First Look: 2022 McLaren Artura

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There’s a certain myth and aura (pun intended) that surrounds the finest of hyper-sportscars. So it is with the all-new McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid. It’s a work of love that’s been in process for about six years. Its modern makeup speaks to the future of the breed — moving forward, every McLaren will have some sort of electrification. In the case of the Artura, modern touches everything from the ultra-light, carbon-fibre monocoque to the all-new hybrid powertrain.

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Of course, all the technology in the world does not make any car desirable — it has to look the part. In this case, the Artura is, in a word, stunning. From the wind-cheating nose through the raked windshield and dihedral doors; to the tight, sculpted clamshell that encases the mid-mounted powertrain, it looks like it’s at speed even when parked. Interestingly, there’s not a single design line surplus to need — it is all about cooling the radiators through those big openings behind the doors and the aerodynamic requirements needed to deliver high-speed stability.

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With a top speed of 330 kilometres an hour, the Artura needs the very best chassis McLaren has to offer! That’s why beneath the swoopy aluminum exterior panels sits the latest McLaren Carbon-fibre Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). Not only is this the first monocoque McLaren is building in-house, but, at just 82 kilograms, the core is light, and, more importantly, strong with the stiffness demanded of a hyper-sportscar. It not only protects the occupants and the battery, it gives the Artura the demanded driving dynamics.

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Nestled neatly in the back is an all-new 120-degree 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6. The wide angle between the banks of cylinders not only houses the two turbos, it also means the overall height of the engine is lower than McLaren’s previous 90-degree V8 engine. This part of the hybrid powertrain makes 577 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque.

To ensure the requisite exhaust note, the twin exhausts run directly from the turbos through the catalytic convertors, a resonator that amplifies the sweet sound and out through the pipes. Beyond that, the sweet siren the riders hear inside is not man-made — it’s piped from the engine to a diaphragm that delivers it to them.

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The other half of the hybrid is the electric motor and its 94 hp and 166 lb-ft of torque. Add this to the engine and you have a net system output of 671 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque at just 2,250 rpm. The electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and eight-speed transmission, which, again, keeps things compact. It also works with an e-differential to deliver brake-based torque vectoring.

The bonus to the Artura’s plug-in aspect is the fact the 7.4-kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery delivers an electric-only driving range of 30 kilometres. When driving, the hybrid system has preset targets to maintain the battery’s state of charge and how the engine and electric motor interact.

In EV mode, it is pure electric. Comfort mode blends the two power sources to deliver the best driving characteristics and typically uses the electric motor at slower speeds. Sport mode delves deeper into electric side to ramp up performance. Finally, Track mode sharpens everything and keeps the battery at its peak to ensure the motor is always ready to chip in whenever the driver demands outright performance. The point here is the hybrid maintains its overall level of performance even after 10 hot laps.

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The other half is the electric motor—add this and you have a net system output of 671 hp and 531 lb-ft at just 2,250 rpm

To put all of this into perspective, there are some important numbers. First is the speed of the power delivery — if the driver demands 515 lb-ft of torque, 90 per cent is delivered in just 0.6 seconds. Likewise, the lightweight design and a curb weight of 1,498 kilograms gives the Artura a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.23 kg for each of the stampeding stallions. These two numbers combine to deliver a warp-like acceleration to 100 km/h in three seconds flat. Keep the hammer down and it blasts through 200 km/h in 8.3 seconds, which is faster than mortal cars take to hit half the speed!

More impressive is the stopping power. The combined effects of the regular brakes and regenerative braking means the Artura slows from 100 km/h in just 31 metres.

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Of course, the suspension is all that and then some. It starts with an all-new multi-link rear suspension and McLaren’s Proactive Damping Control. It responds to varying road conditions in just two-milliseconds and changes its damping characteristics according to the drive mode selected — Comfort, Sport and Track. The grip is then supplied by P235/35R19 front and P295/35R20 rear tires. The neat part is the new Pirelli Cyber tires use a sensor embedded in the rubber to send information on tire pressure and temperature via Bluetooth.

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Then there are things like the launch control system and Variable Drift Control (VDC). It allows the driver to hone the stability control system through a slider. One imagines it runs from full-on safety net to a let-it-all-hang-out drift mode.

The Artura’s cabin is a mix of minimalist and functional luxury. The Clubsport seat design hugs when on the track; they are comfortable in everyday driving. Of course, the infotainment and connectivity demanded today are in place. Two screens form the basis and give the driver access to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Over-the-Air software updates and the latest McLaren Track Telemetry. The latter provides real-time lap data, sector splits, and the post-hot-lapping data needed to improve the driver’s time!

The McLaren Artura plug-in hyper-car will have a Canadian starting price of $280,000.