McLaren MP4-12C Spider ~ Mobil Motor Sport

The MP4-12C Spider, McLaren’s impenitent arrange to give an alternate to the Ferrari 458 Spider, and conjointly the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and Porsche 911 Turbo convertible. it had been planned in to the engineering method from the word pass McLaren, and intrinsically suffers zero compromise once it involves torsional rigidity or overall stiffness compared with the coupé MP4-12C. And it prices £195,500, undercutting the Ferrari 458 Spider by alittle and not particularly vital £3436.

Just like the Ferrari, the 12C Spider’s roof could be a folding hard-top that disappears graciously into the rear bodywork at the press of a button. It takes 17sec to travel from absolutely closed to completely open, and therefore the roof are often raised or down at speeds of up to 25mph. All-up, the Spider weighs mere 40kg quite the coupé, with associate degree overall curbing weight of simply 1474kg, a category best in step with McLaren.

The retractable hardtop—made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic, and not carbon as was long speculated—can be operated while the car is traveling at speeds at or below 19 mph. A motorized window sits behind the two occupants; it can be utilized as a windscreen when the roof is off and can be lowered while the top is up, allowing unfettered aural access to the 12C’s magical twin-turbo V-8.

The M838T 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 packs the same uprated 618 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque found in the revised-for-2013 MP4 coupe. (Unlike most mid-engined droptop supercars, McLaren has managed to keep its eight-cylinder beast on display with a glass window incorporated into the rear deck.) The Graziano-sourced seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is upgraded this year to accommodate the increase in power; as with the coupe, there will be no manual transmission on offer. McLaren says acceleration will essentially be on par with the coupe’s—keeping pace to 60 mph but adding a tenth or two at speeds above 100 mph—and that top speed will drop by 3 mph, to 204.

Perhaps the most important carry-over feature is McLaren’s ProActive Chassis Control—the electronically controlled hydraulic dampers inspired us to quote Ludacris and call the MP4 coupe “a lady in the street but a freak in the bed.” That is to say, it absolutely demolishes corners but manages to maintain respectable ride quality during more restrained driving. It is, quite simply, one of the most agreeable and competent supercars to ever exist—and we should know, we took one on a 1000-mile road trip.

A new-for-’13 option is a height-adjustable suspension for jacking either end over speed bumps, steep driveways, and the like. It provides 1.6 inches of lift at the front and 1.0 inch at the rear, and can be operated at speeds up to 37 mph. There also is a new system by which the driver can adjust how much engine noise makes it to the cabin—we’ll use the top and rear window, thanks. The coupe’s active rear spoiler appears here, as well.

The 12C Spider’s launch color seen here is called Volcano Red; it joins the coupe’s Volcano Orange and a new paint called Volcano Yellow in a 17-hue palette. A diamond-cut finish for the wheels is an option—basically painted inners and machined spokes—and the interior can be decked out in a new semi-aniline perforated leather/Alcantara combo. Each Spider comes with two soft duffel bags sized to fit the space beneath the rear tonneau when the roof is raised.

McLaren is accepting preorders for the 2013 12C Spider and expects to begin delivering cars by November of this year. Those who drive off in one will have paid at least $268,250 for the privilege. View Photo Gallery