Unveiled: The McLaren Artura

The British carmaker with Kiwi linage feels every drop of McLaren’s experience and expertise has been poured into the Artura.

Designed from the ground up with Hybridisation at it’s core, the Artura incorporates a completely new chassis architecture for the brand. One that enables not just an electrified future, but also preserves McLaren’s super-lightweight engineering philosophy when adding hybrid powertrain elements like the Artura’s including an E-motor and battery pack.

While’s it is hard to look beyond the swooping linage of the delightfully proportioned Artura, you must if you’re to fully appreciate what the car represents. The key development here is the new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). MCLA is Optimised for high-performance hybrid applications including a bespoke battery compartment and introducing a ground-breaking domain-based ethernet electrical architecture. What once required kilometres of data and electrical cabling is now a circuitry network, along with an electrical heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (eHVAC) system built directly into the chassis.

This ethernet architecture reduces cabling by up to 25% as well as speeding up data transmission. This also facilitates access to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) including Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane-Departure Warning, Auto High-Beam Assist and Road-Sign Recognition as well as Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates.

Underpinned by the McLaren philosophy of super-lightweight engineering, McLaren claim the all-new Artura is the distillation of every attribute inherent in a McLaren, distinctive design, unrivalled performance, dynamic excellence and engineering innovation.

The added benefits of an electrified powertrain are not there to tick environmental and emissions boxes, McLaren harness the technology, along with an all new 3.0 litre V6 Twin Turbo engine, to deliver even faster throttle response than previous McLaren models. Handily however, lower emissions and being able to run in pure EV mode for emissions-free journeys of up to 30km are welcome side effects of the hybrid powertrain.

Designed to run with a Gasoline Particulate Filter to optimise emissions performance, the new V6 is also extremely refined. The 120° v-angle of the engine, which allows the turbochargers to be positioned within the vee contributing to a lower centre of gravity. The 120° layout increases engine performance by reducing the pressure losses through the exhaust system and allows for a stiffer crankshaft that enables a rev limit of 8,500rpm, maximising performance and driver engagement.

 Working in harmony with the new V6 is the Artura’s compact axial flux E-motor, located within the transmission bell housing. Smaller and more power-dense than a conventional radial flux E-motor, it is capable of generating 95PS and 225Nm and boasts a power density per kilo 33% greater than the system used in the McLaren P1. The instantaneous nature of the motor’s torque delivery – known as ‘torque infill’ – is key to the car’s razor-sharp throttle response.