McLaren has just presented the Spider variant of the “ballistic” 765LT, which maintains the power and aggressiveness of the Coupé version, but now lets us enjoy the “open sky” 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 engine.
The roof of this Spider is made of a single piece of carbon fiber and can be opened or closed while driving, as long as the speed does not exceed 50 km/h. This process only takes 11s.
The fact that it's a convertible is, by the way, the biggest difference to the 765LT we already knew and that translates to just 49 kg more in weight: the Spider version weighs 1388 kg (in running order) and the Coupé weighs 1339 kg .
By comparison with the McLaren 720S Spider, this convertible 765LT manages to be 80 kg lighter. These are impressive numbers and can be explained by the fact that the rigidity of the Monocage II-S structure in carbon fiber does not require any extra reinforcement in this “open-pit” version.
And there is no considerable difference in terms of mass between the convertible and the closed version, there is also no great contrast in terms of the acceleration registers, which are practically identical: this McLaren 765LT Spider fulfills the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8s and reaches a maximum speed of 330 km/h, just like the “brother” 765LT Coupé.
At 0-200 km/h it loses only 0.2s (7.2s against 7.0s), up to 300 km/h it takes 1.3s more (19.3s against 18s), while the quarter mile is completed in 10s right against the coupé's 9.9s.
“Blame” the twin-turbo V8
The “blame” of these registers is, of course, the 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 765 hp of power (at 7500 rpm) and 800 Nm of maximum torque (at 5500 rpm) and which is associated with an automatic dual-clutch gearbox with seven speeds that sends all the torque to the rear axle.
The 765LT Spider also uses Proactive Chassis Control, which uses hydraulic shock absorbers interconnected at each end of the car, thus dispensing with the use of traditional stabilizer bars, and comes with 19” front and 20” wheels.
For the rest, very little separates this version from the Coupé, which we've even had the opportunity to “drive” on the track. We still have an active rear wing, with four tailpipes “mounted” between the rear lights and a very aggressive aerodynamic package that is noticeable in almost every body panel.
In the cabin, everything is the same, with the Alcantara and exposed carbon fiber almost completely dominating the environment. The optional Senna seats — weighing 3.35 kg each — are one of the main protagonists.
How much does it cost?
As with the Coupé version, production of the 765LT Spider is also limited to just 765 units, with McLaren announcing that the UK price starts at £310,500, approximately €363,000.