OK…let's get serious. The Artura is a 205 MPH, 691 HP work of art.
We're talkin' 0 to 60 in around 3 seconds. Handling and breaking to match. And a sculptured look that belongs in an art museum. It's every bit the supercar that we've come to expect from McLaren.
So what's the deal with their new plug-in electric hybrid? Are they really trying to save you gas with their new Artura?
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Now, I'm sure many McLaren drivers recycle…and maybe even have a hybrid as a daily driver. But a McLaren plug-in? Really? What's the deal…the real deal?
Well…for one, McLaren plans to be around for a while…and somewhere in the future it appears that we'll all be driving electric. McLaren, just like everyone else, is prepping for that day. And they've done a good job. In electric-only mode, McLaren's Artura will just dust most other all-electrics.
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But wait…there's more….
Yes, it took me a few days of driving the Artura to work before I realized that the plug-in allowed me to sneak off to work at 6:30 AM in full electric mode without waking my neighbors with that pit-bull snap and snarl that McLarens are known and oh so loved for.
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But hey…there's still more…a lot more.
Remember…this is McLaren. There's way more to their hybrid story than just quiet operation and saving a little gas. This is a marque that's winning in Formula 1 and Indycar. They're not going to make a plug-in hybrid for any other reason than to try to make the fastest and most capable vehicle on the road…right?
And they just might have done that.
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While the Artura comes with a user-friendly 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and three years of complimentary service, there's no getting around the fact that the only thing any McLaren needs to hit the track is a number on its side…and the Artura is no exception.
While the Artura's almost 700 HP lives in an extremely strong and lightweight carbon fiber chassis with an 8-speed dual-clutch auto that shifts instantly…and an adjustable suspension makes it's moves from Comfort to Sport to Track in fractions of a second… it's the 531 ft lbs of immediate torque that the electric plug-in provides that's the secret to the Artura's brilliant performance.
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No turbo lag…no hesitation…just an eruption of speed thanks in big part to the plug-in's immediate torque.
But before you launch, perhaps the most important button on the McLaren is the little button that raises the front end just a hair…to clear speed bumps et al. Once over 35 MPH, your McLaren will settle back down automatically.
Need further proof that the Artura is perhaps the world's most serious plug-in?
It comes with Pirelli's first "Cyber Tyre". It's a tread so sophisticated that you can not only read your tire pressure on the screen, but see the individual temperature of each tire, too. Important info if you're logging laps at Track Day.
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Want to check the level of those ten quarts of oil? Forget the dipstick…there is none. Instead, you check by accessing your screen.
And in keeping with the performance nature of the Artura, it's a serious screen.
Small and focused on giving you just exactly what you need without taking your attention off the road.
While you can get an Artura hardtop, our test Spider's retractable hard top added only a few pounds of weight…and fully retracts in only 11 seconds at speeds up to 31 MPH.
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If the open-air option appeals to you, the bidding starts under $275K, but can go well North of that if you choose to customize your Artura through McLaren's "Bespoke" program. Custom colors / custom interiors…just give McLaren your personal "Wish List" and write a check.
But if you're writing that check to have the ultimate in performance, the Artura seems to have no competition…for now.
