It’s not often that we get high-power, high-dollar sports cars in the TFL shop, so you can bet we jumped at the opportunity to test out the 2020 McLaren 570S Spider. At $233,000, this 562 horsepower roadster is certainly one of the most expensive cars we’ve had on Hot or Not, but is it the quickest? That’s what Paul is going to find out in a 0-60 run and a hot lap on the IMI Motorsports track. Can it beat the Porsche 911 GT3 RS to be the fastest production car we’ve ever had?
2020 McLaren 570S Spider: by the numbers
This 570S Spider uses the same basic powertrain as most of its more powerful brothers. Under the hood is a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8, which in this configuration puts out 562 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. It comes mated to a seven-speed Graziano dual-clutch transmission, and promises a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds. So even the entry-level McLaren is seriously quick, and its 3,200 pound curb weight helps it get up to speed. You have 15-inch carbon ceramic brakes that you really have to lean on to heat up properly — perfect for track conditions — and Pirelli P Zero tires for better grip on a hot lap.
Up here at a mile above sea level, the 2020 McLaren 570S Spider returns a 0-60 time of 3.46 seconds. We normally use about two-thirds of the total straightaway length to get up to speed, mind you. This time around, the McLaren shot to that speed in just 145 feet, so even up here in Colorado this car is blindingly quick.
But what about the main question: Can it conquer the Hot or Not leaderboard? With a little bit of drama on the first lap and lowering the air pressure in the tires on the second (with the recommendation of McLaren’s engineers), Paul managed a lap time of 1:01.85. Make no mistake, that is a devastatingly quick lap time around this track. However, it did not beat the Porsche 911 GT3 RS nor the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. Those still hold first and second place among production cars, but nevertheless the McLaren is red hot.
Check out more on the McLaren 570S Spider in detail below: