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McLaren 570S Spider – Is This My Future Car?

McLaren 570S Spider – Introduction

Yep, once again I drove my favourite car brand: The new McLaren 570S Spider. We took their new model on the roads of Barcelona, an ideal place to have some pleasure with the 570s Spider.

The good news? McLaren continues to manufacture high-class, precise and fun to drive cars that look like spaceships. Brilliant.

The two-seat, rear-wheel drive 570S Spider is the third bodystyle in the McLaren Sports Series portfolio, lining up alongside the Coupé and the GT. Compared to the Coupé, the 570S Spider adds a neatly integrated, retractable hardtop that when lowered delivers an even more immersive and exhilarating driving experience. The two-piece roof – which is engineered using technology proven in the McLaren 650S and 675LT Spider models – is constructed of lightweight composite panels and creates a purposeful, sleek appearance whether closed or lowered.

It’s the 4th model I drove and trust me I remember the first ride in a McLaren like it was yesterday. The more often I drive them, the better it feels and now I decided: I want a McLaren and I will get one.

mclaren spider

mclaren convertible

mclaren open roof

McLaren 570S Spider – What Is So Convincing About It?

Power & Weight Distribution

The Spider is just 46kg heavier than the 570S Coupé, and that’s all in the roof mechanism. That means a lightest dry weight of 1,359kg for the Spider, a huge amount less than the  Audi R8 Spyder (253kg difference), 911 (311kg heavier) or the Mercedes AMG (301kg on top). And, well, light cars tend to be very quick, don’t they?

With a tiny little weight gain of just 3%, the same power and very little else changed from the Coupé, the Mclaren 570S Spider is the perfect summer car. 

Advanced Technology & Precision

The two top arguments of the brand on my perspective: progress in technology and infinite accuracy. What do I mean by that? Well, I drove all of fancy cars but McLaren is definitely leading the field when it comes to sit in there and feel what an unbelievable performance and accuracy a 570S Spider delivers.

The straight electro-hydraulic steering works beautifully, with a tactility and precision some makers can only dream of. The gearbox is yet again a technological masterpiece.

I’m often being asked: Does it get boring at any time, or sort of normal after driving plenty of supercars? I smiled and said:

Not at all, not in any way. It’s the other way around: you’re getting more attached, more experienced . You become a better driver.

When cornering on the beautiful roads of Barcelona, I managed to not brake for a very long route. I didn’t drive quick, I just wanted to see how much you can do with the engine doing the breaking-work.

Alright, back to my point… Technology. Let’s sum up a few fancy aspects of the McLaren 570S Spider

  • The roof can be opened or closed up to 40km/h
  • It takes only 15 seconds to do so
  • A dry weight of only 1359kg thanks to the carbon fibre and an advanced roof technology

mclaren dihedral doors

mclaren spider hardtop

mclaren inside

mclaren interior

But There Is Power Too, I Assume?

Oh lord yes. McLaren is using their 3799cc twin-turbo charged V8 which produces 570hp at 7500rpm. And thanks to its lightweight, the 570S is made and designed to corner it amongst some epic roads.

McLaren 570S Spider – Specs

Engine: 3,799cc, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 7-speed SSG automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 570@7,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 443@5,000-6,500rpm
0-100km/h: 3.2sec 
Top speed: 204mph

A Few Reasons Why The McLaren 570S Spider Is My Future Car

There are a couple of things I’ve learned in life:

  1. Set your dreams and goals as precisely as you can
  2. Work hard 
  3. Don’t limit yourself
  4. Keep the focus
  5. Bad things happen, keep fighting and working hard and you can achieve everything.

So there are a few reasons why I want a McLaren: 

  • You don’t see them at every corner, it’s still something special
  • The summer-feeling in this Spider was incredible
  • The spaceship-like look is super cool and I simply love the dihedral doors.
  • Precision, advantage and high-quality harmonized in this brand
  • Nothing else has beaten it so far

mclaren superseries spider

mclaren lifestyle

mclaren steering wheel

Carl F. Bucherer – Patravi TravelTec FourX Titanium Case – Ref 00.10620.21.93.01

The Idea Of Owning a McLaren – What It Means To Me

The intension to buy a supercar is a bit more than a childhood dream, it’s a statement. You might find a lot of supercars with a variety of messages and feelings, but my idea and goal of owning a McLaren is different. McLaren speaks a different language. It’s precision in its very roots – a sustainable supercar for a successful entrepreneur. Believe it or not,  you can get home without waking up all your neighbors – my ultimate gentleman’s car.

My little investigation looks feasible

The prices are starting around 200’000 EUR, quite a bit of money – but doable. I found a used Coupé for 180k, insurance 3’500 per year. I will definitely keep you posted on my progress! The model is available in three different colours: Vega Blue, Sicilian Yellow & Curacao Blue (the one shown in this article).
mclaren 570s spider colors

McLaren 720S – A New Benchmark Of Supercar Excellence

McLaren 720S – Introduction

When it comes to the fastest cars in the world, McLaren is for sure one of the leading brands in the industry. During the Geneva Motorshow, they have presented their latest model: The McLaren 720S.

The England-based manufacturer of luxury, high-performance sports and supercars, has renewed the Super Series product family at the core of its brand with the introduction of the new McLaren 720S, a car that sets new benchmarks of supercar excellence.

Trust me, I couldn’t have been more excited to experience the 720S on the road. Why? The performance is absolutely insane. The 720S is shattering every sort of power I’ve witnessed in a car – by far.

720 S

mc laren 720s

But let me explain why

The new McLaren 720S introduces the second-generation Super Series, the product family at the heart of the McLaren brand. It’s the successor of the 650S I drove in Tenerife. Let’s go through a couple of facts to turn up the excitement:

  • The engine has been upgraded from a 3.8 litre to a 4.0 litre twin turbo charged V8
  • A Carbon fibre chassis is key to the 1,283kg lightest dry weight
  • 41% of components in the engine are all-new
  • Cooling performance improves by 15% in comparison to the 650S.

The numbers are staggering

Driving the 720S, sort of feels like passing galaxies in warp speed. Yes, I imagine a spaceship must be feeling similar. The turbochargers have been adjusted, so the 720S comes up with more torque – meaning the power is available in an earlier stage.

The 650S started to increase the acceleration after like 3’000 RPM, though the 720S provides the power at the very beginning. The 720bhp are just sending you into other dimensions, I guess you will have to drive it to fully experience what I mean.

But let’s get these impressive numbers a bit structured:

  • 720PS and 770Nm, with a power-to-weight ratio of up to 561PS per tonne
  • Maximum speed of 212mph (341km/h)
  • Braking from 200 km/h to standstill in 4.6 seconds, covering 117m

hypercar

McLaren 720S – The Design

My first impression was true, the 720S is all about a new concept of aerodynamics and design. The new McLaren 720S represents a step-change in McLaren Super Series’ design language. Balanced, compact, proportions are defined by the elegant sweep of the teardrop glasshouse, while the 720S bodywork creates a futuristic, highly technical appearance.

Hours of innovation are defining the design of the new McLaren 720S. The lean, sculpted body shape creates an instantly recognisable silhouette.

The canopy-like design also provides a feeling of 360-degree vision for occupants that is unrivalled in the supercar class, allowing light to flood into the cabin and setting a new benchmark for visibility.

The aggressively contoured front bumper takes its inspiration from the McLaren P1TM. Visually dramatic, digital LED headlights are integrated within ‘eye-sockets’ that feature an aero duct to channel air to the low-temperature radiators and cut deep into the front fenders to produce a distinctly predatory gaze.

The new McLaren 720S is equipped with Static Adaptive Headlights, a pioneering technology that optimises headlight performance by changing the directional light intensity based on steering input.

Double-skinned dihedral doors allow for the apparent removal of side air intakes from the toned, pinched waistline, despite the increased cooling requirements of the new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Fast moving air is efficiently managed around the sleek A-pillars into ducts within the door, maximising cooling performance without the need to increase radiator dimensions or mass.

  • The 720S merges visual drama, state-of-the-art technologies, and aerodynamic purity to introduce a new generation of design language
  • Aluminium bodywork is ‘shrink-wrapped’ around a carbon fibre structure, for sculpted, technical appearance and optimal aerodynamic efficiency
  • Double-skinned dihedral doors channel air to high-temperature radiators

mclaren new car

mclaren new model

mclaren 720s engine

mclaren 720s design

mclaren 720s interior

The 720S – My Drive In Rome

At the moment I flew out of Zürich, we literally had snow in the middle of spring. Fortunately, the weather in Rome was much better and the following Saturday showed the city in its most beautiful glance.

We took the cars and drove it out of the city. The terrain was rather difficult – heavy corners and bumpy roads promised a lot of fun and required quite some concentration.

I’m still sure the McLaren brand engineers the best gearboxes on the market, the one in the 720S is yet again another piece of perfection. 7.8 seconds from 0-200 is almost the performance you’re expecting from a plug-in hybrid car like the Porsche 918 Spyder. But the McLaren 720S doesn’t bark and shout at you all the time, it’s not the crisp metallic sound we had in past supercars – the 720S is a hyper car – engineered towards perfection. And that’s how it feels to drive – bit like a spaceship.

traveltec fourx

Wrist shot of my Patravi Traveltec FourX Limited Edition 00.10620.22.93.01

720s

mclaren 720s