McLaren just announced its quickest convertible yet, the 765LT Spider!
Last year, with the 765LT, the Woking-based carmaker made waves in the automotive industry after reviving the Long Tail saga that initially began with the legendary F1 GTR Long Tail in the late 90s. Not everyone was a fan back then, and McLaren’s crazy spoiler is still not to everyone’s liking. Still, if you are into it, you’ll be happy to know that the Spider not only carries the same Long Tail soiler and equipment as the Coupe, only this time adding a retractable hardtop roof.
Worth mentioning, the 765LT Spider is basically a hardcore version of the already potent 720S Spider. In addition to being lengthened, it gets a sharper nose section and an aggressive front splitter to increase downforce. There are vents on either side of the wheel arches to allow turbulent air to escape from the tire pockets and move towards the engine air intakes. The rear end is flanked by an eye-catching quad-pipe titanium exhaust system with meshed surfaces over the engine bay and brake lights, as well as an active spoiler with a large diffuser. McLaren claims that all these elements combine to produce 440 lb of downforce at 150 mph!
The British carmaker also fettled with the mighty 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 engine, now pumping out a bonkers 765 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, 45 hp and 23 lb-ft more than its predecessor. The 7-speed sequential transmission is also optimized with closer ratios and a shorter final drive, resulting in a 0-62 mph time in only 2.8 secs, a 0-124 mph sprint in 7.2 secs, and a top speed of 205 mph.
To maintain as much structural rigidity as possible despite the lack of a solid roof, the 765LT Spider gets additional fixed carbon-fiber supports at the rear to prevent rollovers. The extra roof mechanism and structural supports take the weight up by a marginal 108 lb over the LT coupe. To keep the Spider’s weight under control, McLaren’s engineering team went with all new carbon-fiber body panels, an all-new quad-pipe titanium exhaust system, bespoke 10-spoke ultralight alloy wheels, thinner polycarbonate rear panels, racing bucket seats, lighter suspension springs. Other notable efforts include the removal of carpets, door pockets, air conditioning and infotainment system, which can be separately added as an option. The final result is a weight reduction of 176 lb compared to the 720S Spider—not bad, right?
Also worth mentioning, McLaren claims that the retractable hardtop roof is among the fastest folding roofs of any convertible, retracting or extending in only 11 seconds. With the top down, expect the sensory experience and road feel to be unparalleled, thanks to the sound of the twin-turbo V8 and quadrophonic exhaust at full chat.
McLaren will produce only 765 units of the 765LT Spider worldwide and fetch about $431,000 each.
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