McLaren MP4-12C Spider. FIRST DRIVE

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We’ve been waiting months for this moment. We were there when the news first dropped in Dubai. We’ve brought you coverage of the model’s debut at this year’s Pebble Beach Concourse and gawped at its European debut in the UK.

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But now crankandpiston has been given the opportunity to test the all-new McLaren 12C Spider – the first convertible road going model produced by McLaren Automotive – both on the road and on the track. In Southern Spain. Olé!

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Now, it’s traditional with most reviews to keep readers on tenterhooks by hinting at the shortcomings of lopping the roof off a coupe and suggesting an improvement before giving an overall conclusion. In this instance (and after two days behind the wheel), that’s not going to work. Simply put, the McLaren 12C Spider is brilliant.

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Let’s start with the looks. Although a handsome machine, the ‘old’ MP4-12C coupe has been maligned in the past for being a bit plain for the supercar bear pit, especially compared with more sexy contemporaries like the Ferrari 458 and the Lamborghini Aventador. And while the design of the Spider version involved copious amounts of tracing paper and a pencil, lopping off the roof showed that Woking wasn’t afraid to run wild with the crayons either.