Car manufacturers are frequently criticized when they deviate from their norms and make cars unlike what they're known for and what they have been making. However, surprisingly, McLaren is not among those manufacturers as they did too good of a job with the McLaren Artura, their recently unveiled high-performance hybrid (HPH) supercar. The McLaren Artura, announced in the fall of 2022, showcases the future of performance and McLaren's more than half a century of expertise in race and road car engineering. It features a hybridized twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that got mixed thoughts at first. However, after McLaren started rolling out early production and media units, the tables turned, and it became the favorite new kid on the block. Some journalists even nicknamed it the worst-best car ever. Hybrid technology was mainly reserved for family cars; only Honda dared to use it in a supercar. McLaren, Ferrari, and Porsche then changed the game with the holy trinity of hybrid supercars: the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari, and Porsche 918. Today, very few manufacturers utilize hybrid technology in supercars and sports cars, placing the McLaren Artura a supercar in a different realm alongside a few others, such as the Ferrari 296 GTB. It may not have the drama and thrill you might experience in the 765LT or the recently discontinued 720S, but the McLaren Artura offers uniquely intense on-road and track performance. For one, McLaren will only ask for a $237,500 starting price, and there's no better time to get a McLaren Artura than now before dealership markup prices start hitting the redline.
McLaren states that when designing the Artura, they started from scratch, starting with a new McLaren Carbon fiber Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) chassis to accommodate the hybrid powertrain. This is unlike previous and some existing models in which McLaren used their MonoCell chassis, transferring it between cars and improving it when necessary to enhance driving dynamics and reduce weight, among other factors. The McLaren Artura MCLA chassis is optimized for its hybrid powertrain, which comprises a close to a 200-pound battery pack, a nearly 35-pound electric motor, and an engine mostly made of aluminum. Additionally, the chassis is designed for cable routing, which is a lot in hybrid cars. Due to this design, cable weight in the McLaren Artura is greatly reduced as McLaren used 25% less cabling. The hybrid system components add insignificant weight to the car, as the McLaren Artura only weighs 3,303 pounds. This is precisely in the supercar weight range, and the Artura even outweighs some fully combustion engine supercars and sports cars. Electrification doesn't end on the McLaren Artura's powertrain. The Artura uses McLaren's first-ever electronically controlled differential (e-diff), independently controlling torque moving across the rear axle. The e-diff also saves on weight since it's smaller than a mechanical differential and increases performance and driver feedback, especially when cornering, by enhancing traction and reducing understeer.
A smaller V6 engine and a hybrid powertrain give a false impression that the McLaren Artura is slow and doesn't perform similarly to regular supercars solely powered by combustion engines. If you are among those who had this impression, you thought wrong, and the McLaren Artura can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a silent cruiser on the highway or an absolute track weapon. The combined power output from the engine and electric motor is 671 horsepower. The engine alone produces 577 horsepower, which ranks it among the highest horsepower per liter, approaching 200 horsepower per liter. When diving in sport and track modes, the electric motor deploys power aggressively to counter the engine's low-end power. What is performance like in the McLaren Artura? 0-60 mph takes 3.0 seconds, and 0-120 mph takes 8.4 seconds, comparable to and even better than a considerable number of supercars. These figures don't just show that the McLaren Artura is as good as other supercars. They also show that power delivery is constant throughout, demystifying the myth that hybrid cars are slow when topping out.
Being the second hybrid car McLaren has built, it wouldn't be wrong if we said that the experience and expertise garnered when making the McLaren P1 reflects onto the McLaren Artura. Both are differently classed vehicles, but the engineering is the same and even better than in the McLaren P1, given that the P1 is ten years older than the Artura. The McLaren Artura utilizes the traditional but very functional rear mid-engine placement with the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 in the rear aluminum subframe. The 7.4-kilowatt battery sits on the floor at the rear of the cabin, and the motor is located within the housing of a new lightweight 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, delivering all 671 horsepower from the motor and the engine to all four wheels. McLaren used a new multilink rear suspension, proactive damping control, and an updated electro-hydraulic steering system for the suspension and steering. The suspension is enhanced to provide agility, stability, and dynamic performance to counter the McLaren Artura's immense power. Also, the suspension is adaptive, meaning you can tweak it to suit your driving preferences or leave it in auto mode, and it will adjust the ride feel depending on the driving condition and road surfaces.
The McLaren Artura's body features a mixture of lightweight aluminum and carbon body panels, all curved to serve a purpose following McLaren's form follows function design philosophy. Like all McLarens, the McLaren Artura's body panels manage airflow and heat to achieve the best possible aerodynamics and a low center of gravity, which enhances handling by reducing weight transfer and improving traction. At the front, the body lines slope into the front bumper from the rear, giving the McLaren Artura a low front profile and a high tail stance, a pure supercar design tailored to 'make the car pierce through the air'. The vents and fins integrated into the front bumper direct air underneath the car to the rear diffuser, and the shark-like gill vents on the front quarter panels direct hot air away from the brakes. These also give the McLaren Artura a mean side profile, yet someone will say it's not a supercar because it has a V6 and an electric motor. McLaren customization options make it easy to personalize a McLaren Artura when buying one from the factory or through your local McLaren dealership. There's an endless list of colors, wheels, and brake options for the exterior. You'll also find exterior trim packs that customize mirror casings, front fender louvers, exhaust, engine cover, and windshield, among other components with different colors or materials.
The McLaren Artura's artistry extends to the interior, where you get one of the coziest interiors possible on a supercar. As standard, you get a full Jet Black Alcantara interior. Still, you can upgrade to leather or other Alcantara accents with stitching and sharp and bright contrasting color accents to suit your preferences. Some trims come with upgraded Alcantara or leather at no extra cost. For example, the Vision spec Artura features an Extended Nappa Leather and Alcantara as standard. Three seat options are offered for the McLaren Artura: Clubsport Seats, Clubsport Seats with lumbar adjustment, and Power Adjust Heated Memory Comfort Seats. The Clubsport Seats with lumbar adjustment are standard and have four-way electric lumbar adjustability, while the optional Clubsport seats don't have lumbar adjustability but electrically move back and forth. The Power Adjust Heated Memory Comfort Seats offer all the said features with the capability to adjust seat height, backrest angle, and seat position. These are better for long-distance and daily driving, and even though you lose a bit of lumbar and hip support due to the extra cushioning, the Power Adjust Heated Memory Comfort Seats still offer excellent support. McLaren's relationship with Bowers and Wilkins Audio Systems continues to demonstrate itself in their cars, including the McLaren Artura. Instead of the standard McLaren sound system, you can opt for the 12-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system at no extra cost! This enhances your driving experience by immersing you in your favorite music or audio content. Like in most current McLaren models, controls are kept on the center console in the McLaren Artura and some on the instrument binnacle on the steering column. This reduces distractions on the steering wheel, and even though controls are slightly further away, they're ergonomically placed for the driver and passenger to reach easily. An 8.0-inch infotainment display floats at the dashboard's center, slightly angled toward the driver. It's the car's media control center, but it can also display vehicle data and statistics, for example, when using the track telemetry feature when driving on the track. The driver gets a 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster that changes ambiance depending on the driving mode.
One of the main advantages of owning a plug-in hybrid vehicle, in this case, the McLaren Artura, is that you can shut off the engine and drive it in full EV mode. McLaren promises a 19-mile electric range, which should be enough for an early morning work commute. How long does the battery take to charge in the McLaren Artura? The battery should take about two and a half hours to charge fully, and you can also charge it as you drive when driving in hybrid mode. Groundbreaking electrical architecture in the McLaren Artura enables over-the-air updates, which keep the car future proof through the installation of new features and enable technicians to address any issues, thus keeping your Artura in good shape. The McLaren Artura features a number of McLaren's ADAS driver assist features, such as intelligent adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, stop-and-go technology, road sign recognition, and others. Safety and vehicle security features are also available and include but are not limited to airbags, four-wheel ABS, remote key unlock, and remote vehicle tracking.
Minimal and powerful, the McLaren Artura showcases the future of supercars through its new and standards-setting hybrid powertrain. Perhaps we'll even see the return of hybrid hypers such as the McLaren P1, especially with industry-leading manufacturers such as McLaren at the helm of developing high-performance hybrid supercars and hypercars. The McLaren Artura starts at $237,500 for the Standard model and rises to $247,400 for the Performance, Techlux, and Vision trims. Factory options such as special MSO paints and interior and exterior styling options can add quite a lot to the price, but no amount is too much to pay for a car's personalization. You can buy a McLaren Artura through Exotic Car Trader today, and if you can't find a spec that suits you, we guarantee daily listing updates, so ensure you watch out for our McLaren Artura listings. Also, if you have a taste for McLarens, check out our McLaren listings.
The McLaren Artura is a perspective-changing supercar showcasing long-forgotten high-performance hybrid engineering that extends electrification to other aspects of the car's performance and handling, such as torque distribution and steering. Beyond its electrifying performance, the McLaren Artura is still a true supercar displaying a functional design from its stunning architecture and has a driver-focused interior that elevates the Artura's driving feel.
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