McLaren 720S Spider 2019 Review – International

Somewhere in the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, where saguaro cactus punctuates the hardy landscape, we are channelling our inner Road Runner.

You know, the cheeky Looney Tunes serial which profiles Wile E Coyote and his endless pursuit to catch and eat that elusive ‘meep-meep’ bird?

As a child, watching Road Runner’s sinewy legs speed away almost manically into the distance at the peril of the gangly Coyote was the stuff of marvel. And on this particular day, the accelerative pull of the McLaren 720S Spider is offering its own real-life rendition.

Sitting on 100km/h, with the seven-speed gearbox pedalling the engine below 2000rpm, your correspondent stands on the accelerator and… Meep-meep! POW! We’ve just qualified for time in a Phoenix slammer. If they can catch us.

Available in Australian showrooms later this year, the 720S Spider is the latest member of McLaren’s Super Series family, following closely in the deft wheel tracks of the existing 720S Coupe.

Separated by a significant $67,000 in price (the Spider costs $556,000 plus on-road costs), there is little else that comes between hard-top and drop-top.

Unlike Mr Coyote and his oft-used bag of ACME gimmicks, the McLaren uses swift, effective physics to get the job done.

It employs the same carbon-fibre monocoque tub as the coupe, with aluminium front and rear crash structures. It has the same 527kW/770Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, and the same adjustable rear wing, for instance.

The monocoque tub is central both the McLaren 720S Spider’s marginal weight gain and its on-road efficacy, contributing only 75kg of the car’s claimed 1332kg dry weight (1468kg with fluids).

Underpinning the Spider are familiar hydraulically-controlled dampers in the place of traditional anti-roll bars, plus it uses brake instead of a traditional limited-slip differential to apportion torque in low- and high-speed scenarios.

In a like-for-like comparison, the convertible 720S weighs in 49kg heavier than the coupe. And equally incredible is that it does so without any claimed loss in rigidity, and while carrying over the important parts, including those swanky dihedral doors.

Withstanding its dry, arid landscape, Arizona is surprisingly chilly at this time of year, offering visitors mild, blue-sky days followed by brisk nights where temperatures can dip below zero degrees Celsius.

No matter. Pulling out of the driveway of our Scottsdale accommodation, it soon becomes apparent the McLaren 720S Spider foregoes cabin turbulence for a serene, uninterrupted open-top experience.

At highway speeds, it’s completely possible to hold a normal conversation with the person next to you, for example. In fact, the biggest consideration is probably tyre roar.

Impressively, there is no evidence of much-maligned scuttle shake through the windscreen or A-pillar; evidence that McLaren’s lofty claims of zero compromise might hold merit.

Toasty seat-warmers further complement our drive, as does a climate control system with closed roof and open roof settings. Before long, we decide to put the roof back on while driving through the quaint town of Wickenburg. It’s a fuss-free operation; once below 50km/h, its takes 11 seconds for the three-piece hard-top structure to slide securely into place.

Top up or down, the McLaren offers excellent outward despite its moveable structure. According to McLaren, rear field vision is 12 per cent better than the 650S Spider predecessor, and only marginally less than the equivalent 720S Coupe.

Elsewhere, the cabin is incredibly well crafted on our test cars, employing generous lashings of carbon fibre, and real leather on the seats and dashboard, the latter contrasted by white stitching.

Australian vehicles won’t get the cool electrochromatic roof panel fitted to our test cars as standard, which is a shame given the price tag.

The handmade feel is broken up by a vertical screen positioned in the centre fascia, conveying the 720S’ key infotainment, climate and driving functions.

Flanking that unit is the interior’s pièce de résistance, a matching digital panel in the driver instrument cluster that conveys traditional functions in the softest ‘Comfort’ setting, and then rotates before your eyes to a streamlined screen when the sportiest Track function is activated.

Think of turning a book between the cover and the spine, horizontally, and you get the idea.

Withstanding that, there is nothing about the McLaren 720S Spider that is pretentious or difficult to operate. It feels as though you’re in a Honda Civic, doddling about with ease of vision and use that requires no additional thought process.

Of course, it is capable of so much more.

In regular conveyance, the McLaren 720S Spider engine is simply effortless, forgoing much of the binding and lurching that afflicts many modern dual-clutch gearboxes, while also largely avoiding turbo lag.

Equally, the suspension breathes over bumps, resisting any temptation to thud, crash, shake, wobble or flex. It is simply incredible, and owed specifically to the carbon tub’s inherent rigidity.

Elsewhere, McLaren has been able to usher in the digital era of the supercar while retaining traditional feel and feedback at the controls.

The McLaren 720S Spider’s hydraulic power steering is a prime example, imparting a real connection between road, car and driver by transmitting ample feedback, while also offering excellent weighting and just 2.5 turns lock to lock.

All of this nonchalance is broken up by an inherent mechanical feel, however, one punctuated by the faint buzzing operation of what appears to be the car’s fuel pump. It all primes you for the sensation the 720S Spider is ready for more – and our anticipation is finally fulfilled at an unlikely photo stop.

Arriving at the crest of a small hill climb, it’s time to ditch my passenger and see what else the McLaren 720S Spider has to offer.

The answer, in short, is more than I can handle. Frankly, it’s more than any right-minded road driver can handle while staying within the bounds of the law.

Firstly, the engine response is blinding. In any gear, at any speed, the gearbox and engine collaboration is such that the 720S simply slingshots itself into the rocky and spiky horizon, ala Road Runner.

This is particularly the case with the car’s powertrain and handling settings turned to Sport or Track.

The 720S Spider can launch to 100km/h from rest in a claimed 2.9 seconds - the same as the coupe - while 0-200 is achieved in 7.9 seconds (0.1 seconds slower) before a top speed of 341km/h.

The fact you can even achieve such superlative performance is because of McLaren’s clever electronic control suite, which harnesses the power benignly, even upon deliberately burying the right foot from a standstill. It makes you feel invincible.

Less impressive is the accompanying soundtrack. It’s not that the McLaren 720S Spider sounds bad, but you never really experience the aural crescendo you’re anticipating, despite revving out to 8500rpm. Instead, the note is slightly muted, and lacks the rasp and parp of rivalling cars.

Of course, the chassis is well suited to this kind of driving too. It breathes with more speed, delicately shaking off mid-corner bumps while still hunkering into bends without so much as a side glance.

Usually, the combination of raw speed, corners and big compression bumps would unravel the convertible’s purchase, but we simply couldn’t exploit the McLaren 720S Spider.

Instead, it simply comes to life with the added urgency, its steering revelling with visceral feedback yet still retaining its precision.

Pushed hard into tighter bends, the 720’s weight and 2161mm width cannot be totally masked. However, an uncanny rotation through the apex allows you to somehow get the entry right and then figure the rest out as it happens.

A large part of this unpreparedness can occur because of the powerful carbon-ceramic stoppers: 390mm front discs clamped by six-piston callipers up front and 380mm discs bitten down by four-piston calipers at the rear.

Sticky Pirelli P Zero rubber measuring 305mm wide at the rear is equally reassuring, without living up to chewing gum-like purchase of the Trofeo R tyres fitted to McLaren’s more track focussed models.

The entire process soon imparts a certain invincibility around the McLaren 720S Spider. Its breadth of performance and sheer sharpness is such that it always feels one step ahead of its driver. Just like the Road Runner, in fact.