New McLaren MP4-12C Spider pics

We had some scant details on the new McLaren 12C Spider drop-top yesterday, but now the British F1 and sportscars manufacturer has released some full smoky ‘n’ juicy shots of their new £195,000 Spider.

Opinion is generally divided on the big Mc’s looks and from what I can see, the roof removal doesn’t seem to add or indeed subtract anything from the functionally vicious-looking 12C Spider. Apart from the roof, of course!

The 616bhp, twin-turbo V8 supercar enjoys almost identical performance stats to the original hard-top car and will be priced from £195,500 in the UK. You can order yours from your local McLaren dealer now, with first deliveries to customers expected for November this year.

The retractable hard-top of the 12C Spider is operated using a switch in the lower section of the centre console inside the cabin and is said to take 17 seconds to raise or lower, and at speeds of up to 19mph.

Located behind driver and passenger is a rear windscreen that can be electronically lowered and raised, and with the roof lowered this acts as wind deflector to keep drafts at bay. With the roof up the rear window can be lowered, allowing the full blast of the 3.8-litre bespoke V8 engine to drown out the gibbering on Radio 1. Floor this bad boy and the gibbering may not just be on the radio, mind!

Thankfully, the 12C Spider also features a passive Roll Over Protection System to help maximise occupant safety, with each windscreen buttress built around a steel structure designed to absorb impact energy in the event that things go wheels-up.

Seen here in Volcano Red; one of 17 exterior paint colours available for the 12C and 12C Spider, while both 12C derivatives will also be available in optional Volcano Yellow, a new paint colour which features in the brand’s Elite range of exterior finishes. A new wheel design will also be offered to keep the Spider looking fresh in new boots.

And, if the bank manager has already poopooed the idea of a new Spider crawling onto your driveway anytime soon, then you can build your own virtual McLaren drop-top on the new 12C Spider online configurator, at www.configure.mclaren.com. Lovely.























By Daniel Anslow

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