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Since the glory days of Ayrton Senna, racing’s gospel has held that coupes are for the track while convertibles, on the other hand, are what you take to town.

Part of this is because of basic engineering: A car with a roof is more aerodynamic than one without. A roof is also stronger and more rigid. From a physics perspective, taking a roof out of the equation turns a car heavy and wobbly.

The 2019 McLaren 600LT Spider, however, has evolved past such ancient axioms. It comes with a 592-brake-horsepower, 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and a zero-to-60 mph sprint time of 2.8 seconds—both identical to the coupe version of the car. Top speed is 201 mph.

More crucial for those interested in dissecting power-to-weight ratios, the 600LT Spider weighs just 2,859 pounds. That’s a relatively scant 110 pounds more than the coupe, thanks mostly to the added weight of a push-button, threefold retractable top. It’s still 176 pounds lighter, by my estimate, than any direct competitors from Ferrari or Lamborghini.

The men and women at the brand’s factory in Woking, England, seem obsessive about saving weight. They made the glass on the 600LT Spider thinner than in previous models. They took out the carpeting in the footwells altogether. And they used netting, rather than door pockets, for storage and eliminated the glove box.

McLaren is also offering the skeletal seats from its $958,966 Senna—which weigh a little more than 7 pounds each, a third lighter than typical racing seats—in the 600LT Spider. Buyers have the option to delete such outré nods to decadence as the radio and air conditioning. (I suppose it’s worth it for drivers who are serious about track splits: Removing the air-conditioning system alone saves 28 pounds.)

All of which bodes well for McLaren’s topless proposition. Before I drive the new Spider on the Arizona Motorsports Park track—and after a good two hours in it beforehand, passing through empty desert landscapes—I ask the carmaker’s lead pro driver, Danny Buxton, how a convertible could possibly be considered track-suitable by any serious driver.

“I forgot it was a convertible by the second turn,” he says.

Maybe he’s just biased, I think, as we alight from the command RV parked near pit lane. It’s directly next door to the constant, deafening blast of F-18s doing daily rotations at the U.S. Air Force base. The only thing louder is the row of Skittle-green, lantana-purple, and Fanta-orange 600LT Spiders.

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Back again and bolder than ever! Ultimativer High Performance Off Roader based on G 63 AMG. 800 horsepower, a top speed of 240 km/h, a spectacular widebody version, 23-inch hi-tech forged wheels and exclusive interior design in top quality.

BRABUS is expanding its broad range of high-performance supercars with a new highlight: The BRABUS 800 WIDESTAR celebrates its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show 2019. Based on the current Mercedes G 63 AMG, the engineers, technicians and designers of BRABUS developed a high-performance off-roader that impresses equally with power, design and individuality.

Nomen est omen and consequently the new BRABUS 800 WIDESTAR is powered by a four-liter eight-cylinder twin-turbo engine that produces a peak output of 588 kW / 800 hp (789 bhp) and a peak torque of 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft). This engine gives the off-roader performance capabilities that are absolutely exceptional for a vehicle of this category: The all-wheel-drive car sprints from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.1 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 240 km/h (149 mph).

However, the BRABUS 800 WIDESTAR fascinates not only with its driving dynamics, but also with its extravagant BRABUS WIDESTAR widebody version in combination with the 23-inch BRABUS "Platinum Edition" Monoblock hi-tech forged wheels.A classy BRABUS fine leather interior lends the interior of the SUV an even more attractive ambiance.

The BRABUS power unit engineers have dedicated themselves to the tuning of Mercedes-Benz engines for decades, and BRABUS performance upgrades for the different engines of the G-Class have been around just as long. It goes without saying then that the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 of the current G 63 AMG is the focus of the developers as well. Research continued after the presentation of the BRABUS 700 PowerXtra performance upgrade last year to give the turbocharged eight-cylinder even more power.

The result is the BRABUS 800 PowerXtra + tuning level. Extensive surgery on the engine peripherals was required to produce even more power: This modification involves replacing the two production turbos with two reconfigured BRABUS high-performance turbochargers, which in addition to a larger compressor unit also have a modified core assembly with reinforced axial bearings. They produce a maximum boost pressure of 1.6 bar.

The electronic engine control unit was also recalibrated to match the hardware: an auxiliary control unit provides injection, boost pressure control and ignition with special mapping.

Tests on stationary engine test benches of the latest generation were run for weeks for calibration and endurance purposes in order to achieve not only outstanding power delivery, but also flawless durability. Extensive driving tests were conducted concurrently. That is why BRABUS backs also this new performance upgrade with the three-year or 100,000-kilometer / 60,000-mile BRABUS Tuning Warranty® (see BRABUS Tuning Warranty Terms and Conditions, updated July 2013). BRABUS recommends hi-tech lubricants from technology partner MOTUL for the entire powertrain.