Random question, what sort of annual income would you need to reasonably afford a McLaren?
With these high dollar toys, it’s a good idea to start thinking about net worth and not just income. If you’re considering a 750, your finances are presumably well sorted, so will a rapidly depreciating asset compromise your investment goals?
To buy a 750S new? Hard to really say because it depends on your net worth and how you’re spending your money and where you live. A single person in a low cost of living area could buy a car like this while making $400-500k maybe, but you’d need a lot more if you’ve got a family or live somewhere more expensive, or have a lot of money tied up in real estate.
Everyone’s situation is different so it’s hard to say. Especially because there’s a level where you can buy a car like this, but then that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a financially responsible move.
Thanks so the minimum is around 500k other factors aside.
Greatly depends on lifestyle It’s always a give and a take with any purchase. The guy with 4 kids in school and vacations 4x a year is probably going to need more income to justify the car than the single guy whos only hobby is cars.
Anyways, the cheapest McLaren is the McLaren GT at around 200k. A substantial amount of super car owners lease the vehicle and with a high residual you could get into a McLaren GT for a 3 years lease with 25k down for 2500 a month plus or minus. Just rough numbers here but it’s in the ball park.
So, say you want to be diligent and put most of your income into savings etc, you’d need around 20k - 25k post tax income per month. But realistically we’re enthusiasts here so 15k post tax would probably be fine provided your other expenses allow for that.
So basically you want 200 - 270k post tax income (300 - 350k pre tax in a 0 income tax state) per year to get into a McLaren comfortably depending on your priorities. If you live an otherwise frugal lifestyle or love cars, then even less may be needed.
A substantial amount of super car owners lease the vehicle and with a high residual you could get into a McLaren GT for a 3 years lease with 25k down for 2500 a month plus or minus. Just rough numbers here but it’s in the ball park.
That makes sense. Then over the life of the lease they’re only paying 90k.
FWIW I think people somewhat overplay “rules” with getting one of these cars.
Yeah I agree with that, if you’re making 300k+ things like daily necessities and life expenses just aren’t a factor. All you have to do is make sure you don’t blow all the money on a house that’s too big or stupid things.
300-350k definitely isn’t enough to get into a McLaren comfortably unless that’s your priority.
I’m not sure why you think that. With the numbers above a financed McLaren would cost 10% of someone’s yearly income. 90% for everything else. That is a very reasonable number. Especially for enthusiasts. If 90% of your income can’t cover housing, savings etc then they are overextended in one of those areas. Which is why I said it depends on lifestyle so much but around 10% of yearly income on a vehicle really isn’t much to write home about.
Just chiming in, financing really depends on your place. I think the US is currently in a struggle, i got an lease offer on a 1 y/o McLaren GT (6000km) sitting at 169k: 13k down, 1’500 month/48m at 0.9% interest.
McLarens HEAVILY depreciate here (central europe) and you can get into a pre-facelift 570s at 110k
Just reliability is a concern and with the R8 existing, theres little to justify a mclaren
All good points. Financing and leases is definitely a very country specific thing and you’re absolutely right I was discussing the US market. In other counties it could be an entirely different proposition.
McLaren now offers a 3 year maintenance and warranty included on all new cars which definitely helps ease the reliability fears for the first few years, but if going used I totally agree that the R8 is probably the single most reliable supercar. It’s too bad they stopped production, what an excellent machine. I hope you enjoy yours!
Indeed very country specific. I think its very interesting to discuss these finance topic openly to gather insight.
I like to keep my cars for a looong time and drive them a lot. I asked a McLaren Tech thats a buddy of a buddy of a buddy, apparently you can prolong the warranty up to 10 years at 4.5k per year.
Audi really hit a homerun with the R8, i got mine with 10 years free service (bought it slightly used) so this year was the last free one. So far the Car has been nothing but a great daily/weekendly companion. It currently sits at 160k km.
Except a new exterior design
Man so I’ve spent a lot of time behind the wheels of 720S, probably close to 2000 miles or so.
It’s a really fast car with great steering feel, but I am really so so about it when compared to some of its contemporaries for some reason. Every time before I get in I am excited to drive it but usually after an hour or so I just get…. bored?? The engine doesn’t sound special and is laggy unless you drive like an asshole, and the steering manages to have decent feedback but also be non-memorable at the same time.
To be fair I’ve only driven it on nice public roads, maybe it will shine on the track.
But anyway that’s probably why I’m slightly interested in the 750S. It’s supposed to make it feel less clinical by giving it things like a better sounding exhaust and quicker steering ratio.
I’ve put 20k miles on my 720s. I get bored after driving it for an hour too. But I also get bored driving anything for an hour.
Put it in esc dynamic mode in track on both settings. When esc dynamic is not pressed to doesn’t let the car put the power down and keeps cutting to avoid any sort of oversteer.
Maybe try a motorcycle.
Test drove a friends 720s for half an hour and I loved it tbh. Feels like such an event.
There’s always more after the more.
Have you spent any time in an Atom or anything open-wheel?
Only a Formula Ford on the track.
I’ve never driven a McLaren, but I have driven all kinds of other cars and the car I’ve driven that feels the most driver oriented is the Lotus Exige. I think 430hp stock with BMW 6 cylinder on a 1000kg car and can easily be tuned to 550. Doesn’t really have any electronic tech to make you a good driver. It’s a street legal track car and your ass feels connected to the road. Totally different class of car but it is a drivers car and it is not boring at any time. They have Emeya coming out soonish?
Its a Toyota V6, isnt it? Supercharged camry engine.
You’re right it started off as a Rover I-4 now it’s a Toyota V-6. the one I drove had a BMW s52 I-6 but I guess that isn’t standard. I haven’t looked at them closely in a loong time. Seems like the new Elmira you can get as a turbo I-4 or a supercharged V-6, very cool. If you ever get the chance to drive one, definitely take it.
True, Gen 1 had the Rover i4 and Gen2 the Toyota 1ZZ aswell as the Elise.
Then the Toyota V6, that was the one i drove in the Cup 380 configuration. Even better on the Nordschleife, that thing was at home there.
I wrote my Top 5 drives before and the Exige is in there, such a visceral, emotional and aural (is that spelled right?) Experience and its a torpedo.
The Emira sadly got the rather mundane AMG i4, i personally think it has too little emotion for the Lotus Badge, too much Business, too little play. The Emira V6 go for 110k here in europe, thats too much for what it is on the other hand.
Mclaren make the worst sounding V8 supercar, i dont know how theyve managed to do it
McLaren headlights are made to funnel debris directly into the lens