Driven at eight-tenths on twisting roads, the Artura feels predictable, reassuring and totally composed. The steering grabs and holds your attention as you grow in confidence and begin to exploit the powertrain. No, this hybrid V6 isn’t as charismatic as Ferrari’s unit in the 296, but a McLaren’s character has never really been built around its powertrain’s charisma.
Instead, you are just encouraged to use the powertrain and all the performance it’s able to muster in the most efficient way possible. The Artura’s V6 feels almost supernaturally strong, with a wonderful linear build up to the red-line and superb throttle response. The exhaust system does try to augment the experience with the occasional gargle or splutter, but in reality it’s the turbo-whistle, together with the high-pitched whines from the electric motor and its adjoining components, that define the powertrain’s soundtrack.
In typical fashion, the dual-clutch SSG transmission is a willing and able partner, the electric motor doing its bit to smooth out operations at low speeds while in-filling torque during hard upshifts. It’s just as good going down the gears, too, operated by a wonderful set of solid metal paddles on a McLaren-standard rocker to the rear of the steering wheel.
When you start to really push the McLaren Artura, something is different to McLarens that have gone before. Thanks to the use of a locking differential, and continual improvement to McLaren’s clever Mono-Cell chassis, the Artura Spider doesn’t feel intimidating or unhinged at the edge. Where some V8-powered McLarens could feel a little too intense due to their open-differentials and extreme turbo-rush top-ends, the Artura is much more of a team player, and less like a car which only Lando or Oscar could get the most out of.
Model: | McLaren Artura Spider |
Price: | £221,500 |
Engine: | 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol, 1 x e-motor |
Power/torque: | 690bhp/720Nm |
Transmission: | Eight-speed dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive |
0-62mph: | 3.0 seconds |
Top speed: | 205mph |
MPG/CO2: | 58.9mpg/108g/km |
On sale: | Now |