McLaren has confirmed that its entry-level Sports Series->ke4981 is set to expand well beyond the current 2016 McLaren 570S and 2016 McLaren 540C, with new Spider and Gran Turismo variants. The roomier Gran Turismo is slated to arrive first in 2017, with a folding-hardtop Spider coming later in the year. Both will be powered by McLaren’s seminal 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 and built around the same MonoCell II carbon tub.

According to a new report, the 570S Spider will have a folding-hardtop mechanism similar to the one in the 2015 McLaren 650S Spider, which should only add about 90 pounds to the 570S hardtop’s 2,895-pound curb weight. Like the coupe,->ke141 expect the Spider’s V-8 to produce 562 horsepower and 443 foot-pounds of torque. The minimal additional weight shouldn’t affect performance too much, meaning the Spider should get close to the coupe’s 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and top speed of 204 mph. Given the difference in price between the 650S Coupe and 650S Spider, expect a premium of about $30,000.

A Sports Series drop-top was pretty much a given, but the Gran Turismo is a bit more of an enigma. Current rumors indicate the new GT body style will make way for more interior space and storage capacity, making it more suitable for long journeys. That being the case, expect the GT’s adaptive damper suspension system to be a bit more compliant, with selectable Normal, Sport and Track handling modes. Performance should be more-or-less on par with the Spider.

According to an earlier report from Automobile, the GT’s additional space will be made possible thanks to an elongated, full-glass roof that stretches over the engine compartment. The interior will also be more opulent, with more leather and Alcantara surfaces and comfier seats. Expected to cost around $185,000, the mid-engine GT could potentially occupy a unique place in a market filled with larger, front-engine grand tourers.

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Why it matters

The Sports Series’ relentless expansion is unlikely to end with the Spider and GT variants. When the faster replacement for the Super Series 650S arrives for the 2018 model year, it will create room in McLaren’s lineup for a faster Sports Series model. Built in the mold of the limited edition 2016 McLaren 675LT, such a car could cut as much as 200 pounds from the curb weight and produce over 600 horsepower. We think 600R would be an appropriate name.

2016 McLaren 570S

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