What's the news?
McLaren's rapid expansion of its range continues, with yet another model that looks largely similar to the rest of the line-up and which also uses the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. No complaints, though, as this is the bonkers 675LT Spider, one of the fastest open-top cars in the world.
Exterior
Like the Coupé 675LT, lots of the Spider's aerodynamically optimised bodywork is made of carbon fibre. Look for it on the front bumper's splitter and end plates, the underbody protection at the front, the side skirts and intakes, as well as on the rear deck, bumper, diffuser and characteristic 'Longtail' Airbrake. The use of this material here, and also in the powertrain and chassis, sees the 675LT Spider's kerb weight held at 1,270kg, a full 100kg lighter than the 650S Spider. That also means the Spider is just 40kg heavier than the Coupé 675LT, all of the excess coming from the folding roof.
Ultra-lightweight forged ten-spoke alloy wheels - 19-inch items at the front and 20s at the rear - are fitted, complete with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres, while the suspension geometry of the 675LT Coupé is carried over. Finally, the Spider's USP is a three-piece folding hard-top which can be raised and lowered at speeds up to 30km/h. The full colour palette of the fixed-top 675LT is offered for the Spider, although a new golden colour called Solis is a hue unique to the open-top McLaren.
Interior
A pair of carbon fibre-shelled racing seats clad in '675LT'-embossed leather dominate a cabin featuring plenty of Alcantara and exposed carbon. The McLaren touchscreen controls the four-speaker Meridian sound system and the heating/ventilation - an interesting point here is that, as standard, the 675LT Spider does not have air-conditioning; you can fit it back in again as a no-cost option, although McLaren clearly doesn't want you to do so as it adds 16kg to the LT's carefully pared-back kerb weight.
As with the 675LT Coupé, the 'By McLaren' interior themes are available on the Spider, with a new Xenon Yellow contrast stitch added to the choices, while a Club Sport Professional Pack can bolster the exterior styling if you so wish. The Club Sport Pack, however, incorporating a titanium roll-hoop, four-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher, cannot be specified on the 675LT Spider.
Mechanicals
Oof. The 675LT Spider is one hell of a way to mess up expensive hairstyles. It races from 0-100km/h in 2.9 frenzied seconds, hitting 200km/h from rest in a mere 8.1 seconds - that's just two-tenths down on the Coupé 675LT. If you happened to be on a German Autobahn, a deserted runway or a race track with a really long straight, the Macca can run on to 326km/h, despite reputedly returning 24.2mpg (11.7 litres/100km) and 275g/km CO2.
It does all this thanks to the same 675hp, 700Nm 3.8-litre biturbo V8 as seen in the Coupé 675LT. Driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed SSG gearbox, the software limits torque to 'just' 600Nm in first gear to prevent wheelspin - a healthy idea, given the 532hp-per-tonne statistic of the Spider.
Anything else?
Although no Irish pricing is confirmed, don't expect the 675LT Spider to be cheaper than the Coupé. Only 500 Spiders will be produced globally and you can watch a tantalising video of the 675LT in action right here.
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