● Open-top model joins line-up● 0-62mph takes 3.0 seconds
Richard Ingram Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk@rsp_ingram
AS is traditional, McLaren has taken a hacksaw to the roof of its latest production model to create the Artura Spider. The maker claims performance is “almost indistinguishable” when compared with the coupé, thanks in part to a 19bhp power boost that will also be made available to existing Artura customers.
With the roof up, the Spider looks nearly identical to the coupé. In fact, the nose is unchanged, and only once you reach the top of the A-pillars do you notice any visual or aerodynamic tweaks. Here, a pair of gurney flaps have been incorporated into the top of the windscreen to help reduce buffeting when the roof is lowered.
The Spider uses the coupé’s carbon-fibre monocoque construction, and McLaren says most of its additional weight (62kg) comes from the retractable hard-top. Made from carbon fibre, it operates in 11 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph. McLaren product director Jamie Corstorphine told us there is “no loss of rigidity” with the top tucked beneath the carbon-fibre tonneau. The roof can be specified with electrochromic glass, which McLaren claims will block up to 99 per cent of sunlight. Customers can lower the rear window independently of the roof.
With the top stowed, visibility is improved by a set of transparent glazed buttresses unique to the Spider – a feature that incorporates the rollover structure, as well as aiding airflow to the back of the car.
There’s further trickery around the engine bay, necessary due to the fact that the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 is completely covered when the roof is tucked away. The cooling vents and ‘hot vee’ chimney are located further back on the Spider, for example, while there’s an additional pair of rear deck inlets unique to the drop-top.
That aforementioned performance boost comes courtesy of a recalibrated hybrid powertrain, although the extra 19bhp is provided solely by the V6 engine. Total combined output is 690bhp, while peak torque stands at 720Nm, with its delivery apparently optimised by “minor changes to electronic mapping”. McLaren says the Artura Spider will accelerate from 0-62m
