Last week, McLaren released its first set of press images of the new MP4-12C Spider and, in my humble opinion, the simple modification of a retractable hard top has completely changed the attitude of the vehicle.
Yesterday, McLaren has followed up with an official promo video to show off the MP4-12C Spider in action and it continues to be convincing supporting evidence to the previous statement. Driven by McLaren test driver Mat Jackson, the Spider whips up and down the race track before screaming up into the Andalucía hills of Southern Spain.
Also featured in the video is the first demonstration of the folding roof mechanism. The roof only takes 17 seconds to raise or lower and the process even functioned rather well while the vehicle is in motion. Other than that, the Spider is nearly identical to the standard coupe. Behind the driver lies the same mighty twin-turbocharged 3.8 liter V8 producing 616 hp that takes the Spider from 0-to-60 mph in just 3.1 seconds. The McLaren MP4-12C Roadster also reaches a top speed of 204 mph.
Dressed in Volcano Red paint, the MP4-12C Spider just looked outrageously fun and that much more unfiltered. While roadsters in the past were criticized as less sporting cars due to its cowl shake and loss of structural rigidity, the McLaren MP4-12C was practically designed with a convertible variant in mind. Thanks to the cutting-edge one-piece Carbon MonoCell tub's superior torsional rigidity, the loss of a fixed roof has little effect on the McLaren's handling.
If there's any car I would want to drive this year, it'll be the McLaren MP4-12C Spider. Priced at $265,750, expect the official release of the MP4-12C roadster to come later this year. In the meantime, make sure to check out the MP4-12C Spider configurator to build your own.
