McLaren 600LT Spider arrives

The open-top companion to the 600LT Coupe (McLaren’s fourth model to bear the Longtail name), the new Spider is said to continue McLaren’s Longtail philosophy of increased power, reduced weight, optimised aerodynamics, track-focused dynamics and limited availability. Exactly how "limited" local availability is has not been revealed, but Rob Pritchard, Head of Asia Pacific, McLaren Automotive, said orders were swiftly approaching production capacity.

“The 600LT Spider carries the Longtail story on to its fifth chapter," Pritchard explained.

"Born from the legendary F1 bloodline, the 600LT lives and breathes the spirit of its predecessors, the F1 Longtail and 675LT, and the Spider is no exception.

“The response to both the 600LT Coupe and Spider globally has been exceptional, with our customers eager to enter into the exclusive McLaren LT family. With availability limited on the 600LT range, we anticipate the Spider variant will be equally sought after in the Australian market."

Powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, matched to a 7-speed 'seamless shift gearbox', the 600LT Spider delivers maximums of 441kW at 7,500rpm and 620Nm at 6,500rpm - the same as the 600LT Coupe.

The 0-100km/h sprint is done in 2.9 seconds (same as the Coupe), with 0-200km/h achieved in 8.4 seconds (0.2 slower than the Coupe), while top speed Is 324km/h (4km/h slower than the Coupe). Launch Control Is standard, along with Traction Control, ABS and ESC.

The Spider's carbon-fibre Monocel II body is fitted with double wishbone independent suspension all round, while 19-inch front and 20-inch rear lightweight wheels are fitted with Pirelli P ZERO tyres as standard.

Like the coupe, a range of colours, wheel designs, interior trim and infotainment choices will be available for the 600LT Spider, along with a long list of option packs and personalisation choices from the MSO Defined bespoke service.

Local pricing for the McLaren 600LT Spider has been confirmed at $496,000 (+ ORCs).