T engine, a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 720 PS at 7,500 rpm. The road car's exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio and aerodynamic efficiency provided a sound engineering basis for GT3 conversion.
McLaren began teasing the 720S GT3 through renderings in November 2017 before the full reveal in August 2018. The level of deviation from the road car reflects the requirements of GT3 homologation and the demands of endurance racing. While the twin-turbocharged V8 architecture is retained, the engine is reconfigured for racing, and the car's aerodynamics, suspension, safety systems, and drivetrain components are substantially modified or replaced. The FIA GT3 class mandates a specific weight minimum and prescribes the use of Balance of Performance adjustments across competing manufacturers, equalizing outright speed between different cars.
In 2023 McLaren introduced the 720S GT3 Evo. The update targeted improved aerodynamics and revised suspension geometry, with the stated objective of improving the car's handling characteristics in traffic — a key factor in endurance sprint-format races where close battles in sector clusters are frequent. The Evo was available to purchase as a new-build car or as an upgrade kit for existing 720S GT3 customers.
McLaren also produced a non-homologated track-day variant of the GT3, called the 720S GT3X, announced in March 2021. Freed from the performance equalization constraints of the GT3 regulations, the GT3X was tuned for maximum performance rather than class compliance. A McLaren 720S GT3X won the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb timed shootout final, completing the run in 45.01 seconds.
The McLaren 720S GT3 is one of the most aerodynamically distinctive entries in Assetto Corsa Competizione. The MonoCage II carbon chassis origins of the road car translate into a lightweight racing platform, and drivers in the sim typically describe the car as responsive and agile with a tendency toward rotation at medium and low speed corners. The twin-turbo V8's power delivery requires management, particularly in slower corners where throttle application affects rear stability. The 720S GT3's aerodynamic package provides competitive downforce levels relative to the class.
The car represents McLaren Customer Racing's GT3 program in ACC across GT World Challenge Europe and associated SRO championships, a program that saw McLaren emerge as a competitive force in international GT3 competition from the late 2010s onward.
The 720S GT3 marked a period of significant expansion for McLaren in customer motorsport, offering teams a front-line GT3 package built on one of the most technologically advanced supercar platforms available. The high proportion of race-specific components compared to the road car reflected McLaren's motorsport-first engineering philosophy. The car's success in global GT3 competition reinforced the technical credibility of the wider McLaren Automotive brand during a period of rapid product expansion.