Yahoo Autos McLaren 720S Spider Revealed with Specs, Pricing, and U.S. On-Sale Date
Open-topped supercars used to be inherently compromised. Sure, they would allow drivers to better enjoy their cars' exhaust notes and add a leathery sheen to their already tanned foreheads. But such cars were almost inevitably heavier, possessed less structural rigidity, and were considerably less athletic than their coupe equivalents. They were the variants chosen by buyers for whom showing off was higher on the priority list than driving.
Which, it turned out, was most of them. In this fashion-conscious part of the market, roadsters almost always outsell their fixed-roof counterparts, and supercar makers have been working hard to sharpen and improve them, minimizing their compromises.
It's a trend in which the McLaren MP4-12C and 650S Spiders played a significant role. Both used the same massively strong carbon-fiber tub as their coupe siblings and therefore boasted effectively identical resistance to twisting forces. The new 720S Spider, seen here for the first time after being revealed live in an online event, continues and improves on the same tradition.
Apart from changes necessary to incorporate a rollover protection system, the Monocage II-S carbon tub is like that of the coupe and therefore offers identical torsional rigidity. According to McLaren, the power-operated retractable hard top has added just 108 pounds of mass compared to the fixed-roof 720S. When we put a coupe on our scales, they reported 3161 pounds, which means the Spider should come in with a sub-3300-pound real-world weight—that's remarkable given the potency of the 720S twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8.
This is unchanged from the coupe, producing a peak of 710 horsepower and up to 568 lb-ft of torque, all delivered through a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission to the rear axle. McLaren quotes a 2.8-second zero-to-6o-mph time, identical to the number it claims for the 720S coupe. Zero to 124 mph is said to take just 7.9 seconds, 0.1 second slower than the coupe, with an identical top speed of 212 mph with the roof raised. Roof lowered, it will apparently do 202 mph, which sounds both exciting and breezy.
The roof itself is made from carbon fiber with what the company describes as glazed flying buttresses intended to improve rear-quarter visibility. With characteristic exactitude, McLaren says that the part-glass structure has given a 12 percent improvement in over-the-shoulder visibility when compared to the 650S Spider. The windshield is mounted within the same carbon-fiber frame as the coupe's with impressively thin A-pillars; the only changes necessary have been for the roof's latching mechanism.
The retractable hard top's action is predictably fast, as it uses a pure electrical actuation system to improve speed and reduce mass compared to the more common electrohydraulic setup. McLaren boasts that the Spider has the fastest roof of all open-topped supercars; it can be raised or lowered in just 11 seconds, at speeds up to 31 mph, with a small rear window opening automatically in conjunction with the roof.
The use of a retractable hard top rather than a fabric roof has also allowed the option of a glazed electrochromic glass panel, which can be electrically dimmed. McLaren hasn't said how much mass this adds, but it certainly looks awesome. The active aerodynamics of the rear spoiler automatically adapt according to whether the roof is closed or open. There will also be a small amount of luggage space beneath the rear tonneau cover when the roof is up. McLaren quotes two cubic feet—every little bit helps.
As with the 720S coupe, three trim lines will be offered—standard, Performance, and Luxury—with the possibility of numerous optional upgrades beyond even those. Orders are being taken now, with the first cars set to reach the United States in March 2019. Prices start at $315,000.
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