McLaren 570S Spider Is As Quick As The Coupe!

Here's the deal with convertibles. While manufacturers go around merrily hacking the roof off their low-slung sexy sports cars, they also chop away its agility. Why? Because, well, physics. With the roof gone, the floor needs strengthening and reinforcement - ergo more weight, and in effect less speed. 

Not so with the new 570S Spider. Underneath the flashy paintjob lies McLaren's carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis. Even with the roof gone, it doesn't "suffer any reduction in strength or stiffness in convertible guise, or require any additional structural actions", say the Brits. 

0-100kmph takes 3.2 seconds, exactly as much as its Coupe cousin. Fun fact -- it does 100-0kmph in 3.2 seconds as well! With its roof in place, the top speed is identical too, at 328kmph. In case you want your serving of speed with a portion of the sky, it will let you do 315kmph with the roof safely tucked away. 

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Propelling the 570S Spider is the same 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8 that makes an eye-watering 570PS and 600Nm. The hideaway hardtop roof has added 46kg to the Mac's overall weight, but that doesn't seem to bother it at all. In fact, McLaren is quick to point out that the Spider has a power-to-weight ratio of 419PS/tonne. 

McLaren's 7-speed automatic gearbox ensures the power makes its way to the rear wheels. The steering is of the electro-hydraulic variety and the super sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres are standard on the Spider. There's a gamut of technology to help you go faster (and have fun) too. There's 'Brake Steer' that brakes the inside rear wheel for a tight cornering line, and you get a 'Performance Traction Control' to keep you pointing in the right direction. And, we aren't making this up, McLaren says the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system features a 'Dynamic' mode that gives the car enhanced ‘driftability’. Yes, they've cooked up a word. 

Design wise, it's nothing short of epic. To accommodate the hardtop (that folds down in 15 seconds at speeds upto 40kmph) the rear upper body has been redesigned. The rear spoiler is also 12mm taller compared to that of the coupe, to compensate for the aerodynamic changes caused by the aforementioned redesign. There are three new colours - Curacao Blue, Vega Blue and Sicilian Yellow - to choose from. And yes, before you ask, it gets the sexy dihedral doors as well. 

Over to the insides, there's hand-stitched leather on the seats, door pads and the dash. A 10-inch TFT screen replaces the good ol' analogue dials, and there's a 7-inch central touchscreen for the music and the air-conditioning. 

The McLaren 570S Spider will make its public debut on June 29 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Hand-made in England, the topless Mac costs £164,750 (approximately Rs 1.33 Crore). McLarens (sadly) aren't available in India, so don't get that cheque book ready just as yet. But, what you can buy, is its arch rival - the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder. That isn't too bad of a bargain now, is it?

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