On Tuesday evening, McLaren unveiled its newest supercar, the Artura. It’s the company’s first plug-in hybrid EV, promising all the usual performance superlatives associated with McLaren: 0-124mph (200km/h) in 8.3 seconds, a 10.7-second quarter-mile time, and a top speed of 205mph (330km/h) put it in good company with the rest of the brand’s range. But it should also be the most efficient McLaren so far, emitting just 129g/km CO2 according to the EU’s WLTP test.
And the Artura really is all-new. Previous McLarens, from the MP4-12C onwards, have all used variations of the same carbon fiber monocoque chassis and derivatives of the same V8 gasoline engine, either in 3.8L or 4L capacities. Instead, the Artura will use a new platform, called the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture. And the powertrain is entirely new as well.
The internal combustion component is a twin-turbocharged 3.0L 120-degree “hot-vee” V6 with an output of 577hp (430kW) and 431lb-ft (584Nm). McLaren says that, at 353lbs (160kg), this new engine—codenamed M630—weighs 110lbs (50kg) less than the V8, as well as being significantly shorter.
But the V6 is only half of the story; this is a PHEV after all. So there’s a 94hp (70kW), 166lb-ft (225Nm) axial flux electric motor, which McLaren says is more power-dense than conventional radial flux motors. In fact, McLaren claims that the Artura’s electric motor has 33 percent more power density per kilogram than the electric motor used in the P1 hypercar. The electric motor also functions as the Artura’s reverse gear—forward motion from either the engine or electric motor is via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Loading comments...
