If you ever had a chance to test-drive the McLaren 570S Spider, you would definitely agree that it is madness. Not the car itself, which is a cogent convertible design based on the already handsome coupe. What is crazy is that a 562-hp machine that hammers to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds is only considered a sort-of, kind-of supercar. The Spider will be McLaren's volume model in its lowest-priced, lowest-tier Sports Series designation. As such, it is the company's starter supercar.
Should you have $208,800 in your Venmo account, you won't give up anything except that fixed roof. There's no perceivable performance demerit when it comes to this retractable hardtop, as it was developed alongside the regular 570S from the onset. The 0-to-60 time is a non-discernable one-tenth of a second slower, and it still gets to a 204-mph top speed when the roof is up. If you insist on a top-velocity hurtle with wind bathing the cabin, it would only limit you by 8 mph. So, yes, madness. With the top down, the Spider gets more attention than the coupe, and perhaps even more than the 720S. The top goes down in a snappy 19 seconds at speeds of up to 25 mph.
The driving position is excellent and the interior materials good. When it's time to get supercar serious, the Spider is remarkably prepared. The rear wheels are powered by the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V8, with the aforementioned 562 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque, working with an Italian-produced seven-speed double-clutch. You can just slam through roads, choosing to either maximize rolling speeds and smoothness or grab-it-by-the-scruff and lob it through corners. The car's balance abets the former driving style; its power-and-brake combo the latter. Either way, it's a delight. The 570S is carefree and insouciant. A starter supercar? Hardly. But definitely one geared to taste the wind.
