McLaren 570S Spider and GT variants planned

This Autocar image shows how the 570S Spider could look

Open-top version of McLaren's 570S to arrive in 2017, soon after a long-distance touring version comes to market next year

A Spider variant of the McLaren 570S will be launched in 2017, soon after an expected GT variant, company sources have confirmed.

The new open-top 570S is set to keep the coupé’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine and should come with the same 562bhp and 443lb ft of torque.

Like the 650S Spider revealed at the 2014 Geneva motor show, the 570S Spider will have a folding hard-top roof. The 650S Spider weighs just 40kg more than the 650S Coupé, and if a similar weight difference can be achieved with the 570S, the drop-top  should have a kerb weight of around 1350kg.

Despite the car’s expected additional weight, McLaren has a track record of extracting almost identical performance figures for its spider and coupé equivalents. So the 570S Spider should be capable of getting close to or matching the coupé’s 0-62mph time of 3.2sec and its 205mph top speed.

The price gap between McLaren’s coupé and convertible models is typically about £20,000, which means a price of around £165,000 is likely for the 570S Spider. The coupé starts at £143,250.

The Spider will arrive about 12 months after an all-new bodystyle, the 570S GT, which is believed to be going on sale next year. The GT will be a more spacious and practical model, designed with long-distance touring in mind.

The 570S GT is also expected to keep the standard car’s powertrain but will come with additional storage space - most likely resulting in minor styling changes - and a more luxurious interior.

Read more:

McLaren 650S replacement to arrive in 2018

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