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2018 McLaren 570S Spider Confirmed, 540C Spider And 540GT Not On The Cards

Following the introduction of the Sport Series in 2015, McLaren really took off as a manufacturer. Not only is the 5xx family more attainable than the Super and Ultimate Series, but it doesn’t give the impression of an entry-level car. It also packs quite a punch thanks to clever packaging and extensive engineering.
McLaren 570S Spider rendered by X-Tomi Design 11 photos
Photo: X-Tomi Design
McLaren 570S Spider rendered by X-Tomi DesignMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570SMcLaren 570S
Currently comprised of the 540C, 570S, and 570GT, the Sport Series has a new member in the pipeline. 570S Spider is its name, and as per McLaren’s head honcho, it’s slated to go official later this year, most likely for MY 2018.

Speaking to Autocar, Mike Flewitt let the cat of the bag as follows: “With the 540C, by the time you add options it can cost the same as a 570S, which is why we only offer it in certain markets. And because of that it doesn't make sense to do a 540C Spider. There will never be a 540GT either." There’s no direct quote on the 570S Spider, yet the timing is perfect for its introduction.

Autocar’s talk with Flewitt corroborates with what Car & Driver reported two years ago, i.e. the 570S Spider is due in 2017. At the time, Photoshop artist X-Tomi design did a speculative rendering of the upcoming Macca, and from the looks of it, that’s close to how McLaren’s designers do droptops. Hacking the roof off, replacing it with an open-top mechanism, and stiffening a couple of chassis-related bits and bobs will definitely take its toll on weight, though.

The 650S Spider serves as a perfect example. As per McLaren, the topless supercar tips the scales at 1,468 kilograms (3,236 pounds; DIN). The coupe, meanwhile, weighs 1,428 kilograms (3,148 pounds; DIN), so there you have it. Of course, torsional rigidity will also take a blow, but who cares? 86 million miles of blue sky is what you get in return for making this small compromise.

In terms of powertrain, don’t expect any changes whatsoever from the 570S Coupe. More to the point, look forward to 3.8 liters of twin-turbo V8 fury, 570 PS (562 hp) at 7,400 rpm, and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) from 5k to 6,500 rpm.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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