McLaren 570S Spyder: Pros and Cons (Video)

The McLaren 570S has gone topless, but does that make it any better?

There is something about open-air motoring that has inspired sports car enthusiasts for decades. We enjoy that feeling of being more connected to the universe. Without a roof above you, you can feel the sun shining down (don’t forget the sunscreen), you can smell the world around you, and perhaps most importantly, you can get an uninterrupted access to the glorious exhaust note of your chosen steed. There are a number of reasons you wouldn’t buy a convertible sports car, and it usually comes down to chassis flex. In the case of this lovely McLaren 570s, however, that’s no longer a concern.

However, there are a number of reasons you wouldn’t buy a convertible sports car, and it usually comes down to chassis flex. In the case of the lovely McLaren 570S featured in this new clip from Carfection, however, that’s no longer a concern.

Having an open top to your sports car in many cases means compromising things a bit in terms of vehicle dynamics because they’re usually lacking some of the torsional rigidity of their coupe brethren. McLaren, meanwhile, has been building all of their sports cars on the backbone of a single modular carbon monocoque structure that doesn’t use the roof as a structural member. It’s a truly unique design that gives their cars a stiffer structure to build their suspension out from. Carbon monocoques are hardly brand new, and McLaren is hardly the only manufacturer to use them, but they’re certainly alone in supplying carbon monocoque cars at this price point. You don’t see it from Porsche, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Ferrari, or any cars that cost significantly more than the 570S.

Given a choice between a 570S Spyder, a 570S Coupe, and a 570 GT, which would you rather have? As tempting as the extra comfort and storage space of the GT is, we’ll take the Spyder every single time, thank you.