A gorgeous little thing ... and fast, too
As sure as the day is long, a junior supercar will eventually lose its lid. Exhibits A through C are the Ferrari 488 Spider, the Audi R8 Spyder and the Lamborghini Huracán Spyder. Might as well add the somewhat less exotic ( but equally devastating) Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet into the mix.
Now an edgy carbon-fibre Brit throws its hat into the ring. Or should I say into the wind? Say hello to the 2018 McLaren 570S Spider. It’s coming to Canada this September with starting price of $247,500. That’s $30,000 more than the 570S Coupe.
Funny how we’ve come to refer to these sub- 650- horsepower land- based missiles as junior supercars, now that the ridiculous escalation of power (and pricing) in this rarefied segment necessitates further classification: supercars, hypercars, holy- sweet- mother of- gawd cars … and the Bugatti Chiron.
This by no means suggests the 2018 McLaren 570S Spider with its “mere” 562 hp is wanting in the go department. Is it fast? Uh, are ladders on sale at Canadian Tire?
McLaren has picked an ideal spot f or the Spider’s media launch, and the weather is cooperating. It’s warm, dry and sunny, and the sinuous blacktop that works its way into Barcelona’s surrounding mountains like so many black tentacles provides the perfect playground.
The 2018 570S Spider surely checks all the exotic boxes. With its carbon- fibre tub and aluminum/composite skin it weighs in at a rather svelte 1,483 kilograms. ( That’s 228 kilograms less than the Audi R8 Spyder, they tell us). The rear- mid- mounted twin-turbo 3.8-L V8 sends its 562 hp and 443 pound-feet or torque at 5,000 rpm to the rear wheels through a seven- speed dual- clutch gear box.
It’s the visuals, however, that slap you upside the head. Here in optional Curaçao Blue and sporting a true exotic affectation — dihedral doors — our wicked wedge pins the gawk- o- meter wherever we go. It really is a gorgeous little thing, and watching the 15- second mechanical ballet that has the composite roof panel tucking itself away under the rear tonneau — while driving at speeds of up to 40 km/h — only adds to the allure.
The wheels on this tester are optional f orged l i ghtweight units, 19- inchers in front and 20s out back. You’ll see that word “optional” a lot here, as the Spiders at this event are part of the initial run of 400 Launch Edition models that are generously equipped to a level that McLaren expects most customers to covet.
There’s no graceful way to get in, however, thanks to the wide carbon- fibre sill and steeply raked windshield. Once ensconced, the optional two- tone Carbon Black and Almond White Sport Design seat fits me perfectly. My hands land on a trim Alcantara- rimmed wheel with optional carbon- fibre spokes and the coolest carbon-fibre shift paddles imaginable, all part of an optional interior trim package that could be reasonably categorized as bloody essential.
The centre stack has a vertical touch screen/nav/ interface that would get a “meh” in any other car. Here? Who cares. Gotta love the HVAC icon dude: he’s wearing a helmet.
There’s a row of buttons on the console for gear selection, and in front of those you’ll find two rotary switches — one for Handling, one for Powertrain — each with Normal, Sport and Track settings. These will get some use today.
Time to fire up this beast and head for the hills. Jeez, even this normally routine procedure gets event status in the baby McLaren. Whirrwhirrwhirr … blam! You half expect to see a guy in a fire suit behind wielding a remote starter.
All testers here were fitted with the optional sport exhaust. Yeah, you’ll want this. The 570S Spider has a unique voice — racy, guttural, and not particularly mellifluous — at least until the tach needle swings to the far right. Then a suitable banshee wail accompanies the eye- opening thrust.
Getting out of Barcelona in morning rush hour is no picnic in the Spider. Even with the top down, those two oh- so- sexy buttresses block all rear three-quarter visibility, and there’s also not much to see out of that little vertical rear window that goes up and down independently of the top.
Unlike the seven- speed dual- clutch transmissions in the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8, the McLaren’s is not particularly happy negotiating stop- and- go traffic. The engine doesn’t like the dreary ordeal of city driving either. Those big turbos spell lag.
Ah, but that’s all part of the appeal. This relative featherweight contains bona fide racing DNA that comes across loud and clear. It’s a tightly coiled bundle of energy that just wants to be let off its leash, and once unfettered, the 570S Spider comes into its own in a rather fabulous way.
The good old- fashioned hydraulically assisted steering is a living, breathing entity that’s quick off centre and loads up beautifully when attacking the bends. It wriggles in your hands, constantly sending back detailed information of your drive. Most of all, you’re impressed with this car’s lightness of being and exquisite balance. Yes, the standard carbon- ceramic brakes initially feel a bit wooden and require a firm foot, but out here they are progressive and easily modulated.
The more you get acquainted, the more the 570S Spider wraps itself around you like an extension of your will. Keep the twinturbo V8 boiling above 4,000 rpm and the sound and pace are scintillating. Unlike many turbocharged engines, this one delivers the goods happily to its redline. By the numbers, the Spider blasts through the 100 km/h mark in 3.2 seconds and tops out at 328 km/ h. If the roof is open you’ll be settling for a follicle-rearranging 315 km/h.
The 570S Spider is now the sole convertible in the McLaren lineup, and the company predicts it will be the biggest seller. I don’t doubt that for a minute. The Spider loses nothing to the hardtop in either performance or structural integrity, and having the open sky ( and more of that racy exhaust blare) available at the touch of a button only expands its desirability.
I did mention it was bloody fast, right?