McLaren 750S Is the Quickest RWD Car to 60 MPH, Beats a Ferrari 296GTB (2024)

• The 2024 McLaren 750S is now the quickest rear-wheel-drive car we've ever tested, accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds.
• The 750S is a tenth quicker to 60 mph than the Ferrari 296GTB, but the Ferrari pulls ahead by a tenth at the quarter-mile, with a 9.7-second run at 150 mph.
• The Ferrari betters the McLaren under braking too, although the 750S posted more grip on our skidpad than the 296GTB.

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It's been less than a year since the hybrid Ferrari 296GTB set a new record as the quickest rear-wheel-drive car ever tested by Car and Driver. Now, the Prancing Horse has been dethroned by our new acceleration champion, the McLaren 750S. Whereas the Ferrari features an electrically assisted V-6 with 819 total horsepower, the McLaren cranks out 740 horses and 590 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. Despite giving up 79 horsepower to the 296GTB, the 750S's lighter curb weight (3206 pounds versus the Ferrari's 3532 pounds) helped it hit 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds, a tenth of a second ahead of its Italian rival.

A key to the McLaren's record-setting run to 60 mph is its "rolling burnout" function. This somewhat hidden feature is activated when stability control is fully off and the driver pins the throttle. The engine then takes a beat to build boost before unleashing all that torque on the rear tires in a fit of rage, creating a cloud of tire smoke behind. Not only is this good for attracting attention, but it scrubs debris from the tires to prepare them for an optimum launch. Testing director Dave VanderWerp, who piloted the 750S during its test, noted that cleaning the tires with this method was worth around a tenth and a half off the 750S's zero-to-60 time.

However, the McLaren's slight advantage over the Ferrari didn't last as it kept accelerating. By 70 mph, the two cars were neck and neck. At 100 mph, the Ferrari nosed back ahead, needing 4.7 ticks to get to that mark versus the McLaren's 4.8 seconds. The Ferrari also still holds the record in the quarter-mile sprint, covering 1320 feet in 9.7 seconds and crossing the line at 150 mph. The McLaren's time is close behind, with a 9.8-second run at 145 mph, but a tenth of a second off is still a loss.

The Ferrari also outperformed the McLaren in our 5-to-60-mph blast, which is meant to emulate the sort of acceleration you might experience when mashing the throttle from a dead stop. The 750S required 3.3 seconds to complete the dash, while the 296GTB did it in 3.0 seconds flat. The Ferrari also blitzed the McLaren in our top-gear passing tests. The McLaren did the 30-to-50-mph run in 2.4 seconds and the 50-to-70-mph run in 2.3 seconds. The Ferrari completed the same passes in just 1.9 and 2.1 seconds, respectively, thanks to its quick-acting electric assist.

When it comes time to shed that speed, the hybrid Ferrari still holds an advantage. The 296GTB needed just 130 feet to stop from 70 mph, whereas the 750S took 136 feet. When braking from 100 mph, the Ferrari came to a standstill in 245 feet, 19 feet shorter than the McLaren. Both cars use carbon-ceramic brake rotors with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear clampers, and both roll on extremely grippy tires, with the McLaren using Pirelli P Zero Trofeo Rs and the Ferrari shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R rubber. Still, the Ferrari isn't the shortest-stopping car we've tested; the C7 Corvette ZR1 holds that crown, with a 127-foot stop from 70 mph.

Still, the McLaren's wins aren't limited to the zero-to-60-mph run. The 750S weighs 326 pounds less than the Ferrari, which likely helped it post more cornering grip on our 300-foot skidpad (1.13 g's versus 1.12 g's). With lightweight supercars seemingly on the brink of extinction, we're just happy McLaren didn't saddle the 750S with the extra poundage of electric motors and battery packs—and that paid off at our test track.