McLaren unveils ultimate drop-top
Fearsome performance with that wind-in-yourhair thrill...
Jack Evans gets to grips with the new 765LT Spider
A COMPANY like McLaren isn’t one to rest on its laurels.
So while it dealt out a killer blow to competitors with the 765LT Coupe, it hasn’t wasted any time in creating a drop-top version to appeal to even more buyers – the 765LT Spider.
Incorporating the same engine as the coupe version, but with the added flexibility of a folding metal roof, the Spider aims to be an ever-soslightly more road-focused model compared with its track-devouring stablemate. So, what does this £310,000, 205mph Spider bring to the table?
What’s new?
The carbon fibre roof is a really striking piece of engineering, but despite this addition, a variety of weightsaving measures – including a full titanium exhaust system – mean the Spider tips the scales at only 49kg more than the Coupe.
Plus, McLaren has given the Spider its own set-up for steering and dampers, ensuring that it feels slightly different to the fixed-top version.
What’s it like to drive?
The first thing you notice is the noise – and boy, what a noise.
Even with the roof in place, the titanium exhaust gives the V8 engine a proper edge, rasping as it starts up at the press of a button.
But moving off, the ride quality seems to contrast this race feel, with the 765LT’s dampers soaking up the worst of the bumps impressively well.
Find a clear stretch of open road and it’s a car that’ll gain pace with a fearsome hunger. However, this brutal acceleration is backed by wonderfully judged steering and powerful brakes.
It feels less nervous than the Coupe, which makes it into the ideal road car – albeit a massively fast one.
How does it look?
If there was ever a car to turn heads, it’s the 765LT Spider. Our test car got smartphones snapping and people staring, so for those who prefer a more discrete mode of transport, it’s not the best option.
But you can’t fault the theatre the 765LT Spider provides, with its huge scoops, flared arches and huge active rear wing providing loads to look at.
That folding roof is at the heart of the whole look too – it can be raised or lowered in just 11 seconds.
There’s also a retractable rear window that can be raised or lowered independently of the roof, allowing you to let more exhaust sound into the cabin even with the roof up.
What’s the spec like?
At over £310,000, the 765LT Spider occupies a space at a very premium end of the motoring spectrum.
Of course, a bulk of that price is going into the engineering and performance that this car offers, with the Spider’s huge acceleration and accurate handling feeling every bit what you’d expect from a car of this price.
Though air conditioning and the audio system are removed as standard, you can add these back in at no extra cost. You also get an eight-inch touchscreen display, but as we’ve found in other McLarens it’s clunky and doesn’t offer the same level of smartphone integration as you’d get from cars costing a 10th of the price.
What’s under the bonnet?
Needless to say, the 765LT Spider has performance on its side.
It uses a 4.0-litre twinturbocharged V8 engine with 755bhp and 800Nm of torque, sending power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
As a result, the Spider’s acceleration figures are impressive with 0-60mph coming in 2.7 seconds and 0-124mph taking just 7.2 seconds. Flat-out, it’ll do 205mph.
When it comes to efficiency, things aren’t quite as bad as you might expect.
Sure, this is no ultra-efficient plug-in hybrid, but 23mpg combined isn’t all that atrocious, and during our time with the car, we actually exceeded that.
Emissions stand at 280g/km.
The verdict
It’s often the case that the convertible version of a car is the lesser option.
They can often be wallowy, a little inaccurate, but this isn’t the case with the 765LT Spider – it’s just as involving as the Coupe, but feels better suited to life on the road rather than the track.
It’s exciting, dramatic to look at and brutally fast, which makes it one of the very best supercars around.