Invasion of the Spiders!

By Farzana Chaumoo

Reveal of the McLaren 720S Spider and the 600LT Spider in South Africa.

 

Daytona, the holding company of McLaren in South Africa, revealed two new McLaren Spider models at an exclusive event in their Melrose Arch dealership last night. A custom specced Lime Green 600LT Spider and a McLaren Orange 720S Spider was on display.

The 600LT Spider was allocated to a limited number of customers globally and the one pictured here is the first of four sold to South African customers, opposed to the 720S Spider which is on production lines and open for speccing.

The Spider models have all the features of the coupe but with the addition of a folding top that makes the interior a tad bit airier. You can now do ludicrous speeds while feeling the sun on your head and the wind through your hair.

Both the 600LT Spider and the 720S Spider gained a mere 50 kg and 49 kg respectively in weight but retained the 0-100 km/h sprint times of their coupe versions. The weight on the Ferrari 488 Spider’s rival, the 720S Spider, was kept in check through the development of a new electrically actuated retractable hardtop with a one-piece carbon fibre roof panel, while the 600LT Spider has a three-piece roof. It takes only 11 seconds to lower or raise at speeds of up to 50 km/h and the 720S Spider's roof is 6 seconds quicker than the 650S Spider’s top which is also only moveable at speeds up to 30 km/h.

The electrochromic glass roof panel operates at the touch of a button while another button changes the colour of the glass allowing you to opt between tinted or transparent. The glass contains a film that conducts a low voltage of electricity. As current passes through the film, particles align or disperse, allowing more or less light in. Another functional benefit to this electrochromic roof is when the car is parked outside, the higher tint will keep the interior cooler. 

McLaren says their hardtop is quiet in operation and sounds much like the “background noise in a quiet library”. The almost-silent manoeuvre is something I can attest to having sat in the 720S Spider today, and also being the owner of several convertibles, the McLaren retractable roof mechanism and its quick tint-changing abilities are rather astonishing.

The cabin is also said to be a quieter place than the 650S Spider with the roof closed. Visibility hasn’t been compromised and this is due to the glazed flying buttresses which improve over-the-shoulder visibility by 12 percent compared to the old Super Series Spider model.

 

Engine & Transmission

The chassis didn’t require any additional strengthening in its conversion to Spider application and no performance has been lost on either model due to the addition of a retracting top.

Powering the 600LT Spider is the same powertrain in the coupe. It features a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that puts out 441 kW (592bhp) at 7500 rpm and maximum torque of 620 Nm spread between 5500 and 6500 rpm. Much like the other V8 McLarens, this engine features a flat-plane crank and is dry sumped. This engine is paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission which can be operated via the paddle shifters behind the wheel. There is also no locking rear differential on this McLaren but rather a brake-steer system that works with the braking system. Like its hardtop version, the Spider also rockets from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. 

Powering the 720S Spider is an 8-cylinder, twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine that puts out 529 kW at 7500 rpm while 770 Nm of torque is channelled to the 20-inch rear wheels via a 7-speed SSG transmission with electro-hydraulic steering.

 

Pricing

The McLaren 600LT Spider had a base price of R5,750,000.00

The McLaren 720S Spider has a base price of R6,950,000.00 and Daytona are accepting orders.

 

Quick Stats 600LT Spider

 

Engine	V8, 3799cc, twin-turbocharged
Power	441 kW @ 7500 rpm
Torque	620 Nm @ 5500 – 6500 rpm
Weight	1297 kg (dry)
0-100 km/h	2.9 sec (claimed)
Top Speed	325 km/h

 

Quick Stats 720S Spider

 

Engine	V8, 3994cc, twin-turbocharged
Power	529 kW @ 7500 rpm
Torque	770 Nm @ 5500 rpm
Weight	1468 kg (dry)
0-100 km/h	2.9 sec (claimed)
Top Speed	325 km/h

 

Recommended: McLaren Senna South Africa Preview