The supercar convertible has always been at odds with what it positions itself in. A supercar should be lightweight and performance should be its ultimate motive. Chopping the roof off means more weight and performance are affected too, which means a supercar convertible is more of a showpiece but not for drivers. The new McLaren Artura Spider has a dry lightest weight of just 1,457kg, with kerb weight (DIN) of only 1,560kg – just 62kg more than the Artura coupe.
These figures make it the lightest in its class with the chief reason being that the Spider was involved at first during the development of the coupe. Speaking of which, the Artura Spider takes only 11 seconds to drop its electrical hardtop and that means sudden downpours are not an issue at all!
Of course, the Artura Spider is quick and fast enough to seriously mess up your hairstyle with a 700PS 6-cylinder hybrid engine. As a result, while it is not as raucous as the 765LTs or the other lairy convertibles from McLaren, it is very quick and the hybrid powertrain in the equation enables it to be a dual personality as you quietly trundle along city roads. For the 2025 specification, McLaren has also increased the electric-only range to 21 miles as well.
That said, McLaren has indeed added a revised valved exhaust system and now has an even stiffer suspension with three dynamic handling modes altering the body control. The new Artura also gets carbon ceramic discs which makes it suitable for sudden stops as well. Being the lightest car in its class has advantages and that adds to the agility.
In terms of looks, from the front end, it is identical to the coupe but the haunches add a sense of drama and it looks more flamboyant from the rear. The dihedral doors also chime in with the necessary pomp and glamour associated with a supercar. The interiors are no-nonsense but delightfully detract from unmercenary clutter.
McLaren expects the Arutra Spider to become their best seller and we agree because it promises all the practicality of the coupe but with the added drama of roofless motoring.
