[Harry's Garage] McLaren 750S 2000-mile Monaco road trip special + buy this or the Ferrari 296

Oh gee , Harry does not like a Ferrari , how surprising . Harry takes a 296 around Goodwood forms an opinion from a few laps yet then takes a 750 out for over 2000 miles. Of course you will feel more at home after 2000 miles. On the Haptic controls , it simply takes a little time to get used to them . Sorry Harry this is the 21st Century !

 

For a Monaco road trip, McLaren 750S offers precision and speed, while Ferrari 296 gives classic charm. Test drive both and go with your gut!

 

Macca is a beautiful color.

 

Careful, your insecurity is showing.

 

Harry is one of the more balanced Youtube reviewers. He takes his time and says what he thinks - he did a comparison of the 296 against the SF90 a year or so ago so It’s not his first experience with the car tracking it at Goodwood. I don’t really agree with your comments. As to haptic controls - fine where they make sense but some controls are simpler, easier and less distracting when they’re analogue. I really didn’t like them in the 296 or the Purosangue which are part of the reasons I canceled my orders for both cars.

 

Not really , the playing field should be level , however this reviewer has bagged most recent F models , without a real comparison test

 

That’s hilarious! The only reasons you post in the SF90 and 296 forums as a Pista owner are to bash the cars due to pure insecurity! You’re definitely one of the most insecure Ferrari owners in here! Talk about the pot calling kettle back!

 

99% of the time the British will support the British product. Big shock. Everyone, and I suspect even Harry knows the absolute superiority of the Ferrari. The ONLY reason one would select the McLaren over the 296 is if having the hybrid system is a deal breaker for you.

 

I believe @ipsedixit has a 296 on order? He mentioned it elsewhere....fwiw.

I will add, I watched the video and I don't know who Harry is? Even if I knew who he is, why would I care about some random dude's opinion about how I should spend my money? (no offense to Harry and his friends.)

 

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I respectfully disagree. The comparisons I've read put the cars pretty equal on performance and some may prefer the styling of the Mac. As a McLaren 720 owner who has chosen the 296 over a 750, my biggest reason is that I fell in love with the 296 styling. The hybrid vs. ICE didn't play into my decision. I also think that some may choose the McLaren because its more "different". While you don't exactly see a lot of Ferraris, you see fewer McLarens in the areas where I spend time (Chicago, Lake Geneva, WI and Naples, FL). Also, chances are the 750s will become far easier to get (if it tracks with past McLaren models) for those who don't want to wait several years for the Ferrari or pay a premium over list price. So lots of reasons one might choose the McLaren, not just the drivetrain.

 

Please, my good man, don't let facts (actual facts!) get in the way of a good Internet beat down.

 

My comment was from the perspective of 1 car journalist whom wait times, depreciation, price don’t really matter and 2 British media most of the time selecting a McLaren over a Ferrari.

 

My bad, I misunderstood that.

 

Oh, my bad. Your insecurity is focused on the SF90. Please accept my apology.

 

Just FYI.

Harry Metcalfe used to be the executive editor and founder of Evo magazine, the same British magazine that spawned journalists that we hold in some regard these days, including most notably Chris Harris, Henry Catchpole, and Jethro Bovington, to name a few.

You can read more about Harry here and here.

While I agree with you that I don't like to put much credence in, as you say, "some random dude's opinion," I will say that of all the random dudes out there, Harry is one that I would put at least a little bit of credence in, and certainly more than most other journalists or Youtubers out there.

Yes, he is British and may have a slight leaning to UK marques (Aston, Mclaren, etc.) but he's owned all sorts of cars from all marques, including many Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc.

Carry on my friend.

 

I watched it last night. Harry is my favorite reviewed and has been for at least 4 years. I thought it was honest and my takeaway was mostly that the 750S was more accessible than the 296. I haven't tried the 750S but the Artura was pretty straightforward to get in and drive, the only quirk I didn't like was the system only allowing EV mode for a couple of minutes until the engine heated up. McLaren is in a competitive place right now because 296 order books are full, most of the used 296 inventory is blah resale spec, and if you're choosing a new car right now there are 750S in the system (they've been texting me!).

Harry's reviewed the 296 and AFAIK he gets 3-5 days at least with a car... but I get it, it took me 20 minutes over two drives to just change the damn SiriusXM station and I'm a computer geek going back to my childhood - I was looking for the place to type: Load, "CHANGE STATION",8,1

TBH it was Corso Pilota that convinced me to keep a 296 after wringing it out at WOT and full braking, with coaching, I understand the car so much better than the way I break in my own cars and slowly build comfort over weeks and months of driving.

 

I agree with the posts about Harry's credibility. It's there. However, I've watched a number of his videos regarding cars I've driven extensively and I just don't agree with his assessments on dynamics or usability. I find it odd. How am I experiencing things differently than he is? But I guess we all experience the world through our lens. Whether it be music, wine, food, relationships, whatever. That's what makes the ownership experience personal and fun. So listen to reviews but always form your own opinion and don't be afraid to express it once formed.

 

I think a lot has to do with the fact he's in the UK and he's probably of a different generation than most of us (i.e., older).

I don't always agree with him, but I always feel like more data is better than less data. Even if I don't agree with that data. It's still data.

 

I was actually inspired by @ipsedixit to call my SA at McLaren Westlake and might have an allocation for a 750S at msrp. He did mention they have one on the floor and invited me to go check it out. Quite a nice chap with the same ancestral background as me to boot and also same with the sales manager! Might have to rethink the 296? or not? Hybrid vs. V8 Twin Turbo. McLaren wasn't even on my radar until now.

 

If you’re enticed by the 750S, look at a used 765. It’s mind blowing.

 

Everything is subjective. I'm a huge McLaren fan, I've owned three LT cars and five total McLarens, and test drove the 750S. I almost bought one. The 750S is a great car, I agree with some of the things Harry says such as the steering feel is better on the Mac and the brake pedal is more modulated. Ferrari does have a very sensitive brake pedal and the steering is slightly muted in comparison. But the 296 to me is just so much tech for pretty much the same price, and it's a hair faster in a straight line. It's basically an SF90 that's rear wheel drive but with less headaches and more frunk space. Harry was also driving a demo 296 with who knows how many miles and the AF package. We know that roads in the UK are not the greatest so it would have probably been best to get a non-AF to compare. But the 750S is fantastic, it's just going to tank in value way faster than the 296. It's also getting very expensive for what is subjectively the same design from 2017. I really had no complaints with the 750S other than the price, it's trying to be priced like a Ferrari. Fit and finish is improved, but it's definitely not on the level of Ferrari or Lambo. Both are great cars, I think the 750S is more versatile and roomier inside. The 296 is the more beautiful car and way more modern.

 

I am going through the same process myself.

 

The 296 is certainly not without its quirks (haptics, steering feel etc) but I certainly still don’t get why you would buy the revised version of a car that is now 7 years old instead? (yeah I know 30% changed but what are these 30%)….

And although Ferrari reliability in this new hybrid era has question marks, McLaren have had a pretty suspect reputation historically for quality and worse still after sales service (at least here in the UK) for sometime now…. I have no doubt too will depreciate even faster than an F car (which is impressive).

Hence until the journos started trying to create a story out of it to “generate content” (in the absence of any other interesting recent launches?), it never even occurred to me as an alternative … … just a stop gap car for McLaren…. Having electric mode for central London is also a game changer for me with 296.

I also always thought Artura was supposed to be the direct competitor performance wise and at a better price point…. But did Artura sales ever take off? did they fix the catching fire issues? I don’t actually know a single owner even thought It launched in the UK nearly 2 years ago.

 

If you've ever driven an Artura you will realize why its sales have never taken off. At least in the U.S. (not sure about the UK).