LAS VEGAS, NV — As I made my way down the winding tarmac in Valley of Fire State Park as Motorhead battled its new twin-turbocharged V6 for aural supremacy, I have to admit that efficiency was the furthest thing from my mind. _ Mind.
The Artura is McLaren's first hybrid car, but it isn't the first time this type of technology has been incorporated into its road cars. A decade ago, the company debuted the limited-production P1 supercar, which, with the help of its radial-flow engine, produced an impressive 903 horsepower. Engineers have taken this approach even further with the Speedtail in 2018.
2023 McLaren Artura road test:
Thanks to the steady march of technology, McLaren says the Artura's "E-Motor" system is 33% more dense than the P1's hybrid system while weighing half the weight. With a base price of $237,500 with destination fee, the Artura also falls into a segment of the market that isn't restricted to princes and oligarchs.
But don't call it "entry level": McLaren says it's over with the Sports Series / Super Series / Ultimate Series naming. Instead, the Artura sits alongside the 720S in the automaker's Supercar class, while the softer GT now serves as the brand's starting point. Seven-figure supercars like the Speedtail will be the company's flagship offerings.
Given the amount of new components underpinning this car - a carbon fiber monocoque body, engine, hybrid system, eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with McLaren's first electronically integrated rear differential, multi-link rear suspension design, in-car technology, and other essentials all result Clean designs - it's reasonable to expect that we'll see a lot of them in future McLaren models. But rest easy, purists. This thing does not disappoint.
While the aluminum and carbon fiber body structure takes some inspiration from the 570S and 720S models that preceded them, once you're at the helm it's clear that this is nothing more than the same. Improving everyday usability was a big priority in the Artura's overall design, and that's only evident by looking at the control layout. McLaren has revamped its previously bold design for the car's setup, placing toggle switches for powertrain modes and suspension settings on the instrument cluster bin to make it easy to access these functions without taking your hands off the wheel or taking your eyes off the road. . The now available nose-lift system gets an easier-to-reach toggle button in the lower dash, too—an upgrade that may seem frivolous at first, but can have a significant impact on day-to-day drivability in a car that sits this low to the ground.
While the V6's soundtrack isn't overtly bizarre, it's a distinctly mechanical and enjoyable club arguably more distinct than the noise from the boosted V8s McLaren has used in its recent road cars, and the instantaneous torque delivered by the hybrid system does a commendable job. To facilitate power delivery at lower rpm. When running at full power, the Artura's acceleration feels more immediate than the Maserati MC20, but not quite as fast as the Porsche 911 Turbo S.
But in the Mojave Desert, it's the handling that ultimately impresses. Despite the hybrid system's added weight, the Artura weighs just over 3,300 pounds, making it several hundred pounds lighter than the Maserati and 911 Turbo S (as well as the Ferrari 296 GTB). Cornering is sharp and precise thanks to the Artura's sleek physique as well as the optional track-focused Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires the test cars wore. As with other recent McLarens, the brake pedal is impressively firm when called upon to start speed, making it easy to growl with confidence. Crucially, McLaren figured out how to achieve this without causing excessive braking response in everyday driving, which is a common problem with high-performance road cars with large carbon-ceramic bumpers.
The ride quality offered by the Artura's traditionally adaptive suspension isn't quite as impressive as the trick hydraulic system McLaren uses in models like the 720S and 765LT, but in the softer suspension mode the Artura feels compliant enough for long periods at the wheel. And as I discovered while driving the Artura around the indoor road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway later in the day, setting up the suspension on the track will keep body motions in check when you start moving at speed.
To help owners drift heroically while reducing the likelihood of impromptu encounters with tire walls, McLaren has also equipped the Artura with its Variable Drift Control system. First seen in the 720S, VDC allows the driver to step out from behind, bury the throttle, and dial in some reverse locking while letting the computer sort out the right amount of power needed to keep the vehicle in the intended position. system during the car's final lap, but with the 295mm-wide track tires working so hard in the rear to stop the power and keep me on the straight and narrow, it took a lot of deliberate effort to ease Artura down a tight track like this. If treadmill tires are high on your priority list, you might want to stick with the standard P Zero summer tire.
Of course, as with my time in the Valley of Fire, this wouldn't be the most efficient way to drive Artora. But it sure would be a hell of a lot of fun.
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