Set to make its international debut alongside its hardtop sibling at the Geneva Motor Show this week, McLaren’s 650S Spider has been revealed with images and technical info.
Despite the negative connotation usually associated with drop-tops because of the usual torsional rigidity loss, McLaren claims that the 650S Spider suffers no such flaws because of its carbon fibre MonoCell structure. The retractable roof, and the mechanism that opens and closes it, only adds 40 kg to the overall mass.
The retractable hard top can be raised or lowered in under 17 seconds and activated at up to 30 km/h. Just like the MP4-12C Spider, the rear glass screen operates independently of the roof and can be opened to provide aural thrills with the roof in place, or act as a deflector with the roof folded away.
Powered by the same twin-turbocharged V8 engine as its coupé sibling, the 650S Spider sprints to 100 km/h from rest in just 3,0 seconds, 200 km/h in 8,6 seconds and achieves a maximum velocity of 329 km/h thanks to its 478 kW and 678 N.m of torque. The minimal weight gained from the added roof mechanism means that average fuel consumption and emissions remain the same as the coupé – 11,7 litres/100 km and 275 g/km of CO2.
The 650S Spider comes standard with carbon ceramic brakes, Alcantara cabin trim and comprehensive infortainment system that includes satellite navigation, audio streaming and voice control.