Michael Satterfield
It was a beautiful day in Manhattan, and I could not help
but feel exhilarated as I climbed into the driver’s seat of a brand-new McLaren
720S Spider. The sleek, bright orange sports car gleamed in the sunlight, and
while I wouldn’t really get to use the power of its 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8
on the crowded streets of New York, it for sure was going to be an experience I
would not soon forget.
I was picking the car up at Classic Car Club Manhattan, the members-only
club that offers its members access to a fleet of classic and exotic vehicles. The club has a fleet of over 50 vehicles, including models
from brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and of course McLaren. I was in town
to film a new TV show segment, for a show that didn’t get off the ground, but how
could I turn down the opportunity to fly to New York, drive a supercar, and be
on camera?
.jpg)
As I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the bustling
streets, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement, among the sea of black
cars and taxis the bright orange McLaren stood out. zipped through the crowded
streets, dodging bike messengers and delivery trucks as I made my way uptown. I
turn on 97th Street to cut through Central Park before heading back
down 5th Avenue towards Grand Army Plaza.
The 720S is powered by a 4.0-liter V8 engine that produces
710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. It has a top speed of 212 mph and
can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. The car features a carbon
fiber monocoque chassis, which helps to keep its weight down to just 3,128
pounds. But none of that really matters in a city with 25-mph speed limits. Since
I can’t go fast, I can take solace in the fact that the 720S Spider is great to
look at and at least I get to hear the exhaust note reverberating off the skyscrapers
as I cruise.
As I approached Times Square, the crowds of tourists and
street performers were in full swing. I slowed down, taking in the sights and
sounds of the city as I cruised past. The McLaren drew plenty of attention, and
I couldn’t help but smile as tourists tried to figure out if I was someone famous
they should try to take a picture of. As I pull up to the light at 7th
and 45th a man with a thick New York accent shouts “Look at dis guy,
driving a pussy magnet!” I just laugh to myself as the light changed and I
continued my drive through the city, taking in all the sights and sounds that
Manhattan had to offer.
My time of aimlessly cruising had come to an end, and it was
time to get to the filming location, thankfully the morning traffic had subsided
by the time I had made it to the Brooklyn Bridge. With traffic moving at a good
pace the wind whipped through my hair as I accelerated onto the bridge, the
first time the car had gotten over 30 miles per hour all morning. Now in Brooklyn
and back down to crawling speeds the streets are bustling with activity, as
cars, buses, and trucks whizzed past me in both directions.
The route my GPS plotted has taken me to a road that has
been closed for another film shoot, NBC is filming for a show, thankfully the
production I was going to was much smaller. Upon arriving at the location, I am
handed some lines to try to remember and ushered off to costume and makeup in a
nearby apartment the production company had rented.
As the crew set up the cameras and lighting equipment, I watched
as pedestrians and bicyclists passed by, some stopping to watch our shoot with
curiosity or ask about the McLaren. Like most filming projects, my actual scene
only took a few minutes to film, but like with all filming projects you always must
hang around for reshoots until the day is wrapped.
made my way back toward Classic Car Club Manhattan to return the McLaren. What
was just over 8 miles would take nearly 45 minutes, so I took a detour and
drove down Broadway through Lower Manhattan, if I was going to sit in traffic,
I might as well swing by and see Casey Neistat’s office before heading to the
West Side Highway, it was kind of on the way. Unfortunately, I didn’t spot
Casey on his boosted board, so I headed back toward Pier 76. I wish I was
headed in the opposite direction, along the Southern State Parkway towards South
Hampton for a long weekend at my favorite little inn, The 1708 House.
.jpg)
over the keys to one of the best supercars, I have ever driven, and I make that
claim not just based on my slow speed maneuvering around NYC, I have had the
chance to experience the 720S Spider when it was launched and again later I took
the 720S on the track at the Circuit of the Americas during a Pure McLaren Experience.
With its combination of good looks and stunning performance, I am sure the
McLaren 720 will go down in history as one of the great supercars of all time.
the club’s amazing inventory, I call a cab and head back to the hotel. Sitting
in the back of the cab, it really sinks in that driving in NYC is really a privilege,
50% of NYC residents that are of legal age don’t even have a license, with low-cost
public transportation and expensive parking being the main factor. But places
like Classic Car Club Manhattan at least allow some residents to enjoy a wide
range of cars, with memberships starting at $200 a month. I would fly back to
Texas and not long after my return I
would be driving a McLaren 720S Spider again, but this time it would all be
back roads, where the 720S really shines.
