Mclaren 720s spider

By Maarten Hoffmann, Senior Motoring Editor

Two years after its launch, the McLaren 720S Coupé remains one of the best supercars in the world, all the more remarkable from a British company that has been making road cars for less than a decade.

But, chopping the roof off a car can have serious repercussions for the resulting convertible and those kind folk in Woking have presented me with the resulting Spider to see what l think. I think a lot! The strength of McLaren’s carbonfibre tub meant a conversion from coupé to convertible could be made without sacrificing stiffness and adding little weight, thus avoiding the main pitfalls that have nearly always historically made a convertible supercar a slower, heavier and a worse-looking version of the coupé from which it’s derived. No fixed roof means the addition of a new rollover protection system, bonded to the chassis, made from carbonfibre and 6.8kg lighter than the 650S Spider’s steel construction.

optional glass roof that turns from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button and floods in the interior with light.

The remarkable thing about this car is it usability. It's one of the fastest and most capable cars in the world and yet, with everything dialled down it is calm and docile enough for your granny to drive it.

Key components, such as the 710bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine and the advanced hydraulic Proactive Chassis Control suspension set-up transfers over from the coupé, with the two cars sharing a 0-62mph time of 2.9sec and a top speed in excess of 200mph. In fact, the Spider can hit 202mph even with its roof down and 212mph with the roof up.

This is a seriously fast car and as exhilarating as anything l have ever driven. Not only the 0-62 time but it will hit 100 mph in 7.9 seconds – try counting to eight seconds and realise in that time, you will be at 100 mph – and grinning like a deranged baboon. The gearbox is equally superb, silently clicking through the seven gears as fast as you wish and wonderfully integrated. One might expect a few loose teeth on British roads but the ride is very comfortable and cruising to Monaco would be a breeze with no back surgeon required upon arrival. In fact, after saying HI to a few friends, l would want nothing more than to get back in and return. It’s highly addictive, fast as Hades and totally engaging.

The roof will disappear in 11 seconds and even when up, there is a clever It absolutley encourages you to test your limits, to push it harder and harder. The steering is superbly weighted, the seat holds you firm, the noise pops the hair up on the back of your neck and you will feel as if you have died and gone to heaven.

Then we must turn to the look of the car. It is one of the most beautiful cars in the world - sleek, stylish and sits on its haunches daring you to drive it. Hit the carbon ceramic brakes at speed and the rear spoiler moves up to act as an air brake and just serves to make its derriere look even more spectacular.

We are often battered with comments that the UK has lost all its manufacturing excellence, that we are now just a service nation, that we have lost that hard won reputation for creating beauty, for innovation and design. Well, eat those words. McLaren is a British company, based in Surrey having been making road cars for fewer that ten years and produce some of the most aesthetically beautiful, fastest and sexiest cars on planet earth.

The 720S is at the top of that tree and rather than the road, it should really be in a museum as a true work of art and likely one day will be and I will buy a ticket.