2022 McLaren 765LT Spider

The McLaren 765LT Spider is the British carmaker's most powerful convertible ever. Sharing much with the 765LT Coupe, the Spider is a more hardcore track-focused version of the 720S Spider. As is often the case with McLaren, weight-saving has been a core area of the 765LT Spider's development. It's over 175 pounds lighter than the 720S Spider and around 220 lbs lighter than its nearest competitor. That list includes the Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder and Ferrari F8 Tributo. Powering the 765LT Spider is a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with 755 horsepower. That allows you to hit 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h) in 7.2 seconds while having even the tightest-fitting hat blown clean off your head. The removal of the fixed roof adds to the drama of piloting the scalpel-sharp 765LT Spider with its incredibly rigid carbon structure. This is a drop-top only because the roof can be lowered - in every other instance, this thrilling McLaren is anything but a boulevard cruiser for posers.

Announced in the second half of 2021 as a drop-top version of the regular 765LT, the 765LT Spider adds a retractable hard-top roof to the mix which raises or lowers in only 11 seconds. It's only around 108 lbs heavier than the 765LT so the Spider is still capable of the same 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds. Even when the roof is closed, there is a power rear window that allows access to the full soundtrack from the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Compared with the 720S Spider, the 765LT Spider's in-gear acceleration is 15% quicker, and the aerodynamic downforce is increased by 25%.

Especially when finished in one of the striking available colors like Lime Green or Lantana Purple, the 765LT Spider is a more than worthy poster car. McLaren's focus on aerodynamics is evident in the carbon fiber aerodynamic package which includes a front splitter, side skirts, and bumper diffusers, all in carbon fiber. The headlights cutouts look like large, alien eyes, and the aggressive rear with high-mounted quad tailpipes screams power and speed. It's not graceful like some Italian exotics, but the McLaren has its own identity.

The one-piece retractable hard-top roof can be electrically lowered or raised in only 11 seconds and at speeds of up to 31 mph. It's fashioned from carbon fiber to save weight. Standard features include full LED headlights, automatic LED daytime running lights, and LED taillights. The dihedral doors are impossible to miss and have a soft-close function. At the back, there is an LT active rear wing that is calibrated for whether the roof is up or down. In this car, the aerodynamic downforce is 25% greater than the 720S Spider.

The ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels with a Platinum finish measure 19 inches in front and 20 inches at the back.

At 181.1 inches in length, the McLaren 765LT Spider is exactly the same length as its coupe sibling. At its widest point, the body has a width of 85 inches, but this increases to 118.3 inches when the doors are open so you'll want to avoid squeezing into any tight spots. With the doors closed, the height is 47 inches, increasing to 77.1 inches when they're open. The wheelbase measures 105.1 inches.

With fluids and 90% fuel, the DIN curb weight is 3,060 lbs, only 108 lbs heavier than the 765LT coupe. The dry weight is 2,818 lbs. This low weight is mostly because of the carbon fiber Monocage II body structure, but McLaren has gone as far as to use thinner glass for the windshield too.

The McLaren 765LT Spider's performance specs are right up there with its coupe sibling. With a flat-plane crankshaft, the 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine sounds distinctive as it runs up to its lofty red line. It makes 755 hp at 7,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. Its three-layer head gasket and carbon-coated valve train followers come straight from the hardcore Senna. Paired with the powerful V8 is a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox which McLaren says is optimized for driver engagement.

Performance is predictably brutal. The McLaren 765LT Spider completes 0-60 mph in only 2.7 seconds (the same as the heavier coupe) and 0-124 takes only 7.2 seconds. McLaren claims a quarter-mile sprint time of exactly ten seconds and a top speed of 205 mph. Additionally, in-gear acceleration is 15% quicker than in the 720S.

With rear-wheel drive, it's easy to elicit smoky burnouts from the 765LT Spider. It isn't the sweetest-sounding V8 ever, but such is the instantaneous throttle response and ability to eat up the road that a more pressing concern is making sure that you don't get yourself in trouble. The seven-speeder is also responsive and gear changes are as fast as you want in a car of this kind.

The 765LT Spider drives remarkably similarly to its coupe sibling, and that's about as much praise as we can bestow upon the convertible. It all begins with the strong carbon fiber MonoCage II that makes the 765LT Spider as sturdy and stiff as the coupe. It has a carbon fiber front structural floor and an adaptive damping suspension. There are four handling modes: Non-Active, Comfort, Sport, and Track.

Driven at sane speeds in Comfort mode, the RWD 765LT Spider is a surprisingly livable machine. It is by no means a Bentley yet the suspension is capable of shielding occupants from road scars effectively enough, although the firmness never entirely disappears and the seats are supportive but hard. The roof is clearly well engineered as it masks more road noise than expected when it's up. Of course, this car wasn't meant to be used in Comfort mode. In Sport or Track, it comes alive in sensational fashion. The V8's power and responsiveness is superlative, and many public roads are too short or congested to fully unleash the car's performance. The electro-hydraulic steering is wonderful; it's fast, accurate, and provides more feedback than the vast majority of modern sports cars.

Track mode is appropriately named because it really only should be used on the track. With less intervention from the electronic safety nets, you'll need to have your wits about you. But it's this challenging demeanor and the car's multiple dynamic layers that make it so special. It's nimble, athletic, and razor-sharp in all the right ways. A nice trick is the ability to lower the rear window with the roof up - in this guise, you can hear the bark of the V8 but still enjoy the benefits of having the roof up.

Running costs for the McLaren 765LT Spider will be high. Its EPA ratings are 14/18/16 mpg city/highway/combined. That's only good if you compare it to the Bugatti Chiron, but it should also be noted those figures are only in ideal conditions. Drive the 765LT Spider in anger and single-digit mileage is in the cards. With its 19-gallon gas tank, the 765LT Spider will be able to cover just over 300 miles on a full tank.

A strict two-seater, the 765LT Spider doesn't have the most comfortable cabin in the world. The carbon fiber racing seats are undoubtedly supportive during aggressive driving but they are thinly cushioned so can't be called comfortable. There isn't a lot of foot space either, but at least headroom is unlimited with the roof down.

The cabin feels exotic and expensive for the most part. The interior switches are machined from solid aluminum and there is carbon fiber trim everywhere. One or two areas, such as the interior rearview mirror casing, are finished in cheaper plastics. The seats themselves are upholstered in grippy Alcantara, but you can upgrade them to leather if you wish. Some of the colors include Carbon Black leather with Kingfisher Blue or McLaren Orange stitching.

McLaren hasn't bothered to publish figures for the 765LT Spider's small frunk, but it should match the coupe's 5.3 cubic feet of volume. As you may imagine, that's not enough for a set of golf clubs so you'd be better off taking up soccer or tennis.

There is a door storage pocket with a net, a cupholder, and a shallow center storage area, but the 765LT Spider is as practical as the average supercar, which means it's not particularly practical at all.

Luxury takes a back seat to performance goodies in the cabin of the McLaren 765LT Spider. It comes with a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, an electrochromatic-dimming rearview interior mirror, a rearview camera, power-folding side mirrors with heating elements, soft-close doors, a power rear window, and the power-retractable hard-top roof. The racing seats are limited in their adjustability, but you can equip power-adjustable seats with heating if you aren't too fussed about adding weight. Dual-zone climate control, front/rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system, and a power-adjustable steering column are other optional features.

The infotainment system isn't nearly as cutting edge as the powertrain. It consists of an eight-inch touchscreen interface that has the basics but nothing more. It is occasionally laggy to use but at least voice controls, two USB ports, an auxiliary port, McLaren track telemetry, and 4G LTE connectivity are included. As with comfort and convenience items, McLaren leaves many features on the options list. You can add a four-speaker sound system - there is no standard sound system, removed in a bid to keep weight down - or a more powerful 12-speaker unit from Bowers & Wilkins. An AM/FM radio, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth telephony are all also available.

At the time of writing, no recalls had been issued by the NHTSA for the McLaren 765LT Spider. There is also no J.D. Power rating of the drop-top.

If anything does go awry, McLaren covers the 765LT Spider with a three-year warranty regardless of how many miles are covered in that period.

To nobody's surprise, there is no McLaren 765LT Spider crash review to speak of from local authorities. Chances are good that it never will be crash-tested owing to its price and exclusivity.

If the worst does happen, the McLaren does come with front and side airbags for the protection of the driver and passenger. In a car this quick, it helps to know that the car has an array of systems in place to keep things in check. That includes traction control, electronic stability control, cruise control, a speed limit function, variable drift control, brake pad wear sensors, brake disc wipe technology, and carbon ceramic brakes. There are also front and rear crash structures in aluminum. Optional equipment includes a 360-degree park assist system and front/rear parking sensors.

By chopping off the roof, McLaren has literally amplified the experience of the regular 765LT with the 765LT Spider. There is a minor weight penalty that is unnoticeable in daily driving, and the performance has not suffered. What you do get is the novelty of dropping the carbon fiber roof which is also brilliantly engineered and shuts out most road noise when it's closed. Of course, this supercar is much more than its fancy roof. The engine is a masterpiece and endows the 765LT Spider with a dramatic turn of speed. It's paired with a quick transmission and top-notch dynamics. The 765LT is beautifully balanced; it'll flatter a novice and blow away more skilled drivers on a track. Shortcomings like the iffy infotainment system can't take away from what is a fantastic supercar.

The 2022 McLaren 765LT Spider's price begins at $382,500 MSRP in the USA. That makes it almost $25,000 more expensive than the normal 765LT. McLaren doesn't say much about what the options cost, but we know enough to know that you can easily add $100k worth of extras. For instance, carbon fiber body panels will cost over $36,000 on their own.

There is only one trim to choose from. Whether laden with extras or bought in its most basic form, the 765LT Spider is a brilliant supercar. If it were us, we'd include the no-cost air conditioning system as this is a feature we couldn't live without. We may also consider going for the more comfortable leather seats, although as this is meant to be a track toy, perhaps the standard buckets are best since most 765LT Spider owners are bound to have another car (or five) as a daily driver.

How do you want your drop-top? Hot or extra hot? If you're coming from something more docile like a Mercedes-AMG SL, both these McLarens will blow you away with their razor-sharp steering, thrilling acceleration, and agility. But there are a few differences that make the 765LT an even more capable track car where every pound, second, and horsepower makes a difference. At 755 hp, the 765LT makes 45 hp more than the 720S but can only cut a tenth of a second off the 0-60 time. McLaren promises superior in-gear acceleration in the former, though, and as it is 176 lbs lighter and has more downforce, the 765LT is even more buttoned-down and agile. McLaren has given the 765LT thinner side window and windshield glass, and the carbon fiber seats are 40 lbs lighter than the ones in the 720S. Both cars are fantastic, so go for the 720S is you'll be using the car every day and the 765LT for more occasional track exploits.

These two track toys share many components, most notably the 755-hp twin-turbo V8. The Spider's retractable hard-top roof is made from carbon fiber and drops in only 11 seconds but it does make the car 108 lbs heavier than the coupe. Both cars will reach 60 mph in 2.7 seconds but the coupe is two-tenths faster to 124 mph (200 km/h). That's as near as makes no difference, and the rigid construction means that there's no discernable dynamic price to pay for the Spider. At almost $25,000 more, the Spider commands an understandable premium, but that's a minor factor considering that both cars start north of $350k. Nothing about the 765LT is subtle and the ability to lower the roof simply adds to the fun. For that reason, we'll take the Spider.