- A McLaren 720S was destroyed after sliding under a guardrail on the German Autobahn.
- Despite the severity of the crash, the driver walked away with only minor injuries.
- Police blamed excessive speed and wet road conditions for causing the violent accident.
A high-speed crash in Germany has drawn attention not just for the dramatic state of the wreckage, but for the unlikely survival story behind it. A McLaren 720S was left mangled and impaled by guardrails after veering off an interchange, yet the driver emerged with only minor injuries. The car, on the other hand, didn’t stand a chance.
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The accident took place Saturday morning around 8:00 a.m., as the 61-year-old driver was navigating the overpass connecting the A8 highway to the A995 near Munich, in the German state of Bavaria. According to the Holzkirchen highway police, the vehicle entered the curve at what they described as an “inappropriate speed” given the rainy conditions at the time.
Supercar Lost Control in Wet Conditions
Unable to maintain traction, the McLaren slid off the road and became trapped beneath a section of guardrail. When responders from the Brunnthal Volunteer Fire Department arrived, they initially feared a fatal outcome. Incredibly, the driver suffered only slight injuries. Photos show the guardrail piercing the cabin area, reportedly coming within inches of his head.
As reported by German outlet NTV, the man didn’t even require hospital transport and was briefly treated on the scene before being able to return home. Luckily, there was no other occupant, a fact that likely prevented the crash from turning deadly.
Freiwillige Feuerwehr Brunnthal / Facebook
Authorities cleared debris from the crash site and reopened both lanes of the interchange overpass roughly two hours later. Police estimate the damage at over €250,000 ($290,000).
As for the McLaren, it’s almost certainly bound for the scrapyard. With most of the bodywork destroyed and the carbon fiber monocoque severely compromised, there’s little left that can be salvaged. The supercar has the active rear wing deployed, something that happens automatically at high speeds and under hard braking.
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The exterior of this example appears to be painted in the Storm Grey shade. It is combined with an optional set of lightweight forged alloy wheels, complete with red brake calipers.
The McLaren 720S was produced between 2017 and 2023 before being succeeded by the updated 750S. It featured a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine producing 710 horsepower (530 kW / 720 PS), delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
