We’ve known it’s coming because it’s all part of McLaren Automotive’s £1.2bn Track25 business plan, but still it seems like there are more new McLarens recently than, say, Volkswagens. Or maybe it’s because we don’t notice the Volkswagens. So here it is, the McLaren 600LT Spider, and the fifth car to carry the Longtail name, which started out with the 1997 McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ that won five of the 11 rounds of the 1997 FIA GT Championship, and finished first and second in the GT1 class at Le Mans, almost 30 laps ahead of its rivals. As expected it gives increased power and reduced weight over the model it’s based on, the 570S Spider, as well as optimised aerodynamics and a more track-focused set-up. Importantly, it also has the top-exit exhausts of the 600LT Coupé. Being a drop-top with a rear window that can be electrically lowered, the Spider should provide an even better soundtrack to the lucky occupants.
So let’s talk numbers. The 600LT Spider weighs in at 1297kg, which is 100kg lighter than the 570S Spider and 50kg heavier than the 600LT Coupé due to the roof mechanism. It’s just as strong as the Coupé because it uses virtually the same carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis. The mapping of the twin-turbocharged, 3.8-litre V8 has been revised, which with the shorter exhausts takes power to 600PS (592bhp) and 620Nm (457lb ft) from the 570S’s (you guessed it) 570PS. That means it’s good for 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds, 0-124mph in 8.4 seconds (a whole 0.2 seconds slower than the Coupé!) with a top speed of 201mph with the roof raised or 196mph with it lowered.
What else do you need to know? Bearing in mind the openable rear window, our favourite bit of information is that the dual-clutch seven-speed Gearbox (SSG) features an ignition cut function in Sport mode, which not only allows faster changes but also delivers a dramatic ‘crack’ sound from the top-exit exhausts. The carbon fibre bodywork and fixed rear wing generate the same 100kg of downforce at 155mph as the Coupé’s, and the interior gets the same lightweight carbon fibre racing seats from the McLaren P1. Further weight-saving including deletion of the audio and climate control systems are also possible. It’s priced at $256,500 in the USA and £201,500 in the UK.
Images courtesy of McLaren Automotive
