In terms of handling, we can’t comment on the Artura Spider yet, but there should be little difference between the coupe and the Spider. Thanks to McLaren’s carbon tub, there has historically been very little difference between the hard tops and the drop tops. We drove the coupe, which was stunning; the last thing it needed was more power. Still, McLaren saw it fit to add 19 more horses to the Spider.
Despite the hybrid system and electrically operated roof, the Artura Spider has an impressively low curb weight of 3,439 pounds. Still, it’s much more than the older 650S, which weighs 3,236 lbs. On the plus side, you get that all-electric driving mode and a combined cycle fuel consumption estimate of 19 mpg. Oddly, the 650S Spider only consumes 18 mpg on the combined cycle. These are EPA estimates, however.
We know from experience that these figures drop to single digits when you drive these cars like they should be driven.
Even after a decade, the 650S is still devastatingly fast. It gets to 60 mph in an Artura-beating 2.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 204 mph. Basically, the hybrid is faster, but the older car is quicker. But these are just figures and don’t accurately describe the way these Macs feel.
