McLaren Artura
680 hp | 720 NM | 1,498 kg
239 km/h
2:02,6
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Two hearts beat in its chest. The Artura is one of the first plug-in hybrids among super sports cars. Ultra-light super sports car technology, breathtaking electrified performance and agility ensure a unique driving experience.
Its home: both the road and the race track!
TEST CONDITIONS
- Weather: 29°C, dry
- Car occupancy Persons: 2
Test values
- Lap time Pannonia Ring: 2:02.6
- Top speed: 239 km/h
DEVIATIONS FROM THE SERIES
none
Technology
- Engine: M630, 120° V6, 3.0L (2,993cc) Twin Electrically-Actuated Turbochargers, Dry Sump
- Rated power: 680 hp at 7,500 rpm
- Max. Torque: 720 Nm at 2,250 rpm
- Battery & electric motor: Axial flux motor & Refrigerant Cooled Li-ion, 7.4 kW/H
- Drive / Gearbox: Rear wheel / 8-speed + E-Reverse Seamless Shift Gearbox (SSG)
- Unladen weight: 1,498 kg
- Power-to-weight ratio: 2.20 kg/hp
- Tires: PIRELLI P Zero Corsa | 235/35 ZR19 front | 295/35 ZR20 rear
MILEAGE (FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS)
- Top speed: 330 km/h
- 0-100 km/h: 3.0 sec
LIST PRICE
from EUR 240,000
Markos Statement
McLaren is certainly one of the exotics on the domestic sports car market at the moment. Stefan Ziegelbauer and his team have set themselves the goal of changing this: McLaren's newest, European branch opened in Vienna at the beginning of the year, as the first showroom in Central Europe to feature a small coffee bar and the "Woking Window". McLaren Vienna offers its selected customers a range of McLaren models, including the brand new and highly desirable McLaren Artura hybrid supercar, as well as branded merchandise and accessories in a 450 square meter space. In addition to the new showroom, there is also a modern service center covering around 300 square meters.
Finding out whether the new Artura lives up to its title as a "high-performance hybrid super sports car", as McLaren calls it, was the mission of my current hotlap. Especially in comparison to the "reference sports car" Porsche. Temperatures approaching 30 degrees and the PIRELLI P Zero road tires raised the question of whether the rear-wheel-drive Artura could still build up enough traction to use its system output of 680 hp to its advantage. Is it really as fast as it looks, because visually the new Artura clearly comes across as an extreme dynamo!
Just as interesting: how do the 3-litre V6 and the electric motor harmonize? First things first: they complement each other perfectly! While the two turbochargers are still gasping for air, the axial flow motor kicks in to catapult the Artura forward before the petrol engine takes over again. Between 4,000 and 8,500 rpm, the electric motor provides an extra boost if required! The quick-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch transmission ensures flawless gear changes even in automatic mode. For the HOTLAPS, however, I always choose the sportiest setup and manual gear selection, which in the case of the Artura means: ESP off, track mode, manual.
After the first few bends, it becomes clear that this is clearly an extremely fast super sports car that weighs just under 1,500 kg thanks to its lightweight construction. The gearbox shifts perfectly, the brakes are firm and easy to modulate and the Artura has no shortage of power anyway. If you also want to drive your McLaren on the racetrack, you should definitely choose the optional club sports seats. The interplay between the two drives is perfect in dynamic mode, but could be a little smoother in track mode, as the torque increases rather abruptly and generates unwanted excess power. All in all, however, the car never feels overwhelmed and is one of the few sports cars that can complete a track day without stress.
Compared to the LT models from McLaren, the Artura is a little more "civilized" to drive, but delivers in terms of performance in general. The performance is impressive: on the start-finish straight, the Artura outperforms the Porsche 911 turbo by 5 km/h with a top speed of 239 km/h!
CONCLUSIONS:
The Artura deserves the title of super sports car. With a time of 2:02.6, it even leaves the current GT3 992 just behind! On road tires! With semis, it certainly has the potential to reach 2:00 and would therefore be the second fastest production car tested, beaten only by the "measure of all things", the GT3 RS. Where it definitely beats EVERYTHING is in the price-performance ratio: thanks to its plug-in hybrid drive and an electric range of 31 kilometers, the Artura is exempt from the NoVA because it only consumes 5.5 liters in the WLTP mix. Due to the hybrid technology and the resulting taxation, the Artura costs only around half the price of a GT3 RS or a McLaren 750S in Austria, with prices starting at around EUR 240,000.
Emotionally, despite the significantly higher performance, I would classify the Artura more in the direction of the Porsche GTS, making it the "all-rounder with trackday suitability".
However, McLaren has announced sound and chassis optimization from July delivery, including 20 hp on top, so perhaps that little bit of emotion will be added that will finally turn it into a GT3 Terminator!