McLaren 765 Spider Review: An Open-Top Supercar With a Personality of Its Own

Introduction

On paper, the 765 Spider sounds like a fairly predictable McLaren: it takes the 765 Coupe formula and adds the same electric folding roof as the 720S Spider. That means a little more weight, and on a sunny day in Spain with the carbon fibre hood down, it is lovely enough to drive around in. The conventional wisdom would be that it cannot be as sharp or as entertaining as the Coupe where it matters.

In truth, McLaren appears to have gone well beyond what was strictly necessary. Dynamically and visually, the Spider has a personality all of its own, one that feels more rounded than the Coupe’s, and it could arguably produce an even better overall car. Driven on the track and on the surrounding roads, it makes a convincing case for itself.

Who This Product Is for

This is a car for drivers who want genuine track capability without giving up the appeal of an open-top supercar. If your priorities are straight-line speed alone, the numbers will impress you, but they are not the main story here.

It suits owners who plan to use the car on both sides of the fence: proper circuit days, and fast road driving where ride quality, steering feel and noise matter just as much as outright pace. It also suits anyone who found the previous open-top McLaren formula a little too detached and wants something with more character.

Main Strengths

The Spider’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 is exactly the same as the Coupe’s, developing 755 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque at 5,900 rpm. That is enough to launch the 1,388 kg Spider to 62 mph in just 2.7 seconds, and to 124 mph in a mildly terrifying 7.2 seconds. Top speed is 205 mph, though in practice that figure matters far less than how the car delivers its performance.

What does make a difference is the new titanium exhaust. It lets the V8 breathe better at the top end and gives it a much naughtier voice, which in a car like this is genuinely significant. The car also runs Pirelli Trofeo tyres and carbon ceramic discs as standard, just like the Coupe.

Where the Spider really separates itself is in the fine tuning. McLaren has tweaked the dampers, the gearbox, the rear wing development and the steering, you name it, all specifically for the Spider. On a track, the way it stops and the balance it carries mid-corner are what blow your mind rather than straight-line pace. It stays planted through a fifth-gear, off-camber, slightly downhill right-hander. The dual-clutch gearbox is described as the best of its kind, and the steering is light and super accurate, so you know exactly what the front tyres are doing at all times.

The variable traction control and drift control might sound like gimmicks, but they are not. They let you dial yourself into the car and the circuit, adjusting how much power each corner lets you through, almost like having a team of mechanics on hand to set the car up. The traction control intervenes gently and subtly, and the car feels friendly rather than intimidating, even with stability control in its dynamic setting rather than fully off. On the road, the story gets even better: the steering is noticeably sharper than a 720S Spider, the brakes feel more powerful, the gearbox responds more quickly, the gear ratios are closer together, and that noise is a big factor. It rides beautifully and feels twice as quick on the road as it does on the track, all while looking suitably menacing and, frankly, rather gorgeous.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The list of complaints here is remarkably short, but it is worth being clear-eyed about the main one: the 765 Spider is quite expensive. That is essentially the only real criticism raised against it.

It is also worth noting that the car encourages you to keep the driver aids engaged rather than reaching for the buttons and switching everything off. That is a strength in practice, thanks to the clever variable traction control, but buyers who want a raw, aids-off experience should understand that this car is designed to be exploited with its systems working with you.

Buying Advice

If you are choosing between the open-top and the Coupe, the Spider makes a strong case for being the more rounded car. It may even be more spectacular in many ways, precisely because its appeal stretches across track days, fast road routes and simply enjoying the car with the roof down.

For anyone stepping into a McLaren for the first time, this is a car you could jump into, have a great time in, and go very quickly without the experience feeling stressful. It feels like a car you could run all day without breaking it, which says a lot about its usability for a supercar.

Conclusion

The 765 Spider is, in a word on track, brilliant, and on the road it may be even more impressive. With an extraordinary engine, beautifully honed dynamics, a wonderful gearbox and steering, and only its price as a meaningful drawback, it is quite some machine. McLaren has come a very long way, and this open-top flagship makes a compelling argument that it has gone further than it needed to in exactly the right direction.