McLaren Automotive revealed another landmark model: the 765LT Spider. Carrying over the coupe’s dynamic and aerodynamic DNA, the 765LT Spider weighs in at just 3,060lbs (DIN weight), which is 176lbs lighter than a 720S Spider.
The Spider version of the carbon fiber MonoCage II – designated MonoCage II-S – was developed alongside the coupe monocoque and shares most of its structural elements, including the windscreen surround. The convertible roof design plays an integral role in the structure, featuring a carbon fiber frame within the Retractable Hard Top panel and creating a full carbon fiber shell when closed. There are some improvements to provide better comfort for passengers. The single-piece panel with no central seal, headroom is improved, while the extended length of the roof panel allows the tops of the A-pillars to be further forward.
The new 765LT Spider, like its predecessors, has triple-patented Retractable Hard Top roof. The Retractable Hard-Top is constructed using a single carbon fiber frame featuring a high-density, noise-reducing foam core between the panel and the internal headlining. The electrically operated, one-piece carbon fiber Retractable Hard Top (RHT) enables open-top motoring in just 11 seconds and operates at speeds of up to 31mph. The rear window, which can be lowered even when the roof is up. The roof panel is also significantly longer than its 675LT predecessor, allowing the tops of the A-pillars to be moved forward by 3.1in, increasing the size of the door opening for ease of access. The MonoCage II-S differs from the coupe’s MonoCage II only at the rear, where a carbon fiber upper structure is engineered around the engine bay, and two fixed carbon fiber structural supports are bonded into the chassis to provide rollover protection.
The front splitter, new front bumper, lower door blades and side skirts, wraparound rear bumper and active rear wing are all made of carbon fiber. The bonnet, front fenders, outer door panels and rear fenders, are also available in body-color carbon fiber as MSO Defined options.
The doors of the Spider differ from those of the coupe in that they have no upper carbon fiber frame, are physically smaller and lighter and require only a single hinge (compared to the coupe’s double hinge fitment). When opened, the Spider’s doors extend further than the coupe’s by 4.7in each side – the only difference in dimensions between the two models.
Step inside the cockpit of the 765LT Spider and you’ll immediately spot the debossed 765LT logo on the facia and the unique numbered dedication plaque. Key connectivity functions, including McLaren Track Telemetry (MTT), are displayed on the 8-inch, high-resolution Central Infotainment Screen, which works in conjunction with the innovative Folding Driver Display located directly in front of the driver to provide an integrated information platform. Primary functions, such as the Active Dynamics Panel, are located in the driver’s field of view.
The 765LT Spider features the same twin-turbocharged M840T engine as the coupe, a 4.0-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft, dry sump lubrication, ultra-low-inertia twin-scroll turbochargers and electronically controlled wastegates. The engine also has LT-specific forged aluminum pistons, the McLaren Senna’s three-layer head gasket and ultra-efficient, carbon-coated valve train followers.
Steering feedback is enhanced by a quicker steering rack ratio and stiffer torsion bar being added to McLaren’s lauded electro-hydraulic steering system. The linked-hydraulic Proactive Control II suspension introduced on 720S benefits from 765LT-specific updates to software – which features revised algorithms derived from those developed for the McLaren Senna and Speedtail programs – and hardware changes including the new lightweight dual springs. At the front, ride height is .2in lower and track .23in wider than on a 720S.