The internet rumour mill is in full swing. With the McLaren 720S order book now closed – although there is still some dealer stock left – McLaren is already said to be taking deposits for the car’s replacement. And it’s been reported there’s enough cash thrown into that pot to sell out the new model until 2024 – even though there’s been no official word from Woking on what the model might be. Bearing in mind McLaren isn’t exactly flush at the moment, it’s unlikely to be a ground-up new model, will it use the older 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, or a development of the newer V6 hybrid powertrain used in the Artura? Who knows – although certainly the 2.9-litre V6 PHEV unit was designed from the outset with other, more powerful applications in mind. 

Either way, it’s a timely moment to have a look at what’s out there as far as secondhand 720S’s are concerned. Quite a lot, as it happens, with 33 coupes and 15 spiders available in the PH classifieds. Coupe prices start from around £140,000, for an early 2017 car with about 15,000 miles, but this one piqued my interest. It’s a 720S Le Mans special edition, which was built to mark the 25th anniversary of McLaren’s famous win at La Sarthe.

Hence the Sarthe grey paintwork and rather fabulous five-spokes that emulate the specification of McLaren F1 GTR #59 that won the event. The win was a special one because it was McLaren’s first attempt at Le Mans, and it was racing in the GT1 class against the faster Le Mans…