The McLaren 570S Spider has been officially launched in Australia at a beautiful Sydney Harbourside location. Australian buyers will be able experience McLaren top down driving just in time for summer, with local deliveries expected to commence by late 2017.
For me one of the most important factors for any convertible is does it look good with the roof up and roof down? For the McLaren 570S Spider the answer is definitely yes!
The retractable hard top roof can be opened or closed in 15 seconds, at speeds of up to 40km/h. The roof adds just 46kg over the 570S Coupé weight, but structural rigidity and performance figures remain the same. Rigidity comes from the carbon fibre Monocell II that weighs just 75kg.
Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes just 3.2 seconds and top speed is 328km/h with the roof up and 315km/h with the roof down. To keep it stable at speed the Spider required additional down force to offset the difference in body shape and therefore the rear spoiler stands 12mm taller than the Coupé’s.
Performance figures are thanks to the 3.8l twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 570PS (419kW) and 600Nm (which sadly we did not get to hear at the launch) and the seven-speed seamless-shift gearbox.
Other features of the car including the racecar-style, double-wishbone suspension and electro-hydraulically-assisted power steering will be best commented on once I have a chance to drive the car myself.
Alex Long presenting the McLaren 570S Spider to the Australian media in Sydney. Photo: Driven Women Magazine
Speaking at the McLaren 570S Spider launch event in Sydney, Alex Long, Global Head of Product commented: “The new Spider is about pure exhilaration. It’s built on the incredible Monocell II carbon fibre chassis, so we have been able to create a convertible which has the same ride and handling magic as the 570S coupe and with hardly any weight penalty. We also have the Active Dynamics Panel which allows the driver to choose from Normal, Sport or Track to adjust the handling and powertrain to suit the conditions. These features are unique to McLaren and make the 570S the finest handling convertible in the world.”
McLaren are experiencing a purple patch in sales in both Australia and around the globe. George Biggs, Managing Director of McLaren Automotive Asia said: “It has been an outstanding year for McLaren. We’ve received a phenomenal response since the release of the 720S, followed by the announcement of our fourth consecutive year of profitability and today we celebrate the launch of the latest addition to the McLaren Sports Series family.”
The three new McLaren 570S Spider colours Photo: © McLaren Automotive
The 570S Spider presented to the Australian media was Sicilian Yellow with Dark Palladium grey roof, windscreen pillars and buttresses that accentuate the dramatic body design. Sicilian Yellow is one of the three new colours created specially to mark the introduction of 570S Spider; the other two being Vega Blue and Curacao Blue.
In total of 20 exterior colours are available, but there is virtually a limitless range of paint colours available from McLaren Special Operations.
Brake calipers can be finished in a range of colours – including a new Liquid Black which has been introduced for the Spider to complement the new 10-spoke lightweight Diamond Cut forged alloy wheel design developed as an option for the new convertible.
The tactile McLaren 570S Spider interior. Photo: Driven Women Magazine
On the inside there are three new ‘By McLaren’ interior designs that introduce new colours and materials, selected to complement the Spider’s open-air environment. The dash has a 10-inch TFT instrument cluster and infotainment is accessed via 7-inch IRIS touchscreen.
Noise levels in the new Spider are up to 20% quieter than in McLaren’s 650S Spider and the tonneau area and generous storage under bonnet combine to provide best-in-class luggage capacity of 202 litres.
The Sports Series range, which includes the Coupé and GT, are the most popular McLaren models with women. With sales direct to women of up to 25% for some models, but across the entire McLaren model range sales are around the market average of 10%.
The Sports Series models are the entry level vehicles in McLaren’s range and are seen to be competitors with the Porsche 911. But the 570S Spider is priced from AUD$435,750 plus on-roads, which is more in the vicinity of the Lamborghini Huracán RWD Spyder.
I can’t wait to drive the McLaren 570S Spider myself to see just how it compares with the Lamborghini Huracán RWD Spyder that I drove earlier this year!
For more information visit your McLaren retailer.