McLaren 720S Stage 1 vs Stage 2 ECU Tune — M840T 4.0T V8 Power Comparison
McLaren 720S — Stage 1 vs Stage 2 ECU Tune
The McLaren 720S is powered by the M840T — a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 710 HP stock. It's already one of the fastest production cars ever made. ECU tuning pushes it into hypercar territory, with YPG Motorsport's 920 HP Stage 2 720S build proving exactly how far this platform can go.
Power Comparison — M840T 4.0T V8
| Specification | Stock | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak Horsepower | 710 HP | ~800 HP | ~920 HP |
| Peak Torque | 770 Nm | ~870 Nm | ~950 Nm |
| Hardware Required | — | None — ECU only | Downpipes + exhaust |
| 0-100 km/h (est.) | 2.9s | ~2.6s | ~2.3s |
Stage 1 — 800 HP, Software Only
McLaren's M840T has significant boost headroom from the factory. A Stage 1 ECU tune increases boost pressure, optimizes ignition timing, and refines fuelling maps to extract approximately 90 HP over stock — pushing the 720S to ~800 HP with no physical modifications. The twin-scroll turbo design responds immediately, with improved mid-range punch that's felt most between 4,000 and 7,000 RPM.
Stage 2 — 920 HP, Proven on Track
Stage 2 adds catless downpipes and a sport exhaust. The reduced backpressure lets the turbos sustain higher boost at higher RPMs, and the Stage 2 calibration takes full advantage. YPG Motorsport's own 920 HP 720S build ran SuperRun events at Kuwait Motor Town — demonstrating that the M840T can safely produce over 200 HP above stock on quality fuel with proper calibration.
720S vs 765LT
The 765LT uses a higher-output version of the same M840T engine (765 HP stock). A Stage 1 tune pushes the 765LT to approximately 850 HP. Both platforms share the same tuning potential — the 720S Stage 2 at 920 HP actually exceeds a stock 765LT.