Side set Mansory Carbon for McLaren 720S

Mansory Carbon Side Set for McLaren 720S

The Mansory carbon side set is the lower-flank aero element of the Mansory Carbon Fiber Body kit set for McLaren 720S — a paired left and right side skirt assembly that joins the front bumper to the rear fender air intakes and runs along the lower edge of the Monocage II tub. On a mid-engine 4.0 M840T V8 BiTurbo car that already pulls 720 PS through a 7-speed SSG dual-clutch and lives close to the road on Proactive Chassis Control II hydro-linked dampers, the side set does two jobs at once: it smooths the visual line between front splitter and rear diffuser, and it manages the airflow that runs along the underbody flank between the front wheel arch and the rear intercooler intake. Mansory keeps the panel low, planar and weave-aligned with the bumper and fender carbon, so the side of the 720S reads as one continuous carbon ribbon rather than three separate parts.

Construction & Materials

Each skirt is laid up as a one-piece prepreg shell — there is no bonded splice along the length. Mansory uses a true 3K twill carbon face with a tight, even diagonal that sits cleanly against the carbon weave of the front bumper and the rear-fender air intake. The inner surface, where the panel sits against the rocker structure of the 720S, is finished in a smoother technical weave to keep the bonding line tidy.

• Outer face: 3K twill carbon, weave aligned along the longitudinal axis of the car
• Inner face: technical weave reinforcement at mounting tabs and front/rear blend points
• Cure: autoclave prepreg, post-cure under heat for dimensional stability against heat soak from the side intakes
• Wall thickness: ~2.0–2.4 mm in the main panel, locally thicker at the leading edge where stone strikes are likely
• Weight saving: roughly 1.6–2.2 kg per pair against the painted OEM sills, depending on hardware spec
• Hardware: stainless threaded studs into the OEM rocker captive points, with rubber gaskets at every stand-off to isolate panel from chassis
• Finish: deep-gloss UV-stable lacquer as standard; raw matte weave with satin clear available on request
• Edge treatment: rolled and lacquered along the lower lip — no exposed fibre, no fraying point at the scrape zone

Design & Visual Function

Visually the side set is the part that turns three separate carbon elements into one carbon car. The 720S already has an aggressive flank — wide arches, a high shoulder line, the rear fender intake feeding the V8 — but in OEM body colour the lower sill section reads as a closing strip. In carbon, that strip becomes a structural-looking spar. The leading edge tucks behind the front bumper carbon and lines up with the front fender, the trailing edge runs straight into the rear fender air intake, and the lower lip drops a few millimetres below the OEM sill to create a defined shadow line along the rocker.

Aerodynamically the 720S is already a clean car — the underbody is largely flat, the front splitter and rear diffuser do most of the high-speed work, and the active rear wing tunes the rest. The side set is not a download device; it is a flow conditioner. By fairing the rocker zone and giving it a sharper lower lip, the panel keeps high-pressure air on the outside of the car and low-pressure air working under the floor between the wheels, so the front splitter and the rear diffuser both see cleaner pressure differentials. At motorway speed the effect is measured in stability rather than headline numbers; at trackday pace it shows up as a more predictable mid-corner balance, particularly on long fast sweepers where the underbody flow has time to set up.

The side set also matters for cooling, indirectly. The 720S rear fender air intake feeds the radiators and intercoolers behind the cabin; when the side panel is correctly profiled, the air running along the flank arrives at that intake straight, not turbulent. A scuffed or bent OEM sill — or a poorly fitted aftermarket skirt — can introduce turbulence right at the mouth of the intercooler intake. Mansory's panel keeps the lead-in clean.

Compatibility & Fitment

Mansory's carbon side set fits the McLaren 720S Coupé and 720S Spider, model years 2017–2023. It is NOT compatible with the 765LT — the Long Tail uses different rocker and sill geometry and a different rear-fender lead-in, and the carbon parts do not interchange. The OEM Active Aero hardware is untouched: the deployable rear wing, the Variable Drift Control logic and the front Active Lift system all remain fully functional. OEM rocker captive points are reused, dihedral-door geometry is unaffected (the door swings clear of the panel without modification), and the side intakes feeding the mid-engine bay keep their full inlet area.

Installation & Reversibility

Allow 4–6 hours per pair on a two-post lift, with the front and rear wheels off and the front and rear lower trim lines accessible. The technician removes the OEM sills, transfers any service clips, dry-fits each carbon skirt to confirm the front blend with the bumper carbon and the rear blend with the fender intake, then beds the panel in with the OEM captive hardware and gasket-isolated stand-offs. No cutting of the body, no resin bonding to the chassis. A McLaren-certified body shop or a Mansory-trained installer is the right call — particularly if the front bumper or front fenders are being installed in the same visit, because the three blend lines have to be set up together. Reversal back to OEM sills takes a similar window and leaves no trace on the car.

Pairing within the Mansory 720S programme

The side set is the central link in the front-and-flank trio. It pairs most directly with the Mansory carbon front bumper and the Mansory carbon front fenders — those three components together carry the carbon line from the nose to the rear-fender intake without a paint break. At the back of the car, the panel hands off naturally into the Mansory carbon rear fender air intake, closing the flank in carbon all the way to the rear bumper.

Maintenance & Durability

The side panel sits in the part of the car that takes the most punishment — gravel pickup off the front tyres, tar spray, salt mist in winter, and the occasional kerb scrape on a poorly judged driveway. The lacquer is UV-stable and chemically resistant to neutral car shampoo and the better SiO2 ceramic coatings, but it does not like alkaline degreaser, ammonia-based glass cleaner, or abrasive sponges — any of those will cloud the lacquer over time and the only fix is a re-lacquer at a Mansory-trained refinisher. PPF along the leading edge of each skirt is the single most useful protective step on a 720S that gets driven hard; it absorbs stone strikes that would otherwise chip the lacquer down to the weave. The 720S has front Active Lift (~5 cm front-axle raise) which protects the front splitter on ramps and speed bumps, but the side set sits aft of the front wheel and is not lifted by that system — so high-kerb car parks and steep driveways still want a degree of caution. Carbon-ceramic brake dust from the front rotors is hot and abrasive; rinse the lower flank rather than wiping it dry. If a panel is chipped, it can be repaired locally by a Mansory-trained refinisher rather than replaced — the one-piece prepreg shell takes a flush patch and re-lacquer well, and a properly executed repair is invisible from a car length.

Lead Time & Warranty

Lead time is typically 4–8 weeks from order confirmation, reflecting Mansory's bespoke prepreg production cadence. Each pair is finish-inspected before despatch. A 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects applies to the carbon shell and the lacquer; impact damage and incorrect installation are excluded.

FAQ

Q: Does the side set fit a 765LT?
A: No. The 765LT uses different rocker geometry and a different rear-fender lead-in. This panel is for the standard 720S Coupé and Spider only.

Q: Does it fit the Spider as well as the Coupé?
A: Yes. The roof mechanism does not affect the rocker line, and the same prepreg side panels mount to either body style.

Q: Will it interfere with the deployable rear wing or Active Lift?
A: No. The side set is a static flank panel — it does not touch the rear-wing hydraulics or the front Active Lift system. Both functions stay fully operational.

Q: What weight does it save over the OEM sills?
A: About 1.6–2.2 kg across the pair, depending on whether you take lacquered or raw weave and the hardware spec.

Q: Raw weave or deep-gloss lacquer?
A: Lacquer is the default and the easier finish to maintain. Raw matte weave is available on request and reads tighter under sunlight, but it asks for more careful washing and benefits from a ceramic top-coat.

Q: What if I scrape one on a kerb?
A: Local repair by a Mansory-trained refinisher is normally the right route — the prepreg shell takes a flush patch and re-lacquer well. Replacement is reserved for large impacts that crack the laminate.

Q: Does it affect cooling to the V8 BiTurbo?
A: It actually helps — by keeping the airflow along the flank straight and steady, the rear-fender intake feeding the radiators and intercoolers sees a cleaner inlet condition. Inlet area is unchanged from OEM.

Pair the side set with the front bumper and front fenders to carry the carbon line from the nose to the rear intake without a paint break. To configure or to ask about finish options, reach out on WhatsApp +44 7488 818 747 or [email protected].