McLaren confirms its stripped-down 675LT supercar will lose its top in 2016

By Miles Branman October 12, 2015

McLaren-675LT-front-angle — McLaren 675LT Coupe Image used with permission by copyright holder

McLaren has confirmed that a Spider (convertible) version of its 675LT supercar is in development and will debut in 2016.

Though the UK sports car manufacturer originally said the lightened and powered-up 675LT model would be sold exclusively as a coupe, since all 500 examples of the coupe sold out in the span of a few months, McLaren has changed its mind. Presumably, a roadster version will sell just as well as the coupe, though its unclear how many units McLaren plans to produce of the 675LT Spider.

Further incentivizing McLaren to build and sell a convertible version is the price premium all Spider variants have been given in recent years. The 675LT Coupe starts at £259,500 ($398,267) and is available with the McLaren Club Sport pack that includes a fire extinguisher, titanium roll hoop, and four-point harness for an extra £5,090 ($7,812). The Spider version should cost at least $30,000 more than the coupe, if the 650S Spider/Coupe price differential is any indicator.

Powering the 675LT Spider will be the same twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 from the coupe, meaning 670 horsepower and 517 pound-feet of torque. The 675LT Spider will also shed about 220 pounds from the 650S and rocket to 60 mph from a standstill in around 2.9 seconds. Top speed should top 200 mph, like the coupe.

Performance-wise, the 675LT Spider will rival Ferrari’s new 488 GTB Spider, which packs 660 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque and the upcoming Lamborghini Huracan Roadster, which will share the same 610 hp V10 as its fixed roof sibling.

Working in the McLaren’s favor will be exclusivity, while the Ferrari and Lamborghini will be produced in far greater numbers. However, should Ferrari decide to make a Spider Speciale version of its 488, and should Lamborghini decide to make a Superveloce Roadster version of its Huracan, both rarity and performance will be much closer to what is on offer from the 675LT Spider.

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