Plug-in hybrid 2023 McLaren Artura delivers equal helpings of power and prestige
What is it? 2023 McLaren Artura. High-performance, plug-in hybrid two-seater.
How much? Base price $225,000, excluding $4,500 destination charge.
Why should you consider it? Rare, beautiful; fast, but easy to drive — plus it’s a hybrid.
What could be better? The 11-mile electric range isn’t much — even for McLaren’s first PHEV.
When can you buy it? On sale now.
LAS VEGAS − You don’t see McLaren’s exotic sports cars every day, even at the concierge entrance to top hotels here in the capital of conspicuous consumption, where the doorman asks “What color?” when a guest says he’s ready for his Rolls-Royce.
So it’s no surprise McLaren’s first electrified car, the 2023 Artura plug-in hybrid, starts every drive nearly silent in EV mode. The Artura doesn’t need to draw attention to itself. Attention will be paid.
Window rattling exhaust notes are for parvenus, and you don’t want to startle Adele as she departs for tonight’s show. As 2023 dawns, true exclusivity arrives in an electrified papaya-orange two-seater that can do 205 mph, but doesn’t have to shout to be noticed.
2023 McLaren Artura price and selected options
Base price: $225,000
Sport exhaust: $4,450
Stealth exhaust finisher: $1,350
Track telemetry app: $910
Performance spec: $7,500
Fire extinguisher: $200
Warning triangle and first aid kit: $125
Technology pack: $7,000
Gloss black wheels: $1,450
McLaren Orange brake calipers w/silver logo: $1,350
Vehicle tested: $249,335
Source: McLaren
Prices exclude $4,500destination charge.
You’ve never seen a V6 like this
The Artura is McLaren’s first plug-in hybrid, combining an electric motor and twin-turbo 3.0L V6. Total power from the engine and an electric motor mounted in the engine’s bell housing — between engine and an eight-speed seamless-shift automatic transmission — is 671 hp and 531 pound-feet of torque. The Artura weighs 3,303 pounds, giving it a weight to power ratio of 4.92 pounds/hp. That compares to 5.28 for a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, if you’re scoring at home — or if you just want proof some journalists can do math. (Fingers crossed.)
The V6 sits in an owner-proof glass-topped compartment behind the passenger compartment, but the V6 is a work of art when you see it on a workbench. It has an angle of 120 degrees between the cylinder banks of its Vee. Most V6s have 60-degree angles, which makes them taller than the McLaren engine. The unusual layout allows the engine to sit lower in the car than McLaren’s V8, which has a 90-degree bank. That contributes to a lower center of gravity — good for handling and road holding — and more efficient exhaust flow.
Ferrari came up with the same layout, at the same time for the V6 in its 296 GTB supercar, a coincidence that delights McLaren. Great minds, and apparently great engineers, think alike.
Carbon-fiber and ethernet architectures
Powertrain innovations notwithstanding, McLaren Automotive’s core competency is lightweight, advanced materials. It’s on display in the Artura, the first vehicle to use the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture, a carbon-fiber tub manufactured in the English city of Sheffield, a famed hub of steelmaking for centuries.
The tub encloses the passenger compartment, houses an 87-pound lithium ion battery behind the seats, and attaches to subframes for the car’s powertrain and suspension.
The body panels are aluminum.
The Artura also features a new ethernet electrical architecture McLaren says weighs 10% less and requires 25% less wiring than conventional systems.
Driving impressions: EV mode is modest, performance isn’t
The Artura has four powertrain modes, but McLaren programmed it to always start in EV mode, an acknowledgement that some of us like our neighbors. No need to set off firecrackers every time you leave. The other expected powertrain modes are present: comfort, sport and track.
EV mode makes starts smooth and stealthy, with plenty of power for city and suburban traffic. The other handling modes — comfort, sport and track — manage adjustable dampers and the stability control system. The powertrain and handling modes are independent: you can combine them however you like.
The 11-mile electric range is pretty puny, to be honest, but the McLaren didn’t want to take any chances with the performance and handling of its first PHEV. Future models should go farther on electric, as McLaren gains confidence and battery technology improves.
Eventually, all McLarens will be gasoline-electric hybrids, and at some point probably purely electric, but the weight of batteries precludes that today. The Artura is the first step. We can expect more electric power and longer ranges as McLaren rolls out new models.
The Artura can reach 81 mph in electric mode.
The V6 and electric motor mesh seamlessly when you want more range or speed. Occupants are pleasantly shielded from the engine note, but the Artura makes its presence known when you open it up.
The steering is fast and direct. The car’s low center of gravity and sporty suspension combine for excellent road holding and surprising comfort. An electronic locking rear differential is standard.
Putting the battery between the passenger compartment and powertrain contributes to a 42% front/58% rear weight distribution. Putting most of the weight over the powered rear axle helps the McLaren hit 60 mph in just 3 seconds.
Unlike most hybrids, the Artura doesn’t recover power from the brakes when it decelerates. The engine has enough power to keep the battery useful. That contributes to immediately familiar brake feel.
Track mode increases that charging, allowing the McLaren to run flat out for 40 miles on the Nardo test track in southern Italy without running out of juice.
Driver assistance and safety features
Adaptive cruise control
Lane departure alert
Road sign recognition
Over the air updates.
Interior comfort and features
The passenger compartment is snug, but comfortable. The gauges and controls are generally easy to read and use. All the controls are easy to reach, as they should be in a car designed for regular days at the track.
The seats are comfortable, covered in suede and leather, and trimmed with McLaren Orange piping in my test car. Bower & Wilkins audio provide sound befitting an advanced luxury car.
A small tablet mounted low in the center stack controls navigation and other features. It’s clear, but its size makes it difficult to consistently tap the feature you want in a moving vehicle.
Unlike most lane-departure alerts, which have all the charm of an elevator chime, the Artura employs three electronic beeps reminiscent of sounds from "Star Wars" — "pew-pew-pew." I enjoyed it over the course of a day, but you can turn it off if you disagree or its charm wears out.
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McLaren’s signature scissors doors pivot up easily, creating a larger entry/exit than most sports cars offer.
A 5.3-cubic-foot compartment under the hood will hold a weekend’s gear for a disciplined couple. Otherwise, ship it ahead.
2023 McLaren Artura at a glance
Base price: $225,000 (all prices exclude $4,500 destination charge)
Plug-in hybrid two-passenger exotic sports car
On sale now
Specifications as tested:
Price as tested: $249,335
Drivetrain: Twin-turbo V6 with
Output: 671 hp; 531 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed seamless-shift automatic
Battery: 7.4 kWh lithium ion
Charging time: 12.5 hours @ 240v; 31 minutes 10%-80% @ 200 kW
Efficiency: 39 mpge combined. 18 mpg combined, gasoline only. Premium gasoline.
Charging time: 3.5 hours @ 240v
Electric range: 11 miles, 330-mile combined range
EPA estimated annual fuel cost: $2,850 (gasoline+electric)
0-60 time: 3 seconds
Top speed: 205 mph
Wheelbase: 104 inches
Length: 179 inches
Width: 78 inches (mirrors folded), 75 inches without mirrors
Height: 47 inches
Cargo volume: 5.3 cubic feet
Curb weight: 3,303 pounds
Assembled in Woking, England
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: McLaren’s first hybrid shows where supercars are headed – and how fast
