McLAREN ARTURA
McLaren’s first series-production High-Performance Hybrid supercar focuses more than half a century of the company’s racing and road-car experience and expertise into a next-generation supercar that blends ground-breaking technology with McLaren’s dedication to pure driver engagement.
Underpinned by the McLaren philosophy of super-lightweight engineering, the all-new Artura is the distillation of every attribute inherent in a McLaren – distinctive design, unrivalled performance, dynamic excellence and engineering innovation – with electrification now bringing the additional benefits of even faster throttle response, lower emissions and being able to run in pure EV mode for emissions-free journeys of up to 30km.
Super-lightweight engineering
To achieve the very specific aims of the Artura programme McLaren started right at the core of its new supercar, with a completely new carbon fibre architecture. This had to not only be true to the company’s philosophy of super-lightweight engineering for dynamic and performance reasons, but also crucially to offset the extra weight of a hybrid powertrain, as well as being tailored to accommodate the battery pack.
Electrical architecture
The Artura debuts an array of firsts for McLaren, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates and Pirelli Cyber Tyre® tyre-monitoring technology. These are all made possible by the new electrical architecture, which also supports an all-new McLaren Infotainment System (MIS II).
Additionally, the complex powertrain necessitated an electrical architecture that can control McLaren’s first gasoline direct injection (GDI) fuel system at 350 bar; completely new transmission software; the E‑differential and e‑reverse functionality; battery management and implementing the different types of driving experience via the integration of the electric drive and engine drive.
High-performance hybrid powertrain
The Artura’s hybrid powertrain combines an all-new twin-turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine together with an industry-leading axial flux electric motor (E‑motor) integrated within an all-new eight-speed transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack.
The combined output of the High-Performance Hybrid powertrain is 680PS and 720Nm, with the torque of the E‑motor ensuring instant throttle response. Straight-line acceleration of 0 – 100km/h (62mph) is achieved in 3.0 seconds and 0 – 300km/h (186mph) in just 21.5 seconds; yet at the same time the Artura is capable of driving up to 30km on battery power alone, making the car fully zero- emissions capable for most urban journeys. The cleanest and most efficient McLaren road car ever, the Artura returns more than 50mpgand 129g/km CO2 on the EU WLTP cycle*. The McLaren Artura has four Powertrain modes, covering every driving requirement: E‑mode, Comfort, Sport and Track.
All-new eight-speed transmission
The McLaren Artura has a completely new and technically advanced eight-speed seamless-shift transmission. Designed to integrate the E‑motor yet still be very compact, the technically advanced transmission offers high performance and significantly improved CO2 figures. Despite an extra gear over the seven-speed transmission on McLaren’s V8-powered vehicles, the length of the gear cluster has been reduced by 40mm, helped by use of a nested clutch rather than a parallel clutch.
The transmission acts to transfer torque from both the E‑motor and the V6 engine. This allows the vehicle to operate in a zero-emissions mode using only the E‑motor after the internal combustion engine is disconnected.
“The Artura is super-lightweight, with the entire powertrain packaged centrally in the vehicle and as low down as possible. The rear suspension is a clever multi-link wishbone system that’s designed to be significantly stiffer than anything we’ve used before, and advanced Proactive Damping Control is also a central part of the car’s dynamics. We wanted to make a thrilling, engaging supercar that asks very few compromises of the driver or the passenger and the Artura truly delivers on the McLaren promise of class-leading driving dynamics and cutting-edge technology.”
Geoff Grose, Chief Engineer, McLaren Artura
Design
The pure, minimalist aggressive beauty appears almost effortless, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Artura has perfect supercar proportions – a long, low sleek nose, long roofline, very fast windscreen angle and very ‘cab-forward’ stance. Coupled with a compact wheelbase, 19-inch and 20-inch wheels and high fenders and haunches, the result is a superb dynamic feel overall, enhanced by the extremely compact rear overhang.
The organic ‘shrink-wrapped’ bodywork contrasts with the sheer sides of the dihedral doors. These vertical surfaces play a distinct aerodynamic role while their shape, which transforms into the curvature of the air intake, allowed McLaren engineers to optimise the weight and rigidity of the aluminium doors.
Interior
Driver and passenger are both able to enjoy an environment that blends revolutionary ergonomics, technology, design and refinement. An increased feeling of space is created by all surfaces being as far outwards as possible in order to maximise the interior volume, and the materials used throughout – from leathers to machined switchgear – create a technical and contemporary ambience.
Every McLaren cockpit is built around the driver, but the Artura brings a new level of meaning to that principle. This is achieved by mounting the Digital Instrument Cluster to the steering column, so it moves in conjunction with the steering wheel. As a driver adjusts the column to their preferred position, perfect visibility of the instrumentation is maintained – and better still, the rocker switches for the Powertrain and Handling modes are at their fingertips, being mounted either side of the binnacle.
The all-new Clubsport seats, fitted as standard, are a particular point of focus in the interior of the Artura. Developed specifically for the all-new High-Performance Hybrid supercar, these single-shell seats uniquely combine the light weight and support of a bucket seat with the range of motion expected of a seat with a moveable backrest.
Model range, specification and ownership
Beyond standard trim, three further levels – ‘Performance’, ‘TechLux’ and ‘Vision’ – offer a variety of interiors carefully curated by the design studio at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). And as with every McLaren, customers seeking further personalisation can explore the realm of McLaren Special Operations (MSO), which makes almost anything possible.
The Artura is equipped as standard with a generous suite of comfort and convenience features, including a McLaren five-speaker audio system and satellite navigation that includes turn-by-turn instructions and simplified map displayed in the Digital Instrument Cluster alongside a full map on the Central Infotainment Screen. There is also DAB/FM radio, Bluetooth telephony, iPod/iPhone Integration, USB‑C and USB‑B fast-charge connectivity.
The McLaren Track Telemetry app has also been enhanced with a preloaded track database, while a new key features Bluetooth technology to wake the car up sooner – enhancing welcome and start-up experience – and commercial-grade cryptography software to combat against potential relay attack.
* value to be confirmed – pending final validation
