McLaren 765LT Spider takes wind-in-your-hair motoring to the max

McLaren has unveiled its savage new 765LT (Longtail) Spider.

Forming part of the British marque's track-focused “Super Series” range, this ferocious-looking drop-top joins its coupé sibling that was unleashed in March 2020.

Also limited to just 765 units, the ultra-exclusive 765LT Spider features an electronically retractable roof fashioned from a single piece of carbon fibre. With a touch of a button it can be raised or lowered in 11 seconds and at speeds of up to 50km/h.

The complexity of such a system obviously concedes a weight penalty (electric motors aren't light) but even so McLaren claims the Spider is only 49kg heavier than the coupé. In total it tips the scales at 1,388kg, which makes it 80kg lighter than the 720S Spider. 

As with the 765LT Coupé, the Spider comes armed with a Ricardo-built 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that puts out a gargantuan 563kW and 800Nm worth of torque. Sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, these enviable figures allow the 765LT Spider to surge from 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds and 0-200km/h in a blistering 7.2 seconds. On a long enough road you'll see reach a top speed of 330km/h. 

To ensure that it handles as well as it accelerates the 765LT Spider's carbon fibre MonoCage II-S monocoque is mated to McLaren's trick Proactive Chassis Control II suspension system that sports hydraulically cross-linked dampers and model-specific springs. Steadfast mechanical grip comes courtesy of forged alloy wheels (19-inch up front and 20-inch at the rear) clad in specially engineered Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres. 

Interior highlights include carbon fibre racing seats, a carbon fibre centre tunnel, exposed carbon fibre floor and lightweight Alcantara trim. Air-conditioning and an audio system are not included as standard (yes, you guessed it, to save more weight) but both can be specified at no additional cost. Speaking of which, the 765LT Spider in the UK comes attached to a £310,500 (roughly R6,363,954) price tag. Apparently all 2021 build slots have already been accounted for so even if you've got the cash you'll have to wait until 2022.