McLaren 570S Spider revealed, and it'll debut at FOS!

14th June 2017

Bob Murray

McLaren’s prettiest sportscar just got prettier, dropping its top in time for summer and a world public debut at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard.

A convertible version of the Sports Series was always in the pipeline and now, 18 months after the coupe arrived, here it is: the 570S Spider. It’s fast, light, scintillating in Sicilian Yellow and costs from £164,750.

The good looks are thanks to a neat retractable hardtop based on the design of the Super Series hardtop as used in the now-replaced 650S and 675LT Spiders. With the new 720S still a year or more away from going topless, this is the only fresh-air McLaren you can buy right now.

The two-piece roof section, with glass rear screen, folds back electrically in 15 seconds at speeds up to 25mph. More important, structural rigidity is not diminished thanks to the carbon-fibre MonoCell II chassis at the heart of the Sports Series. Just as with the 650S Spider, taking out of the roof section has not required any additional strengthening, says McLaren. The roof does add weight though, albeit a relatively modest 46kg.

The Sports Series, you will remember, is McLaren’s big-selling entry range but, like the coupe and the GT versions, it’s far from obvious that this is the lowest rung of the McLaren ladder.

With the coupe’s 562bhp twin-turbo V8 aboard, the 570S Spider can whisk you from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds and on to a top-down top speed of 196mph, just 8mph less than with the roof in place. McLaren maintains the Spider brings with it no performance, handling or refinement compromises over the 570S coupe.

There are some changes though. The rear spoiler is 12mm taller than the coupe’s, to offset the different aero properties, and there’s a glazed wind deflector that pops up to reduce buffeting. New options for the Spider are a new design of 10-spoke lightweight forged alloys, and Liquid Black finish for the brake calipers. There are also three new body colours – two shades of blue and that very sunny Sicilian Yellow.

Making its debut at the Festival of Speed (29th June - 2nd July), the 570 S Spider will be available first in a special launch edition of 400, which can be ordered now for delivery in August.

Tickets for the 2017 Festival of Speed are still available. For more information visit ticketing.goodwood.com.