Carbon mirror housing Mansory Carbon for McLaren 720S

Carbon Mirror Housing Mansory Carbon for McLaren 720S

The Mansory carbon mirror housing is the smallest, most accessible entry point into the carbon programme for the McLaren 720S — a pair of moulded shells that replace the painted OEM mirror caps and the frame around the glass with a fully exposed-weave carbon assembly. On a mid-engine supercar dominated by long, sculpted side intakes feeding the 4.0-litre M840T V8 BiTurbo and the Monocage II tub, the door mirrors are one of the few remaining body details rendered in body colour from the factory. Specifying carbon here is a quiet, deliberate move that pulls the mirrors into visual harmony with a Mansory front splitter, side set, or front fenders, without committing to a full kit. See the parent programme: Mansory Carbon Fiber Body kit set for McLaren 720S.

Construction & Materials

Each housing is an autoclave-cured prepreg carbon shell built around the donor OEM mirror assembly geometry. The 720S mirror is a slim aerodynamic stalk with a compact head; Mansory's part replaces the outer body of that head — both the cap and the frame around the glass — while the stalk, the gimbal, the motor and the wiring loom remain factory. The exposed weave is finished with a UV-stable two-pack clear lacquer, and the indicator lens cutout is moulded in so the OEM blinker repeater drops back through the housing without modification.

• Layup: prepreg carbon, autoclave-cured under vacuum bag at controlled ramp temperature
• Weave face: 3K twill aligned to the door surround on the cap, transitioning to the lower frame
• Wall thickness: ~1.5–2.0 mm across the shell, locally thicker around the glass aperture
• Finish: deep-gloss UV-clear lacquer over exposed weave (matte and raw-weave variants on request)
• Weight per pair: ~340–380 g typical — net saving of roughly 200–260 g vs the painted OEM caps
• Mounting: reuses the OEM clip-and-screw interface; no adhesive on the visible surface
• Indicator lens cutout: pre-moulded, drop-through fit for the OEM repeater unit
• Glass aperture: dimensional match to the OEM heated glass with auto-dim wiring

Design & Visual Function

The 720S has slim, almost spindly mirror stalks that float off the A-pillar — the design language is more F1-derived than show-car. Painting the mirror head body colour leaves the eye to read it as a continuation of the door skin, but it also flattens the detail. Wrapping that head in twill carbon does the opposite: it picks up reflections, throws a sharper shadow line, and quietly references the carbon you can already see on the front splitter, on the rear diffuser, and inside the cabin around the centre tunnel.

Weave alignment is the part of the brief that most installers underestimate. Mansory ships the housings with the twill running diagonally consistent across left and right, meaning the cap weave on the driver side mirrors the cap weave on the passenger side as a true mirror image. When laid against a Mansory side set or against a carbon door surround on a heavier kit, the diagonals carry through cleanly. Against a body-coloured door, the housings read as a deliberate carbon island — sharper than a painted detail, less theatrical than a full kit.

Functionally the part is non-aero — the 720S mirror stalk is the surface doing the airflow work, and Mansory does not touch it. The housing change is purely visual mass and weave: a small, honest piece of carbon trim placed where the eye lingers.

Compatibility & Fitment

Designed for the McLaren 720S Coupe and Spider, model years 2017–2023, in left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive trim. The housings are not compatible with the 765LT, which carries a different mirror cap geometry and a revised stalk. The OEM mirror motor, the electric fold (where specified), the heated glass element, the auto-dimming circuit on cars optioned with the auto-dim mirror pack, and the side indicator repeater are all retained — the housing replaces the body of the mirror head only, not the internals. OEM blind-spot monitoring sensors, where fitted, sit behind the glass and are unaffected. Active Aero hardware on the 720S — the deployable rear wing, the front Active Lift, the variable airbrake function — is on the opposite end of the car and untouched by the mirror change.

Installation & Reversibility

This is the easiest install in the entire 720S Mansory roster. A confident DIY owner with a soft mat, a plastic trim tool, a Torx set and a clean workshop floor can complete both sides in 30 to 60 minutes. The OEM mirror cap on a 720S releases via concealed clips at the leading edge — a trim tool eases the cap free, a single Torx fastener at the trailing edge releases the lower frame, and the heated glass un-clips from the gimbal. Transfer the OEM motor and gimbal into the new Mansory shell, re-route the indicator repeater through the moulded cutout, click the heated glass back into the gimbal, and refit. Reversibility is total: keep the OEM caps boxed and the car returns to factory in another half-hour.

For owners not comfortable handling the heated-glass connector or the auto-dim ribbon, any McLaren-certified body shop will complete the swap inside an hour as a counter-job. No paint or primer prep is involved — the housings ship cured, lacquered and ready to fit.

Pairing within the Mansory 720S programme

Mirror housings work hardest when they sit alongside other small carbon islands on the body. The cleanest small-trim trio is housings plus front fenders and the side set — three carbon details that bracket the door visually without committing to a front bumper change. As an engine-bay-adjacent companion piece, pair the housings with the air outtake on the engine bonnet — the carbon louvre over the V8 BiTurbo answers the carbon mirrors on either side of the cabin, framing the car between two small statements rather than one loud one.

Maintenance & Durability

Lacquered carbon on a mirror head sees more punishment than most owners expect — automatic car wash brushes, hand-mitt grit at the leading edge of the cap, sun cooking through the glasshouse on a parked car in summer. A two-stage ceramic coating tuned for clear lacquer is the strongest defence: it lifts surface tension so road grime sheets off, it adds a sacrificial layer over the UV-clear, and it is the single thing that most extends the time between corrections.

What kills a lacquered carbon mirror cap is alkaline wheel cleaner over-spray, ammonia-based glass cleaner running down off the mirror glass during a rushed clean, and abrasive sponges. A pH-neutral shampoo, a clean lambswool mitt, and a separate microfiber for the mirror head cover the routine. Bird droppings should come off the same day — uric acid eats clear lacquer fast in direct sun. PPF over the leading edge of the cap is sensible if the car sees motorway miles or trackday transport behind a tow car, where stone chips are the real threat. The carbon-ceramic brake dust from the 720S is hot and fine, but it stays mostly on the wheel arches and lower body — the mirror heads are far enough up the door to escape it on most cars.

Lead Time & Warranty

Lead time is typically 4 to 8 weeks from order, in line with Mansory's wider bespoke production cadence — even a small part like a mirror housing is autoclave-cured in batch and finished alongside larger panels, so the queue rather than the part itself sets the wait. The housings ship with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects, covering layup voids, lacquer crazing, and any mounting interface failure on a correctly installed pair.

FAQ

Q: Will these fit the 765LT?
A: No. The 765LT uses different mirror geometry and a revised stalk; this housing pair is for the standard 720S Coupe and Spider only.

Q: Do I lose the auto-dim, the heater, or the electric fold?
A: No. The housing replaces only the outer body of the mirror head. The OEM motor, gimbal, heated glass element, auto-dim circuit and electric fold (where optioned) all transfer across.

Q: What about the side indicator repeater?
A: The indicator lens cutout is pre-moulded into the housing. The OEM repeater drops back through unchanged — no cutting, no wiring modification.

Q: Can I install these myself?
A: Yes — this is the most DIY-friendly part in the Mansory 720S roster. 30 to 60 minutes for a confident owner with a trim tool and a Torx set. If you would rather a body shop handle the heated-glass connector, any McLaren-certified workshop will complete it as a counter-job.

Q: Does this affect Active Aero or any McLaren chassis system?
A: No. The deployable rear wing, the front Active Lift, the variable airbrake, Proactive Chassis Control II — none of these systems pass through the mirror assembly. The housing change is purely body trim.

Q: Raw weave or lacquered — which is recommended?
A: The default is deep-gloss UV-clear lacquer, which holds up best to road and sun. A matte clear is available on request. Fully raw weave is not advised on a part this exposed — it will chalk under UV within a season.

Pair these housings with the front fenders and the side set for a complete small-carbon statement, or run them alongside the air-outtake bonnet for an engine-bay-leaning look. To confirm fitment, finish, or lead time, reach the desk on WhatsApp +44 7488 818 747 or by email at [email protected].