The reveal of the McLaren Artura shows how even the most hardcore of car manufacturers had no option other than to feature some form of electrification in its new car in order to survive.
This is the first-ever series-production hybrid supercar from the British firm and to be honest, it does not look at ground-breaking, does it?
It more of an evolution over the 570S in terms of design, despite being built on a new carbonfibre monocoque which has aluminium subframes.
Featuring the 720S-esque socket headlights, the Artura has a smooth, flowing body with narrow window glass area, flying buttresses, side air intakes and a rather simple rear end. But, the dihedral doors are anything but simple.
It is evident that McLaren has tried its best to reduce the supercar’s mass as the hybrid components added 130 additional kg (88 kg for 7.4 kWh battery pack, 15.4 kg E-motor, etc).
Thus, it features an engine that weighs only 160 kg, superformed aluminium and carbonfibre panels, lighter cabling, all of which enable it to weigh 1498 kg (DIN).
Inside, the dashboard has been completely revised. The steering wheel is refreshingly simple with no buttons. But, the instrument cluster is now attached with the steering column and moves with it.
There are different switchgear for engine and handling controls, while a 8-inch touchscreen is also present. The car even features advanced driver assistance systems now.
A new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine (585 PS and 585 Nm) with an axial flux E-motor (95 PS and 225 Nm) in the 8-speed twin-clutch transmission’s bell housing power the car. Together, they put out 680 PS and 720 Nm of torque.
All the power is transferred to the rear wheels and the car also has the firm’s first electronic-differential, 4 drive modes (E-mode, Comfort, Sport and Track), while the gearbox has no reverse gear.
Due to the electric assistance, the car, its maker says, has the sharpest-ever throttle response in a McLaren supercar. It can do 0-100 km/hr in 3 seconds flat, hit 200 km/hr from nought in 8.3 seconds and top out at 330 km/hr.
Being a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), the Artura’s battery pack harvests power from the engine during driving. But, it can also be charged up to 80 percent in 2.5 hours using a standard cable.
Using electric power alone, the Artura can travel up to 30 km and is claimed to be the most fuel-efficient McLaren ever produced.
That is not all either, for the McLaren Artura reveal let out its new rear suspension concept, while the supercar also comes with wider tyres, a shortened wheelbase, carbon ceramic brakes and most importantly, it retains the hydraulically-assisted steering.
In order to break free from its bad customer service reputation, the supercar brand offers the Artura with a 5-year vehicle warranty, 6-year battery warranty and 10-year body warranty.
With the McLaren Artura reveal, order books for the car are open as well. It is priced from £185,500 (Rs. 1.87 crores) in the UK for the standard specification with 3 more core specifications available for customers to choose.
