McLaren Spider 675LT revealed

Lighter, faster and more exclusive than ever, the McLaren 675LT Spider has been announced overnight (December 4), the 'Longtail' convertible model joining the coupe as the second 'LT' variant.

Like the Longtail coupe, just 500 versions pumping out more power, more torque and weighing a staggering 100kg less than the 650S Spider will be built. The major difference is the convertible version of the 675LT Coupe makes use of a segmented metal roof that can be opened and closed at the touch of a button.

It even operates while trundling along slowly, up to 30km/h.

But once the roof is secured, the McLaren 675LT Spider's mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 can propel the car to a top speed of 326km/h. Leaked yesterday, we can now confirm McLaren's most potent convertible supercar matches the coupe versions 0-100km/h dash of just 2.9 seconds, and it'll rip from 0-200km/h in 8.1 seconds.

The astonishingly powerful convertible that pumps out almost 500kW, or almost 700hp, was the result of customer demand says British sports car maker McLaren, and although the company is struggling in F1 at the moment, its production car business is booming.

Indeed, this particular vehicle is expected to sell out fast.

The 675LT Spider weighs just 1270kg dry and although that's 40kg heavier than the LT coupe, it's 100kg less than the 650S Spider, thanks to the extensive use of carbon-fibre body work. Even the seat shells are made from carbon-fibre, saving 15kg each!

All models come standard without air-conditioning because – yep, you guessed it – it weighs too much. However McLaren can re-install the system as a no-cost option, the only drawback being an extra 16kg of weight.

Chassis and powertrain components have also been upgraded to reduce weight and increase power, the car's high-revving biturbo V8 now belting out 497kW at 7100rpm and 700Nm at 5000rpm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

McLaren has also fitted new 20-spoke 'super-lightweight' forged alloy wheels and the vehicle features an 'exclusive' exterior metallic yellow paintjob called Solis.

The Longtail name comes from the 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail vehicle, which was 'the ultimate version of the iconic McLaren F1' road car, says the British company. It was the most track-focussed McLaren to wear the F1 badge and in the latest iteration the name manifests itself in an active rear wing that is 50 per cent larger than that of the regular model. Naturally, it's made from carbon-fibre too.

It’s not clear how much more expensive the McLaren 675LT Spider will be compared to the 'LT' coupe, of which just 15 units came to Australia priced at $657,000.

Based on the price discrepancy between less exclusive coupe and convertible models from the brand, the latest McLaren is likely to fetch around $750,000.

European deliveries will commence in mid-2016.

McLaren 675LT Spider technical specifications

Performance
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) 2.9 seconds
0-200 km/h (0-124 mph) 8.1 seconds
Top speed 326 km/h (203 mph)
Power-to-weight 532PS per tonne