Surprises are exciting, but whether or not people enjoy them is a different question. Entirely predictable occurrences can also be exciting — like the 2025 McLaren Artura Spider. The Artura’s big brother, the 750S, can be had with a fixed or retractable roof, and the Artura’s direct competitor, the also-powered-by-a-twin-turbo-3.0-liter-V-6-hybrid Ferrari 296 GTB, has already debuted in droptop form. If you didn’t see the Artura Spider coming, it’s only because you weren’t paying attention.
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Minimal Changes
Below the beltline and forward of the A-pillar, the Spider is identical to the Artura coupe. It even uses the same carbon-fiber tub as its hardtop sibling, and McLaren claims there’s no loss of rigidity from opening up the roof. Top up, the Spider’s profile remains similar to that of the coupe, although maybe you’ll notice the clear polycarbonate elements on the Spider’s buttresses, which channel additional air to the engine bay. It’s only when your viewing angle rises higher or swings around to the rear that you notice the tonneau cover immediately aft of the cabin, where the coupe has a tantalizing perforated panel venting powertrain heat. On the Spider, those vents are shifted rearward and augmented with additional ducting atop the rear quarter panels.
The top itself is a folding rigid piece that raises or lowers in 11 seconds. Black paint is standard, although it can also be finished in carbon fiber or fitted with an electrochromic glass panel that goes from clear to opaque at the touch of a button. Eight electric motors orchestrate the top’s movement and can be triggered from the vehicle key on hot days or for showing off. A separately retractable rear window can be raised for top-down calm or lowered for maximum noise. McLaren says the convertible weighs 136 pounds more than the coupe, with most of that gain attributable to the top mechanism.
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Not a Boring Hybrid
The hybrid powertrain, built around a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, is retuned for 19 more horsepower, bringing the total to nearly 700. Torque remains the same, at 531 pounds-feet. Not only has McLaren also made the same output tweak on the 2025 Artura coupe, but it’s offering the recalibration to existing coupe owners. The electrified bits of the powertrain include an electric motor that nestles into the housing of the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 7.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack that enables up to 21 miles of electric range. Together, the twin-turbo V-6 and hybrid components sling the Artura Spider from 0 to 60 mph in a claimed three seconds flat on its way to a 10.8-second quarter-mile and 205-mph top speed.
It’s not just the top that changes the sound of the Spider. A redesigned exhaust system is aimed at refining the sound at higher engine speeds, while an optional sport exhaust includes a symposer that directs sound from exhaust system into the cabin. Launch control is standard, as is a new Spinning Wheel Pull-Away feature, which used to just be called a burnout and wasn’t a feature of a computer-controlled anything. It was just the way things were because of the absence of computer controls.
Like Spider, Like Coupe
Other improvements to the Artura Spider include revised shock absorbers and computerized suspension control; modifications to the transmission that make shifts 25% quicker; and a faster-acting nose-lift feature for clearing speed bumps and driveway transitions. All of these modifications also migrate to the 2025 Artura coupe, which will launch simultaneously with the Spider.
The 2025 McLaren Artura Spider and coupe are available to order now, with deliveries beginning by mid-2024. Pricing for the Spider opens up at $273,800 (not including the destination fee, which has not yet been announced).
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