Supercar fans you now have another vehicle to consider – the stunning open top version of the McLaren 12C is now available for order from McLaren dealerships with deliveries scheduled to commence in November. In Britain the McLaren 12C Spider is priced at £195,500 (about $AU298,000).
Featuring a retractable roof which can be operated at speeds up to 30km/h, the Spider version shares the same carbon ‘Monocell’ chassis and 460kW 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine of the hardtop model. A glass screen behind the tonneau cover provides a clear view of this remarkable pwoerplant which drives the rear wheels via seven-speed dual clutch transmission with steering wheel paddle shifters.
Performance is virtually line-ball with the McLaren 12C hardtop – both covering zero to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds – for zero to 200km/h the hardtop edges ahead 8.8 seconds to 9.0 seconds.
McLaren says addition of 40kgs of roof architecture required no strengthening of the 75kgs carbon ‘MonoCell’ which is the heart of the 12C. The folding roof takes 17 seconds to open/close. With the roof open the rear window remains upright to act as a wind deflector for occupants but – here’s a twist – with the roof closed you can lower the rear window to take-in the sounds of the turbo V8 at work.
Close the roof and the McLaren 12C provides an additional 52-litres of luggage space and each car will be supplied with a unique luggage set customized for the 12C Spider’s storage area.
Inside the Spider version debuts the 2013 model year interior for the McLaren 12C. You can personally select your combination of perforated leather and Alcantara trim.
The Spider version also debuts a new choice of wheel design.
But owning a supercar is sometimes problematical – cue the steep driveway. For the 12C Spider and 2013 model year 12C hardtop, McLaren has solved this problem with an optional suspension lift kit which raises the front by 40mm and the rear by 25mm – and as it can operate at speeds up to 60km/h you’re still good to go for a fast getaway.
