600 McLaren 2019LT Spider: Convertible supercar could be the world's craziest convertible

McLaren has removed the hoods and roof from its 600LT coupe convertible and the stunning Longtail Spider is making its global debut.

The 600LT Spider is the fifth model to carry the Longtail nomenclature and, on paper at least, looks like a lot of fun.

The focus has been on weight reduction, which is often the Achilles' heel of inevitably heavier convertibles, but McLaren says its 600LT Spider only weighs 50kg more than its coupe equivalent, outweighing the scales by 1297kg (dry), largely due to that the brand has not added any structural reinforcements.

McLaren says its hardcore convertible, powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine mated to a seven-speed "Seamless Shift" automatic transmission that delivers 441kW and 620Nm, will hit 100km/h in the coupe in 2.9 seconds (which is very fast), as it accelerates to 200 km / h in just 8.4 seconds.

Claimed top speed is 324 km/h, but with the convertible top open, that figure drops to 315 km/h, which will no doubt still feel like your head is being ripped off by a surly giant.

Bringing that power to the road is handled by a set of track-focused Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires, and we're thrilled to see the top-exit exhaust pipes that debuted on the coupe carry over to the convertible version.

As with the coupe, you can expect a super-rigid carbon fiber chassis, while a carbon fiber fixed wing generates 100kg of downforce at 250km/h. The convertible roof itself consists of three separate parts and can be lowered or raised at speeds up to 40 km/h.

“The McLaren 600LT Spider adds a new dimension to the excitement of the most extreme model in the Sports Series family without losing the focus of the Longtail. By taking full advantage of the strength of the carbon fiber MonoCell II chassis, the new Spider has the dynamic ability and performance of a 600LT coupe at just 50kg and without additional structural reinforcement,” says McLaren CEO. , Mike Fluitt.

“In addition to our weight advantage over the competition, we've also kept the top-exit exhausts that debuted on the coupe - and I'm happy to say they sound and look even better with the roof down or the Spider's rear window! ”

The 600LT Spider is priced at £201,500 in the UK, with local pricing yet to be announced.

Is this the craziest convertible in the world? Tell us in the comments below.