New £165k McLaren 570S Spider uncovered at Goodwood
Sports Series grows with addition of the powerful McLaren 570S Spider, which has made its official debut at Goodwood
McLaren has added a fourth car to its Sports Series range, launching the new 570S Spider, which has been revealed at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It joins the less powerful 540C, as well as the 570S coupe and 570GT, in the firm’s ‘entry-level’ supercar line-up.
McLaren claims its new open-top 570S matches its coupe-bodied counterpart when it comes to performance, despite a 46kg weight penalty due to the folding hard-top.
As ever, a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 sits behind the driver, producing 562bhp and 600Nm of torque. This is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and with launch control activated the 570S Spider covers 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. Top speed with the roof in place is 204mph, but it’s restricted to 196mph with the top removed.
The retractable folding roof is made up of two panels constructed from lightweight composite materials, while the mechanism powering it is lifted from the convertible versions of the 650S and 675LT. It takes 15 seconds to open or close and can be operated at speeds up to 25mph. A wind deflector pops up at the push of a button.
The additional 46kg isn’t down to extra chassis strengthening; it’s purely a result of the extra parts needed for the roof. The 570S Spider is built around a sturdy carbon fibre monocoque, so no reinforcement is needed. In fact, McLaren says the Spider is just as rigid as the coupe.
Some aerodynamic tweaks have been introduced, however. Owing to the slightly different profile at the rear, the spoiler sits 12mm taller than it does on the coupe, to ensure a similar aerodynamic balance between the front and rear. With the roof down, drivers should enjoy the engine note of that 3.8-litre V8 to the full, but McLaren has slipped a new ‘Exhaust Sound Generator’ on to the options list; this channels exhaust noise towards the cabin via an area under the tonneau cover.
The cabin is lifted directly from the coupe with the same 10-inch digital instrument cluster and seven-inch touchscreen. There’s a choice of eight-way electrically adjustable seats or P1 hypercar-inspired carbon fibre buckets. Six-way adjustable seats are standard. There are three new paint colours, plus a new 10-spoke alloy wheel design. A unique black paint finish for the brake calipers is available on the Spider only.
The McLaren 570S Spider is available to order now, priced from £164,750.
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