McLaren 570S Spider (2017 – 2020) Review

By removing the fixed roof from its McLaren 570S, the British company created the McLaren 570S Spider, which is just as capable of everyday use, but with added fresh-air appeal. It’s a seriously rapid supercar, too, so butts heads with the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage and Germany’s Audi R8 Spyder. Read on for our full McLaren 570S Spider review.

Superb performance, fantastic presence and a feeling of genuine exclusivity combine to make the open-topped McLaren 570S Spider one of the most desirable used cars on sale at any price.

It’s a more exotic alternative to German performance rivals like the Audi R8 Spyder and Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster.

The McLaren 570S Spider gets its name from its power output of 570PS, which comes from the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine used in other McLaren cars.

Performance is as exhilarating as you’d hope – 0-62mph takes a mere 3.2 seconds and the top speed is 204mph – unless you have the roof down. That reduces the top speed to a mere 194mph…

Folding the roof takes 15 seconds and is possible at speeds up to around 25mph. The open area of the roof is a little smaller than in a Porsche 911 Cabriolet or a Mercedes-AMG GT, but while it can feel a bit enclosed it’s still open enough to give that wind-in the hair experience, plus you can appreciate the engine sound all the more.

There is also a retractable rear window, so if it’s damp you can still get an earful of the V8. Sadly, sound is the weakest link with the McLaren 570S Spider – it just doesn’t have the same aural charisma as the magnificent V10 engine in the Audi R8 Spyder.

The British car wins when it comes to handling dynamics, though.

Even at normal, sensible speeds on the road, it feels special – poised, nimble and precise, with pin-sharp steering and loads of feel through the excellent suspension, which is surprisingly compliant for such a high-performance car.

And yet it’s no more difficult to drive than a hatchback – the pedals are light and the seven-speed automatic transmission is smooth.

You’re never going to blend into normal, everyday traffic though – even if it’s an easy car to drive. The McLaren 570S Spider attracts a lot of attention, especially in vibrant shades.

That’s all part of the appeal, though – and it makes the car feel that bit more exotic than competitors. It really is outstanding, if you’re lucky enough to have the cash.

Fancy a McLaren 570 coupe? Read our review here.

Fitting a folding hard-top means the McLaren 570S Spider is slightly heavier than its coupe counterpart, but only by 46kg.

Thank the carbon-fibre tub for that – it keeps things stiff without the need for additional bracing, as on an Audi R8 V10 Spyder. That lack of extra weight means performance is as blistering as you’d expect.

Drive more gently and the McLaren 570S Spider is actually surprisingly useable, too. Its suspension soaks up most lumps and bumps fairly well and the controls are very light, making town driving a relatively painless affair, if you don’t mind being stared at by pretty much everyone.

But obviously faster, more challenging roads are where the McLaren 570S Spider shines. Its stiff chassis and UK-tuned suspension mean body roll effectively doesn’t exist – and that means the pin-sharp, beautifully precise steering does exactly what you’d expect, while the chassis provides loads of feedback.

You can pick from three handling modes and three engine modes independently, with a comfortable everyday mode, a high-performance but road-friendly mode and a track-focused mode for each. There’s also a manual override for the transmission, so you can set things up just how you want them.

Even in the basic setting, the McLaren 570S Spider is so good that it makes even typical, everyday speeds feel exciting.

Yet when you want to access that huge pace, it’s available without feeling daunting or scary – traction is excellent, even on greasy or wet roads, and there are huge amounts of grip.

It’s surprising how it combines user-friendliness with real personality.

That personality is enhanced when you fold the roof down. It takes about 15 seconds and can be operated at speeds up to 25mph, so you don’t have to stop dead when the rain starts. And you don’t have to stop enjoying the engine either – you can retract the rear window when the roof is in place.

The recipe for the McLaren 570S Spider is familiar from most of the other cars we have seen from the firm since the McLaren MP4-12C.

Power comes from a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 and is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual paddles.

Peak power in this case is 570PS, while 600Nm of torque is available from 5000 to 6500rpm. 0-62mph takes just 3.2 seconds and the top speed is 205mph, or 194mph with the roof down.

You won’t relish the sound of the V8 as much as you would the V10 in an Audi R8 though.

It sounds good, with a sort of raucous, raw, mechanical growl, accompanied by whooshing turbos – but the V10 used in both the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracan sounds almost musical.

For a car of this price, the McLaren is not exactly loaded to the gills with safety systems.

It does have ABS anti-lock brakes, naturally, and ESP traction and stability control. You also get four airbags, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

However, there’s none of the high-tech kit you might expect such as lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control or automatic emergency braking.

At this level of the market, you might feel entitled to more.

Imagine the looks if you pulled into a campsite towing a caravan with the McLaren 570S Spider. But it’s not rated to tow, unsurprisingly, so you can forget about even trying...

Inside, the McLaren 570S Spider feels like the performance car it is. The steering wheel is small and has no confusing switches or dials on it, the instrument display is digital, and there is more focus on controls for driving modes than ventilation or audio.

In stock form, the cabin looks a bit plain, but it’s unlikely anyone who bought a McLaren 570S Spider new would have missed options like carbon fibre and Alcantara, which make the interior feel as special as the exterior.

Space is reasonable, with plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel.

It isn’t exactly practical, though. The dihedral doors are effectively halfway between gullwing and scissor doors and while they look great, they’re not ideal in a tight parking space and don’t make getting in or out all that easy.

Storage is minimal too, with space for a couple of overnight bags and nothing more. On that front, the McLaren 570S Spider does have a trick up its sleeve – there is a little bit of room under the tonneau cover for an extra small bag, but you’ll have to ditch it if you want to enjoy top-down motoring. 

McLaren makes a point of explaining how it makes everything in house.

There are no switches or instruments taken from other car makers so everything, right down to the indicator stalks and window switches, is a McLaren part.

It’s yet another one of those little details that adds exclusivity.

McLaren uses its own IRIS infotainment system, which is a bit fiddly at times.

You’ll get used to it quickly enough – it just lacks that high-tech feel you get in a Porsche 911 Turbo S or an Audi R8 Spyder. It’s good, but just not as good as those.

A five-year-old McLaren 570S Spider with fewer than 10,000 miles covered is going to cost you around £100,000, which is much the same as for the coupe version.

Go for an earlier model and you’ll pay about £90,000 for a seven-year-old example with 25,000 miles to its name.

Removing the fixed roof of the coupe and replacing it with a folding hard-top has done nothing to affect the economy and emissions of the McLaren 570S Spider.

As a result, it offers a claimed 26.6mpg, which seems almost good for a car of this storming performance.

Carbon dioxide emissions of 249g/km mean you pay the £190 flat rate, as the car was launched after 1 April 2017.

However, on top of that you have to add the £410 surcharge for cars that cost more than £40,000 when new that applies each year until the car passes its fifth birthday.

As such, older McLaren 570S Spiders now pay road tax at just £190 each year. Bargain!

Less of a bargain are the insurance and servicing costs, which are both steep.

The McLaren 570S Spider sits in the top group 50 for insurance, while maintaining this car properly will always be expensive regardless of whether you visit a McLaren dealer or an independent specialist.

The McLaren 570S Spider has alloy wheels, leather upholstery, air-conditioning, the IRIS infotainment system, electric seat adjustment and a decent stereo.

From the options list, new buyers could choose rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, a Bowers and Wilkins stereo with 12 speakers, and carbon ceramic brakes for increased stopping power if you planned on using the car for track driving.

You could also have a front-end lifting kit that raises the suspension to assist with driving over speed bumps or steep driveways.