The majority of sports cars have a convertible version, and that isn't without a reason.
Customers want convertibles in this segment.
If they pay that amount of money, they want to be seen.
They want to gallivanter about, so they buy the roadster instead of the coupé.
The funny thing is, a roadster generally does more miles.
Why? Well, a coupé is bought for the 'real' driving.
That hardcore drive once or twice a year. They go into the mountains, or they drive a few laps on a circuit.
But that's about it, the rest of the time it will be sitting in the garage,
next to the daily.
The roadster however, people buy that to gallivanter about.
That's more for social events. They attend parties in them,
they go out to eat in them, they visit friends in them,
and that's why you usually find roadster which have done more than coupé's.
Convertibles have played a big role in McLaren's history. Every single model since the launch of McLaren Automotive,
had a convertible version. Except for the P1, that is.
The 650, the 675, the 12C... So it isn't a surprise we're looking at the 570S Spider
Its main targets will be the Audi R8 V10 Spider, and the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet,
and today I'm going to find out how this will hold its ground.
The changes in the car aren't very groundbreaking. Only the aerodynamics have been altered,
because they removed the roof, which gives it a different shape. That's why the spoiler is now bigger,
about 1 cm, because air has to go alongside it.
Other than that? Not much.
Usually, convertibles need some reinforcement, but that isn't the case with this 570S Spider.
That's because all McLaren's have a carbon monocoque, which the car is built around.
So they just took off the roof, and it doesn't really make a difference when it comes to rigidity.
It's a slightly heavier roof, but it still weighs about 150-200 kg less, than the rivals I mentioned earlier.
Excuse me for having such a bewildered look on my face.
I can't really help it considering I'm driving a convertible with 570 horsepower. Also, it's 31 degrees celsius today.
I'm sweating, I'm hot, the wind cools me down again,
and everything put together results in this face.
I'm having fun though. It really is such an experience...
It's such a pleasure. This McLaren... It's right.
You can't spot a flaw, or a typical McLaren-downside or anything. Nothing to complain about.
When it comes to the feeling I get from this car, that's a different story.
And that's what I'd like to tell you guys about. Let's start with the drivetrain.
It's a V8 producing 570 horsepower. 3.8-litre with two turbo's.
We already know out of every other McLaren, of course.
But in those other cars, the engine is significantly different.
In the segment above this, especially the new 720, but the 650 as well,
the engine reacts a lot sharper.
In here... If I slow down, back to third...
Right now I'm doing 2.000 RPM, and now full throttle.
Wait... 3.000... Yep...
The boost appears at 3.500, so there's quite a lag in the lower revs.
So they haven't done it like Ferrari, with distributed torque,
the turbo's have to spin up.
The same goes for the throttle response... Drivetrain on the sharpest mode...
Yep... The boost has to build constantly.
It's only half a second though, and a few years ago it wouldn't have been annoying.
But Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes with their 4.0-litre in the C63, have really raised the technical bar when it comes to throttle response in a turbo engine.
I can't help but notice McLaren is lagging behind.
And to be honest, I miss that when I'm cornering.
Because when I'm in a corner, when I move my throttle pedal even a millimeter,
I want the nose to react immediately.
The nose has to push itself to the outside when I get on the gas, but in here there's just a slight delay.
Let's take a look at the competition then. The 911 Turbo: Porsche has already passed McLaren.
The Audi R8 V10; that's atmospherical, more direct isn't possible.
So when it comes to that, it's good, better and best.
A few years ago, such a turbocharged engine was unheard of,
but that's how quick it can go.
Then, the automatic gearbox. Shifting gears is the same story as before.
The newest generation of cars, like the 911 GT3 and such,
shift gears quicker than this double clutch gearbox, but I don't miss that speed.
More importantly, it reacts the way I want it to.
If I shift down, whereas the car thought I was shifting up,
there's no doubt. I'm the boss, and that's the way I want it to be in sports cars with automatic gearboxes.
The steering is very good. McLaren still uses a hydraulic setup.
You really notice the difference.
Take the Porsche for example. I really love that steering as well,
but it's got electric power steering. And when you have the steering wheel in the neutral position,
you really notice the difference. Because the McLaren doesn't have that blind spot.
I do think the steering could've been more direct. I have to turn the steering wheel a tad too much.
It would fit a car like this better, because its nose tends to go to the inside of the corner.
I want to be able to make subtle movements.
That way, you can catch the car if it were to lose grip.
It's something McLaren has done with a reason obviously, they must've had their reasons.
If you look further in the interior, the settings are about the same as other McLaren's.
You've got two turning knobs. One for the drivetrain and one for the chassis.
It's all very accessible, very good ergonomics.
You can easily switch from 'comfortable driving' to 'hey, a nice corner'. If you've passed the corner, the push of a button resets your car to your basic settings.
Very well done.
Its lightness, that speaks for itself.
You do notice it's a lot lighter than an Audi R8. Relatively speaking, it would be a heavy car.
But when you drive a R8, it doesn't feel heavy at all, except when you're driving this next to it.
And that's what McLaren has always been about.
It has to be high tech, they're almost always the lightest in the segment...
And that leaves you with pure driving.
That can also be a disadvantage in a supercar though.
A supercar is also about bravery, about fancyness. And even though you have the McLaren Special Operations team,
which'll customize the car to your preferences when it comes to leather, stitchings, and wheels and brake caliper-colors,
it doesn't have the appeal an Audi R8 has, because that's still fancier.
But it also doesn't come close to the Lamborghini Huracan.
Even the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT-C Roadster... It's a little bit more luxurious, a little bit clinical as well...
And even though McLaren is aiming for a daily driver, I tend to think it's too much of a drivers car for such a task.
It's direct competitor is a 911 Turbo according to McLaren, but I think it's more of a rival for the 911 GT3.
I think this is sharper than the 911 Turbo, so it's inbetween them.
You could say it trumps both of them, but you could also say it can't beat either of them.
It's a little bit like the glass which is half full or half empty.
Therefore I find it very hard to place this car, so I have to answer the question 'Which one would you choose in this segment',
with 'I really don't know'.
The steering and chassis in this really are great, but when it comes to the sound; I really want to hear the V10 from the R8.
I'm kind of an Audi-guy. Also, I miss a little bit of sharpness in the steering,
so I go to the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, because were driving convertibles right now...
But then I want the GT3, which isn't available as a convertible.
And that's when the circle closes, and I end up with this car again.
Or another weird choice, like the Ferrari California T.
However, the fun thing in this segment is, they all have such different personalities.
Even though people tend to complain a lot that they're too similar...
But, when you like one, it will always feel better than all the others.
But if you like them all, it's going to be very hard for you to choose.
But they're all different, so it's up to you to choose the one you like.