McLaren Artura (2023) Review

ON the touchline of a schoolboy rugby sevens competition the conversation invariably comes round to cars.

One of the dads makes a bold pronouncement: “I don’t see the point of hybrids. Cars should either be fully electric or petrol not something in between.”

Well, that’s quite a claim and something that hasn’t occurred to me so my response is muted until I’ve given it some thought.

I’ve given it some thought so here’s my response: “All cars should be hybrid melding the many benefits of electric and petrol to produce something more than the sum of its parts.”

If the supreme economy of my Toyota C-HR hadn’t fully convinced me of the benefits of a hybrid then the new McLaren Artura certainly would have finished me off.

Artura is new from the ground up and designed specifically with electric in mind rather than being an adapted petrol. It is a plug-in hybrid, not McLaren’s first as P1 was also electrified, but the first mainstream model, if there can be such a thing.

It uses a 96PS, 225Nm, electric motor and 7.4kWh battery with a 3.0 twin turbo-charged V6 that is 50kg lighter than the old V8.

When it comes to supercars, weight is everything and Artura is just 1,395kg. This means the 0-60mph sprint time falls to 2.9 seconds despite only turning out a modest 680PS (modest, who am I kidding but you know what I mean). That’s only 0.1 second slower than the 720S and that hurls 720PS at the world.

That’s a pretty good reason to go hybrid then as there is nothing quicker off the line than electrification, before the midrange oomph of the combustion engines flies in. It also means there is no mechanical reverse gear as the electric motor just turns the other way instead when you want to go backwards.

Now I’ve thought about it, I can say that supercars comprise four essential elements – image, performance, noise and driving dynamics.

Going fully electric removes a vital feature, namely the spine-tingling aural assault for which they are renowned, which could be a deal-breaker for the average supercar buyer. ‘So just buy a petrol then like your mate suggests,’ I hear you say.

Perhaps, but, conversely, there are times when even those who appreciate the din of a high-powered engine sometimes wish they could dial it down, for instance, when they have an early start or late finish and don’t want to annoy the neighbours, or when going through quiet country villages.

With the Artura you have the best of both worlds. You can creep along in near silence when the car drops into EV mode, or you can quiver with excitement with the V6 in full voice.

The other two elements are a given of course. When it comes to image the Artura is distinctly a McLaren. Its lines do seem cleaner somehow with fewer aluminium panels, deeply sculpted sides, lights and intakes cleverly shaped like the badge, wind-cheating silhouette and a low, broad stance.

The dynamics are characteristically McLaren too. Many supercars leave you feeling intimidated. They are low, wide and long, with poor visibility and rock hard suspension. You would imagine the McLaren to be the same but it is not.

It is just so easy to pilot, just like any normal car in fact, and you feel instantly at home behind the wheel. You really could take it to the shops as a well as the track and it takes absolutely no getting used to. All round visibility is excellent particularly through the wide, deep windscreen and because you feel comfortable and confident, Artura is a joy on the road. Ride is supreme and, while it is firm enough for peerless handling, it never approaches harsh.

McLaren has opted to keep the power steering hydraulic rather than electric to increase the amount feedback and you really can feel what is going on at the interface of tyres and road through the seat of your pants. Carbon ceramic brakes and lightweight aluminium callipers mean it will stop as quickly as it starts.

Performance is blistering of course but it is utterly civilised, never threatens to run away with you and is completely accessible to all not just racing drivers. And just look at the fuel and emission figures – CO2 of just 104g/km and 61.5MPG – that’s astounding helped by the fact it runs on electric when it can, self-generating as it goes and, if you ask, it will travel 19 miles in E-mode.

Inside the Artura has a neat 8in infotainment touchscreen to tend to most functions and the cockpit is largely uncluttered, as is the steering wheel. The 10in TFT binnacle is tidy and clear. Essential controls, such as the paddle shifts for the eight speed automatic box and the switch to alter the driving modes between comfort, sport and track, are just a finger stretch away.

The sports seats rock and tilt around an axis so you can get comfortable whatever your shape and size and the dihedral doors are just plain cool and also make exiting easy across the sills.

Artura is a supercar for the 21st century at a time when they could easily have been stuck in the past. It proves conclusively that there is still a place for the internal combustion engine which, when coupled with electric technology, is fit for the future. I’m sure even the chap on the rugby sevens touchline will be converted.

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