Akrapovic Posted April 14, 2019 Posted April 14, 2019 The British brand makes magic by converting its fantastic coupe into a convertible that shows no dynamic limitations of any kind. For many purists in the world of super sports cars, a convertible is a weirdo, a proposal that seeks to convey more glamor than anything else, since many dynamic concessions must be made in exchange for that wonderful feeling of driving outdoors. And it sounds logical, considering that without roof there is less rigidity in the structure, which forces the manufacturer to generate extra reinforcements that increase the weight by 150 kg or more. The McLaren 720S Spider is the second model of the McLaren Super Series and offers the same extraordinary figures that the 720S Coupe already carried: a 0 to 100 km / h in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 341 km / h. Convertible, yes, but without limitations or any concession, and that is magic. Do you want more magic? We handle it in a global test organized by the brand on the roads of Arizona and we will tell you how it behaves, although I think that you can already guess. Only 50 kilos Let's start with the first. The McLaren 720S Spider is built on the same structure that gives life to the 720S Coupé and all the hypercars that the brand has launched so far, including the P1, the Senna and the future Speedtail, but the latter will have to wait a while. And what is that base? If you're not familiar with the brand, McLaren is a specialist in carbon fiber since he first used it in one of his Formula One cars back in the early 80's. And today, all his street cars are a worship of this composite material. The basis of all street McLaren is an extremely lightweight and rigid monocoque (Monocage II), to which are added aluminum subchairs, which is also quite light, and covers it with a carbon fiber body. Just to get an idea, the normal 720S marked on the balance 1,283 kilos dry, nothing for a car of 4.54 meters long and two meters wide. Well, the new McLaren 720S Spider weighs just 50 extra kilos, which is nothing considering that includes the roof drive motor and the hydraulic system that moves it. Now, the brand had to make two or three minor modifications to the chassis (now called Monocage II-S) to ensure the proper functioning of the roof. First, he added a rail over the edge of the windshield to include the hooks; then, he added a new section behind the seats as a frame for the roof, and finally he removed the frames to the windows of the doors. To that is added the roof, which is a single continuous piece, and is operated in just 11 seconds and moving up to 50 km / h. It can be chosen from carbon fiber or in electrochromatic glass of variable opacity, which lightens and / or darkens automatically through a button if the driver wants more or less light in the passenger compartment. This roof weighs an extra 3.5 kilos, so we recommend you do a little diet and opt for it, because it offers a sensational experience, if the cold decides to drive with the roof in place. The heart of the SpiderThen, without compromises due to the fact that it is convertible, the 720S Spider accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 2.9 seconds, the same time the coupé takes. From here it is slightly slower; it goes through 200 km / h in 7.9 seconds (+ 0.1s) and reaches 300 km / h in 22.4 seconds (+ 1s).Both, yes, reach the top of 341 km / h and the most surprising thing is that if you want to take it to the limit with the top down and the wind in the face, it will reach an impressive 327 km / h.So fast it goes, so fast it brakes thanks to its ceramic carbon disks of 12.4 inches forward and 15 inches back, with clamps of six and four pistons, respectively. Like the coupe, the 720S Spider stops from 200 km / h to 0 in 118 meters and 4.6 seconds, and from 100 to 0 in 30.3 meters and 2.8 seconds. Awesome! The heart of this sport is the same of all: the 4.0-liter V8 twin turbo that delivers 720 horsepower and 770 Nm of torque, and that is associated with a double-clutch automatic box that sends torque to the rear axle. The suspension, meanwhile, is the Proactive Chassis Control II system, an evolution that borders on the perfection of the system launched in 2011. It operates with a series of hydro-pneumatic circuits that allow it to omit the traditional stabilizers, keeping the car fully stuck to the ground, without sacrificing ride comfort. Thus, if the 720S was already the most comfortable super sports car on the market (not at the level of a GT, but better than any of its competitors), the Spider is on the same line. Another of the outstanding points of this model is the direction, precise as few that we know and with a lot of feedback from the wheels to the hands. Just look where we want to go and the 720S Spider leaves there without loss of time or corrections to be made along the way. On my way Some time ago we told you about our experience with the 600LT Spider, a convertible sports car with a much more radical approach, and that we were able to test exclusively for Latin America at an event organized by the brand in Arizona, an event whose second part was the 720S Spider test . And if the 600LT Spider handled it on roads and circuits, with the older brother we used motorways in very good condition that took us to the mountainous part of the state, on our way to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, although, unfortunately, we were about 200 kilometers away away from there. And what did we think? Superb, more eye-catching than any German sports car, as dynamic as the fiercest of the Italian convertibles and as comfortable as any of the British GT par excellence. Let's start with the first thing you do in a test: get in the car, something we would not describe driving a sedan or any SUV, but in a sport of this lineage, the access and driving position is relevant. Well, we can say that we ratify with the Spider the reputation for habitability that the 720S has. First, the socket of the monocoque is low and you do not have to take a big stride to get into the car. Then, because the armchair, if sporty, is not an element of modern torture. It is anchored down, of course, but it receives well any type of body, wraps it gently and lends it all the support that is required in a curve without abusing the kidneys. As if that were not enough, the weakest point of any convertible is its visibility, and here again it surprises the amplitude of vision that one has from the driving position, thanks to the fact that not everything is designed in small format. McLaren says he designed a low back and added a window between the heads so that looking through the center mirror makes some sense. The 720S Spider offers the same dual-use digital cluster that debuts in the coupe. For street and road shows a large screen with a lot of information, but with the push of a button, this screen hides, leaving a small display with the basic data necessary for use in circuit. In the center of the board rests an infotainment system with an 8 "screen, while the center console is minimalist and sports very few buttons including those in the box. Opinion? The sport cars must be austere and functional and the 720S Spider is in its design, but it offers a high sense of quality, even luxury, something that Ferrari took years to understand. The engine is reactive, without the slightest turbolag, is very linear in its acceleration and is capable of pushing up to 8,000 laps, but its best range of use is the medium, between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm. So it unfolds perfectly. But a good engine is nothing without a good transmission, and this box of 7 changes of McLaren is superb too, works with great efficiency up and down, with a speed according to the type of cars. I remember that in Arizona they told us that if the police caught us more than 100 miles per hour (160 km / h) on the open road we would spend the night in jail. The problem is that with this powertrain, at 100 we arrived as fast as we thought thanks to an amazing push. The step by curve is impressive, the car bends really flat and is able to maintain the line even if we advance the tread to the accelerator looking for a small oversteer. But all that makes it natural, there is its great virtue: it is emotional to rage, and when it accelerates it vividly reminds us that it is a McLaren. I would say it is the most comfortable extreme sports car I have driven, nice to use anywhere and any street, better on a new reel but competent on not so smooth floors. It is soft to handle, easy to carry and the only drawback could be the height of its trunk made of a very expensive carbon fiber, which made us have nightmares every time we approach a ditch. conclusion What can we contribute to a phenomenal car? Not much truth. I assume that everyone imagines what a McLaren can do. The 720S is a purer thing, without a doubt. Stylish coupe design, a tremendous drivetrain and aerodynamic thought to detail make it a super appetizing car despite not being Italian. A convertible is something other than a coupe. He can be as rigid and dynamic as his brother, even just as fast. But it has no roof, or what is better, it has the same roof but it can be removed, offering a unique feeling of freedom.A convertible allows you to be more immersed in the sensations generated by the car, listening to the fantastic sound of the engine, feeling the wind in the head, perceiving the smells, admiring the environment, enjoying the rage driving. A convertible is unique for the experience it transmits and that is worth every extra dollar that must be paid for it.
Recommended Posts