🚨 2018 McLaren 720S: Emergency Neutral
The 720S uses a push-button gear selector on the center console with buttons for P, R, N, and D arranged vertically.
✓ Expert-verified by Chris Hackleman & Jeff Moore — master technicians, 20+ years each.
⚠️ Chock the wheels first — neutral means the car can roll. Set the parking brake while you work, never stand downhill of the vehicle, and try a 12-volt jump before any override: power fixes most stuck-in-park problems instantly.
The procedure
- Ensure the parking brake is firmly engaged and the vehicle is on level ground.
- Attempt to press the N (Neutral) button on the center console gear selector - this may work even with a dead battery if there's residual power.
- If the N button does not respond, locate the manual shift-lock override access point on the center console near the gear selector buttons.
- Remove the small rectangular cover/cap adjacent to the gear selector button panel (typically to the right or below the buttons).
- Insert a small flathead screwdriver or the emergency key into the override slot beneath the cover.
- While pressing down or holding the override mechanism, press the N button - the transmission should mechanically release into neutral.
- If completely without power and the above fails, the vehicle may need to be placed on wheel dollies or a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground due to the dual-clutch transmission design.
Shift-lock override location
Small cover panel adjacent to the push-button gear selector on the center console, accessed with a small tool to mechanically release the shift lock.
With zero electrical power
With zero electrical power, the push-button selector will not function electronically. The manual override slot allows mechanical release, but if this fails, the vehicle must be transported on a flatbed or with wheel dollies as the dual-clutch transmission should not be towed with drive wheels on the ground in any gear.