McLaren: 570S now also available as a noble Spider
The third and youngest body variant in McLaren's basic model series is the Spider. With the roof open, the 570-hp sports car can reach speeds of up to 315 km/h.
Open-top driving is one of the special pleasures of automotive locomotion. All the more so when it's in a McLaren, because the sports cars from Woking are rare phenomena. And with a price starting at a good 227,000 Swiss francs, the Spider is not suitable for every budget. Despite the open-air pleasure it offers, the Spider has lost none of its sportiness. Its 3.8-liter biturbo V8 delivers an unchanged 570 hp and drives the rear wheels via an ultra-fast dual-clutch transmission. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and has a maximum speed of 328 km/h - exactly the same figures as the highly sporty 570S Coupé.
You slip into the cockpit through the dehidrally opening doors - they fold up and forward at the same time. Surprisingly discreet, the engine roars behind the occupants. We know it can do other things, too, but in the city not everyone wants to be conspicuous by sheer acoustics. The light blue paint with black contrast stripes is eye-catching enough. The roof is open in no time, and at the same time the intake and exhaust noises come closer and increase in intensity. If we were to take it to the extreme with the roof open, we could race across the track at up to 315 km/h.
Trademark 1: Lightness of footThe Spider has been part of McLaren's vehicle series concept right from the start. This was already the case with the first 12C model and its successor, the 650S. The folding roof design was also transferred from the latter to the 570S. Opening and closing the roof takes a slim 15 seconds and works up to a leisurely 40 km/h. A side note: The number in the model designation stands for engine power at McLaren.
Driving open can have a calming effect. Cruising with the top down seems to be the best way to get around, which can be enjoyed without any compromises thanks to the surprisingly supple chassis. The sporty spirit is more likely to be awakened by the closed roof, when the car knows how to awaken a rarely experienced hunger for curves with indescribable lightness of foot and agility. The full package of sheer power always beckons in the background, but it is this incredible lightness that sets McLaren apart from the rest of the pack.
Trademark 2: CarbonLike all cars from Woking, the sporty Spider treat is built on a light and stable carbon fiber chassis; even in the early years, when hardly anyone in Woking was thinking about road sports cars besides racing, the carbon cockpit was the great competence at McLaren. And it has remained so to this day. However, models like the 570S have a lightweight aluminum body over the carbon structure; only the outer skin of the even more expensive models, like the new 720S, is also baked from carbon fiber.
The beautiful autumn was a lure for the last ride of the season over the passes. There were four of them this afternoon. In the run-out zone of the Grimsel, the roof opens again shortly before Innertkirchen, the strain of the uninterrupted steering work dissipates into the clear autumn air. After hard steering, braking, forward momentum, the open-air discipline of cruising follows once again. The 570S Spider is at home in both worlds.
