McLaren’s New Convertible 600LT Spider Dares You to Go Topless

McLaren’s on a roll. It’s Automotive Track25 business plan—aiming to release 18 models by 2025—today ticked off the third edition, the beautiful 600LT Spider. It’s got all the lovely track and performance bits we adored on the 600LT Coupe, launched last year, but now it can go topless at the push of a button.

McLaren has wisely not altered the formidable power train from the Coupe. That 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 is good for 592 horsepower and 457 ft lbs of twist, and affords the Spider virtually identical performance specs. Zero to 60 mph is the same at 2.8 seconds while the tear to 124 mph now takes 8.4 seconds—0.2 seconds slower than its hard-topped brethren. Keep that accelerator matted, and you’ll soon arrive at the top speed of 201 mph. (If the top is down, you’ll be capped at 198 mph.) 

The 600LT Spider adds about 110 pounds over the Coupe, but it’s still class-leading when it comes to the scales at a lithe 2,859 pounds dry. (That’s some 220 pounds lighter than a 570S, for those keeping score.) Thanks to McLaren’s revolutionary carbon-fiber MonoCell chassis underpinning, the 600LT Spider is rigid enough to not warrant any additional structural strengthening or engineering. Ditching the roof will mean your ears will have better access to those glorious top-mounted dual exhaust ports. So positioned in a bid to shed weight, the flame-belching exhaust being closer to the cabin makes for a supreme aural experience.

The 600LT Spider is the fifth model to proudly display the LT, or Longtail, badge. It’s in exemplary company, including the 1997 McLaren F1 GTR LT, which famously finished first and second in the GT1 class at Le Mans, having lapped the competition by some 30 laps.

A limited number of 600LT Spiders will be handcrafted in McLaren’s Woking facility, and by the time you read this, they’re probably all accounted for, but should you be able to get your hands on one, expect pricing to begin at $256,500.

See more photos of the 600LT Spider below: