What could be better than the marvellous McLaren 720S (which I had the pleasure to drive a few months ago), why naturally the 720S Spider. Sadly I was not invited to the press preview in Arizona a month or so ago so I had to wait for one to rock up in Vancouver. On Monday I wandered into the McLaren Vancouver's showroom where I was delighted to find a white 720S Spider waiting for my attention.

drivetribe.com/p/how-good-is-the-new-mclaren-720s-HS9RJQVERzmexWQmWjFLFQ?iid=WYz5HSPASG6e0zlPZdbNtA

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Bizarrely I had actually missed the 720 Spider at the Vancouver International Car show only 2 weeks ago. I was so fixated on the all black carbon Senna on the McLaren display I completely missed the white 720 spider sitting next to it. I erroneously assumed it was a 570S Spider. Bad supercar writer. A missed opportunity turned into a perfect opportunity as I had the car all to myself at McLaren Vancouver and then I got to see the 720S Spider perform its roof altering party piece.

The 720 spider remains faithful to its siblings twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that puts out 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Performance is equal to that of the coupe, 0 to 62 miles per hour coming in 2.9 seconds, 124 mph arrives in 7.9 seconds topping off at 212 mph. The Spider’s top speed is only lower than the Coupe’s if you put the roof down – then it’ll do just 202 mph.

I have been a fan of the hardtop convertible since enjoying the company of the Ferrari California T in of all places California. It affords the driver the best of all worlds. It's a trick Lamborghini and Aston Martin are missing. The McLaren 720S Spider makes this an all new science. The Coupe’s Monocage II carbon-fiber monocoque sprouts fixed rollover supports and a new upper structure to accommodate the single-piece roof and its tonneau cover. This repositioning, along with a new dihedral door design that’s narrower and opens further, makes getting in and out of the 720S Spider much easier.

Adding further to the magic is the 720S Spider’s new electrochromic roof. The glass panel adjusts its tint level between two settings at the press of a button, allowing drivers to vary the amount of light that enters the cabin easily. Slow to 31 mph and raise or close the folding hardtop. It takes just 11 seconds for the single-piece carbon-fiber assembly to go up.

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I only got to witness this moving marvel from outside the 720S Spider, next goal is to enjoy this beauty on the road. Not so sure about the white colour choice for this particular 720 Spider, but I'm sure I could learn to live with this one defect. I simply cannot wait to get behind the wheel of another McLaren masterpiece.

Check out my Instagram @firstrides