McLaren 12C Spider: Ready For A Better Summer Next Year

This may look like the McLaren MP4-12C you've been wanting since 2011, but if you're a fan of topless motoring then you'll like this particular car even more as it's the new Ferrari 458 Spider rival you've been waiting for.

Besides the roof - plus dropping MP4 off the name - the 12C Spider and the coupe are near identical. The engine is the same 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8 which produces 616bhp. The 0-62mph sprint is covered in 3.1 seconds and the carbon fibre chassis in the coupe is so stiff that there's no need to change it for the Spider.

The differences in some of the figures are small though. Top speed is down 3mph but 204mph is still brilliant and faster than its Italian rival, plus the folding metal roof only ads 40kg to the weight making the 0-124mph sprint 0.2 seconds slower than the coupe.

Unlike the 458 Spider, the roof on the 12C is so cleverly compact that they can still add a little window on the bonnet lid between the two buttresses which lets everyone have a cheeky peek at the twin-turbo V8. The roof itself goes up or down in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 19mph and when it's up (stop it), you've actually got a little boot with 52 litres of luggage space. McLaren will even give you bespoke cases which fit in that space nicely with the car.

'Amazing-ness' like this doesn't come cheap. It's £20,000 more than the coupe with prices starting at £195,500 but that makes it three and a half grand cheaper than the equivalent 458 Spider. If you have the cash and want it this summer - too bad. It won't be ready until November which means you'll have it in plenty of time for the next summer, which will hopefully be better than the rubbish one we're currently having in the UK.