Take one look at McLaren’s model line-up, and you wouldn’t have been surprised at all by the McLaren Artura Spider. The 570S had a Spider, the 600LT has a Spider, and so does the 650S, then the 720S, and the 750S too – basically every other model in the marque’s supercar series has a convertible option, so why shouldn’t the Artura get one too? You might even argue that it’s weird that the Artura Spider wasn’t already here alongside the coupe from the get-go.
But you see, the new McLaren Artura Spider is more than just chopping off the roof and calling it a day, no. Instead, McLaren took the opportunity to give the Artura model a refresh that includes several aerodynamic upgrades, and even a bump in power – changes that will also be applied to the Coupe from today onwards.
So it’s really more like what the 750S is to the 720S, but since the Artura isn’t christened after its horsepower output, so it didn’t also get a complimentary name change.
First things first, power. The new McLaren Artura Spider (and its standard coupe derivative… ditto all the rest of the updates) are still powered by the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid engine as before, but it now makes a healthy 20 hp more than before, at a combined 700 hp and 720 Nm of torque.
Together with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which has been retuned for 25% faster shifts, the Artura Spider can sprint from 0-100 km/h in three seconds flat, and 0-200 km/h in 8.4 seconds, and 0-300 km/h in 21.6 seconds before the car tops out at an electronically-limited 305 km/h.
Aside from the added power, the new McLaren Artura Spider also boasts reworked engine mounts to reduce powertrain movement thus improving handling and agility; new brake cooling ducts and increased engine airflow for better thermal management at all the important performance-related bits; revised exhaust system with a retuned resonator for more sound; reworked dampers and its related control software that has improved response rates by up to 90%; slightly boosted electric range (from an unchanged battery pack), and even a new ‘Spinning Wheel Pull-Away’ system that’ll let you take off from a standstill leaving behind a cloud of smoke, all by just mashing down the throttle pedal.
As for the ‘Spider’ bit of the Artura Spider, McLaren says the retractable hard top roof can open or close in just 11 seconds, at speeds of up to 50 km/h. You’ll be able to option yours with an electrochromic glass topper to let in some sun without losing your air-con, and in order to fit the new roof, McLaren has also added new buttresses behind the passengers, gurneys, and even tweaked the windscreen to reduce wind buffeting when the roof is down.
ALSO WATCH: McLaren 750S First Drive Review – A driver’s best friend
All of this comes in at a weight penalty of just 62 kg more than the coupe. In fact, McLaren says that the Artura Spider (like the 750S Spider) is also the lightest in its class, beating its rivals – like the Ferrari 296 GTS – by “as much as 83kg”. And since the carbon fibre monocoque is so stiff, McLaren also says that there’s virtually zero compromises when it comes to agility and driving engagement – so honestly, why wouldn’t you just pick the Spider?
Well, the only ones who might complain are those that have already bought the original Artura. So to make it up to you, McLaren will be offering an engine tune-up completely free of charge for that 20 hp power boost.
GALLERY
