Rear fender air intake Mansory Carbon for McLaren 720S

Mansory Carbon Rear Fender Air Intake for McLaren 720S

The rear fender air intake on the McLaren 720S is one of the most loaded surfaces on the entire car — the side aperture immediately ahead of the rear wheel is the primary airflow corridor feeding the side-mounted radiators and the intercoolers that keep the 4.0-litre M840T V8 BiTurbo within its thermal window. Mansory's carbon trim for this aperture, part of the wider Mansory Carbon Fiber Body kit set for McLaren 720S programme, is engineered as a decorative cover around that opening rather than a flow-modifying element. The cooling path stays exactly where McLaren put it; what changes is the visual register — body-coloured GRP gives way to woven prepreg, the intake aperture reads as a deliberate, motorsport-adjacent feature rather than an OEM panel break. It is offered for the 720S Coupe and Spider, and is not interchangeable with 765LT bodywork.

Construction & Materials

The rear fender air intake trim is laid up from aerospace-grade prepreg carbon fibre, autoclave-cured against a hard tool taken from a digitised OEM aperture. The geometry is intricate — the part has to wrap a compound curve around the rear haunch while precisely echoing the trumpet shape of the original intake — so layup is hand-orientated rather than machine-rolled. Wall thickness is held thin where the panel sits flush against the OEM body and reinforced at the leading lip, where airflow at velocity loads the structure cyclically.

• 3K twill carbon outer ply with motorsport-spec prepreg substructure.
• Autoclave cure for void-free lamination and stable weave geometry.
• Wall thickness ~1.6–2.0 mm, locally reinforced at the intake leading edge.
• Per-side weight ~0.4–0.6 kg, depending on finish and integrated mesh option.
• Stainless threaded inserts and 3M VHB acrylic foam pad for hybrid bond/bolt mounting.
• Finishes: deep-gloss UV-stable lacquer or raw weave with matte UV clear.
• Optional black anodised aluminium mesh integrated behind the aperture, or OEM mesh retained.
• Edges are CNC-trimmed and hand-flatted before clear-coat for a clean shadow line against the rear quarter panel.

Design & Visual Function

On the standard 720S the rear fender intake reads as a sculpted negative space, a part of the dihedral-door air-channel theatre McLaren built into the body side. Mansory's carbon trim does not enlarge or reshape that aperture — it frames it. The leading edge of the carbon panel runs ahead of the intake mouth and tapers rearward into the rear quarter, so when the wheel arch lighting hits the haunch the weave reveals first, then the aperture appears as a dark, deep slot. From three-quarter rear, the trim aligns visually with the lower air channel and ties the rear fender into the side set and rear bumper graphic, giving the side profile a more continuous carbon band rather than a body-colour expanse interrupted by intake.

Critically — and this is where buyers should be clear-eyed — the part is decorative trim, not a flow restrictor. The intake aperture geometry is preserved in cross-section. Airflow into the cooling stack behind the rear wheel (radiator + air-to-liquid charge cooling for the BiTurbo plumbing) is unchanged. Mansory's engineering brief on these intake covers is explicit: the carbon panel sits proud of the OEM bodywork by a fraction of a millimetre at the leading lip but does not project into the airflow column. Owners who track their cars need not worry about heat-soak penalties — the trim does not impede mass flow.

The aesthetic decision to make is finish. Deep-gloss lacquer reads as integrated with painted bodywork on darker colours, the weave catching highlights in the same way the body does. Raw weave with matte UV clear keeps the panel visually distinct, which suits paler body colours where you want the carbon to register as a deliberate accent. A third option some clients specify is partial paint-break — body colour applied around the upper edge with the lower portion left in raw weave — which lets the carbon read as a functional slot rather than a trim panel.

Compatibility & Fitment

The rear fender air intake trim is engineered for the McLaren 720S Coupe and Spider built between 2017 and 2023. It is not compatible with the 765LT, which uses a re-profiled rear haunch and a different intake aperture. The part bolts to OEM mounting points using the existing fastener pattern and a calibrated bond strip; no body modification, no drilling, no trimming of OEM panels is required. OEM parking-distance sensors, rear-camera washer, and any factory-fit cleaning apertures are unaffected — the trim sits forward of those zones. The car's Active Aero hardware (hydraulically deployable rear wing with airbrake function and Variable Drift Control logic, front Active Lift) is not touched by this part. Proactive Chassis Control II hydro-linked dampers continue to operate exactly as McLaren intended. Dihedral door geometry is OEM and untouched. The Monocage II carbon tub remains the structural chassis; this trim is a bolt-on body addition.

Installation & Reversibility

Installation is a workshop-grade job rather than a driveway DIY. Indicative time is 60–90 minutes per side for an experienced detailer or body-shop technician working on a properly degreased, thermally stable surface. The OEM intake surround has to be cleaned with isopropanol, the bond strip warmed to spec, and the carbon panel offered up with a fitment jig or careful manual alignment against the rear quarter shut-line. Once the bond strip is committed the panel pulls in tight and the threaded insert fasteners take residual load. Reversibility is good — the bond strip releases cleanly with controlled heat application and a plastic separation wedge, leaving original paint intact when the work is done by a competent body shop. Painted-finish variants want a paint-shop-controlled environment for handling; raw-weave variants tolerate workshop installation provided the weave is protected during fitment. Any concerns about wiring routes for the rear-side radar or rear-camera system are unfounded — the trim sits outside those harness paths.

Pairing within the Mansory 720S programme

The rear fender air intake is the visual hinge between the side of the car and the rear deck, which makes its pairing options especially productive. The clearest pairing is with the Mansory carbon performance wing — together they define the rear-aero signature: the wing sets the upper line of the deck, the fender intake sets the lower thermal line, and the eye reads them as a coordinated rear graphic rather than two isolated carbon parts. A second high-impact pairing is with the Mansory carbon engine cover; the fender intake is what feeds the cooling stack that the engine cover sits over, so visually these two parts represent the cooling-hot-zone trio when the rear is opened. For owners who want the side of the car to read as a continuous carbon band, adding the Mansory carbon side set ties the rocker, rear fender intake and rear quarter into a single visual gesture.

Maintenance & Durability

Carbon trim around a rear fender intake lives a slightly harsher life than a mirror cap. Stones flicked off the rear tyre arrive at the leading edge of the intake; brake dust from the carbon-ceramic discs is hot, abrasive and acidic at the wheel-arch interface. Mansory's UV-stable lacquer handles ordinary road exposure well, but the leading edge of the trim is the candidate zone for paint protection film — a clear PPF strip applied along the front 30–40 mm of the panel will absorb stone strikes without altering the visual register. Cleaning protocol is conservative: pH-neutral shampoo, microfibre, two-bucket method. Avoid alkaline degreasers, strong wheel-cleaner overspray, ammonia-based glass products, and any abrasive sponge or magic-eraser-type pad — these will dull lacquered weave fast. A semi-annual ceramic refresh on the lacquered surface keeps the gloss consistent with adjacent painted panels. Raw-weave finishes are even easier — no clearcoat polishing — but want a matte-safe sealant that does not introduce gloss into the weave. Inspect the bond line and rear of the panel for grit accumulation when the wheels come off for service; carbon trim around a wheel-arch radius is the natural collection point for road grime.

Lead Time & Warranty

Lead time is typically 4–8 weeks from order, reflecting Mansory's bespoke production cycle — autoclave cure schedules, finish elections, optional integrated mesh — and any colour-match work for painted variants. The part carries a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects (delamination, lacquer failure under normal use, hardware issues). Track-day use and stone-strike damage are not covered, which is why PPF on the leading edge is a sensible spec for owners who use the car as McLaren intended.

FAQ

Q: Does this part restrict airflow to the V8 BiTurbo intercoolers?
A: No. The intake aperture geometry is preserved. The carbon trim is a decorative cover that frames the existing opening — mass flow into the cooling stack is unchanged. Track use is unaffected.

Q: Will it fit a 765LT?
A: No. The 765LT has different rear haunch panels and a re-profiled intake. This trim is for the standard 720S Coupe and Spider only.

Q: Is the OEM intake mesh retained, or is there a Mansory mesh option?
A: Both routes are available. The default install retains the OEM mesh; a Mansory black-anodised aluminium mesh can be specified as an integrated upgrade for owners who want a more uniform dark interior to the aperture.

Q: Does the part interact with the Active Aero deployable wing?
A: No. The fender intake trim is well forward of the deployable wing's mechanism and airflow envelope. Hydraulic deployment, airbrake function and Variable Drift Control logic are untouched.

Q: Raw weave or lacquered finish for daily-driven cars?
A: Both work. Lacquered gloss visually integrates with painted bodywork and is easier to clean; raw weave with matte UV clear reads as a deliberate engineered accent and is more forgiving of micro-scratches at the wheel-arch interface.

Q: Is fitment reversible if the car is sold or returned to OEM?
A: Yes, when work is done in a competent body shop. The hybrid bond/bolt mounting releases cleanly with controlled heat, leaving the OEM finish intact.

Pair with the performance wing and engine cover to complete the cooling-hot-zone trio at the rear of the car. Order or specify finish via WhatsApp +44 7488 818 747 or [email protected].