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McLaren 720S: giving the V8 a voice, the complete exhaust system guide

10 min read

McLaren 720S: giving the V8 a voice, the complete exhaust system guide

The 720S redefined its class when it was launched: a violence of acceleration that even hypercars regarded with respect. Its muted factory sound is the one criticism everyone agrees on: the V8 has the voice, but the factory exhaust confiscates it. Here, point by point, is how to choose the exhaust for your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, and what each option really changes.

Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated

ROG valved exhaust system for McLaren 720S V8 biturbo

Your ROG exhaust for McLaren 720S V8 biturbo

From €5,490 in stainless steel, €6,490 in titanium

Configure my exhaust
Vehicles
McLaren 720S 4.0 V8 biturbo (2017-2019)
Engine
720 hp · 770 Nm
Exhaust
Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
Material
304 stainless steel or titanium
Front section
Optional: catted downpipe with 200 or 100 cells, or decat
Valves
ROG remote, or factory control if your vehicle has it
Lead time
20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
Warranty
3 years, parts and workmanship

The McLaren twin-turbo V8: Woking efficiency, with the voice held in reserve

The twin-turbo V8 in your 720S is a war machine: light, compact and formidably efficient, it propels the car with a violence few rivals can match. Woking has historically put pure performance ahead of sound theatre: it is THE recurring criticism of McLarens, and it comes from the factory exhaust, not the engine.

The ROG exhaust corrects exactly that: the V8 reveals a technical, furious growl, the breathing of the turbos becomes audible, and the bangs crack on the overrun. The McLaren finally gains a soundtrack worthy of its performance, adjustable with the valves.

What makes up the exhaust on your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo

An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what ROG replaces.

How the exhaust system is laid out From left to right: the engine, the front section, then the ROG cat-back with its valved silencer and tips.Front sectionROG cat-back: the complete exhaustEngine
Valves closed: the gases take the long way through the silencer and the cabin stays calm.Valves open: no more detour, the sound comes out unfiltered.Schematic only; the actual routing depends on the vehicle.

The cat-back is the complete exhaust system

It is everything you can see under your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, valves. Routing, silencer, valves: this is where the sound is shaped, and where we focus our research and development.

The front section, where the catalytic converter sits

On your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, it is the downpipe, the pipe leading from the turbo. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Changing this part remains a choice: it pays off mainly with an ECU remap, which turns the freed-up flow into power.

Your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo in figures

What an exhaust changes straight away is the sound, the engine's breathing and the weight at the rear. For more power, add an ECU remap.

Power

Factory720 hp
Stage 2840 hp

Torque

Factory770 Nm
Stage 2945 Nm

Published manufacturer and Stage 2 figures.

With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre that truly unlocks your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, and that is what we recommend.

To be completely transparent: the exhaust alone brings better breathing and sound. The McLaren V8 is known among tuners for its potential: at Stage 2 with an ECU remap at a specialist centre, the figures above remain documented and reliable. For a car of this calibre, call us to define the project together.

Configuring your exhaust, step by step

3 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.

  1. Step 1 of 3: Material: stainless steel or titanium

    For your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, the exhaust costs €5,490 in stainless steel and €6,490 in titanium.

    304 stainless steel

    5 490 €

    Weight
    Baseline
    Sound
    Full and rounded

    Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.

    Titanium

    6 490 €

    Weight
    Around 40% lighter
    Sound
    Metallic, crystal-clear

    For the same design, it weighs around 40% less than stainless steel. A more metallic note at high revs and a look all of its own, from brushed to blued.

    Both materials age well: 304 stainless steel copes with winter and salt, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.

  2. Step 2 of 3: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter

    Optional: the downpipe on your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, with its catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.

    Cat-back only

    Included

    7/10

    Factory emissions control

    Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.

    200-cell sports catalytic converter

    +1 280 €

    8/10

    Road use and French MOT

    The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.

    100-cell sports catalytic converter

    +1 280 €

    9/10

    French MOT pass not guaranteed

    One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.

    Decat

    +970 €

    10/10

    Track use only

    Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.

    Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10

    1. 10/10Decat downpipe + ROG cat-back
    2. 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
    3. 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
    4. 7/10ROG cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
    5. 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison

    Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.

    What about the engine warning light? It can appear with a sports catalytic converter: the downstream oxygen sensor reads a different level of cleaning from the factory unit. It is not an engine fault, and it is dealt with by an ECU remap or a diagnostic tool. With a decat, an ECU remap becomes necessary. If it happens to you, call us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing the French MOT with a sports exhaust.

  3. Step 3 of 3: Valves: ROG remote or factory control

    Two ways to control the valves on your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo.

    ROG remote

    ROG remote for opening and closing the valves

    The simplest solution: a control unit in the boot and a remote, open or closed at the press of a button, whatever mode you are in. A question while fitting? We will get back to you.

    Factory control

    • Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
    • Controlled by the drive modes

    Does your vehicle have factory valves? The exhaust keeps their existing control: the drive modes operate the valves, as before, with no added electronics.

    On a long journey, what matters is the absence of drone at a steady speed. With the valves closed, the exhaust keeps the cabin calm; the show is still there whenever you ask for it. More about exhaust drone.

The ROG sound signature on the McLaren V8

Our exhaust settles the long-standing complaint: the V8 reveals a technical, furious growl, the breathing of the turbos becomes part of the show, and the bangs crack on the overrun with the valves open. The McLaren finally sounds the way it accelerates. With the valves closed, discretion returns for everyday driving.

Valves open and valves closed: the gas path through the ROG silencer
Valves open, valves closed: the path the gases take through the silencer.

From order to fitting

  1. Configuration

    You choose the options for your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration certificate.

  2. Check

    We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.

  3. Manufacturing

    Made to order, for your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo.

  4. Delivery

    Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.

  5. Fitting

    Clamps and gaskets, no welding: two hours on average at the garage of your choice.

20 working days from order confirmation to delivery

Warranty
3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of delivery
Payment
In instalments with Klarna
Installation
At the garage of your choice

What about the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, fitting a part from another brand is not enough on its own to void it; the manufacturer has to prove the link between that part and the fault. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.

Our recommendations for your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo

  • Daily driving

    5 490 €

    • Stainless
    • Cat-back only
    • ROG remote

    Your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.

    View this configuration
  • Fast road

    7 770 €

    • Titanium
    • 200-cell downpipe
    • ECU remap

    For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.

    View this configuration
  • Track

    7 460 €

    • Titanium
    • Decat downpipe
    • Stage 2

    The most extreme configuration, for track use only.

    View this configuration

These profiles are starting points. The right choice is often made in five minutes on the phone.

McLaren 720S V8 biturbo: your questions

How much power does an exhaust add on the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo?

As standard, the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo produces 720 hp and 770 Nm. Without a remap, the exhaust transforms the voice and lightens the rear; it is the ECU remap that increases power. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures reach 840 hp and 945 Nm.

Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo?

For the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo, the ROG exhaust costs €5,490 in stainless steel and €6,490 in titanium. Choose stainless steel for value for money and a rounded sound, titanium to save around 40% in weight and get a clearer tone.

Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo?

No, the cat-back alone already does most of the work on the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo. The downpipe option is for those tuning the engine: 200 cells to stay road-friendly, 100 cells or decat for the track.

Can the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?

The cat-back only and the 200-cell sports catalytic converter both keep emissions control: that is the configuration to present, with the valves closed. The 100-cell converter makes a pass uncertain, and the decat fails the emissions test on the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo.

How is the ROG exhaust fitted on the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo?

Fitting needs no welding or cutting and takes two hours on average on a lift. We check compatibility with the VIN of your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo before manufacturing.

What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the McLaren 720S V8 biturbo?

From €5,490 to €7,770 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery in Europe, 3-year warranty.

Unsure about your configuration? Give us a call.

Stainless steel or titanium, cat-back only or the complete system: the right choice depends on how you drive and on your McLaren 720S V8 biturbo. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to sell to you over the phone: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive.

Behind every ROG exhaust is a French team you can actually reach, who know the cars they talk about. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.

Further reading