Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

McLaren confirms its stripped-down 675LT supercar will lose its top in 2016

By

McLaren-675LT-front-angle
McLaren 675LT Coupe Image used with permission by copyright holder
McLaren has confirmed that a Spider (convertible) version of its 675LT supercar is in development and will debut in 2016.

Though the UK sports car manufacturer originally said the lightened and powered-up 675LT model would be sold exclusively as a coupe, since all 500 examples of the coupe sold out in the span of a few months, McLaren has changed its mind. Presumably, a roadster version will sell just as well as the coupe, though its unclear how many units McLaren plans to produce of the 675LT Spider.

Recommended Videos

Further incentivizing McLaren to build and sell a convertible version is the price premium all Spider variants have been given in recent years. The 675LT Coupe starts at £259,500 ($398,267) and is available with the McLaren Club Sport pack that includes a fire extinguisher, titanium roll hoop, and four-point harness for an extra £5,090 ($7,812). The Spider version should cost at least $30,000 more than the coupe, if the 650S Spider/Coupe price differential is any indicator.

Powering the 675LT Spider will be the same twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 from the coupe, meaning 670 horsepower and 517 pound-feet of torque. The 675LT Spider will also shed about 220 pounds from the 650S and rocket to 60 mph from a standstill in around 2.9 seconds. Top speed should top 200 mph, like the coupe.

Performance-wise, the 675LT Spider will rival Ferrari’s new 488 GTB Spider, which packs 660 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque and the upcoming Lamborghini Huracan Roadster, which will share the same 610 hp V10 as its fixed roof sibling.

Working in the McLaren’s favor will be exclusivity, while the Ferrari and Lamborghini will be produced in far greater numbers. However, should Ferrari decide to make a Spider Speciale version of its 488, and should Lamborghini decide to make a Superveloce Roadster version of its Huracan, both rarity and performance will be much closer to what is on offer from the 675LT Spider.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Miles Branman
Miles Branman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Miles Branman doesn't need sustenance; he needs cars. While the gearhead gene wasn't strong in his own family, Miles…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more