Hybrid supercar revealed, NZ pricing indicated

FOUR specifications with New Zealand pricing to start from $375,000, our release timing as yet unadvised … that’s the local flavour for the Artura, the sports car that takes McLaren into the part-electrified drivetrain era.

The ‘High-Performance Hybrid’ two-seater that also delivers a fresh chassis architecture - it’s the first car to sit on the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) - and a shift from eight-cylinder to biturbo V6 power is obviously a McLaren in look, though those who have seen it identify lots of cues from the brand’s Sports Series cars.

The roof is made from a single-piece of aluminium, while laser-cut mesh is used for a lot of the apertures on the car (including the tail section) and is found surrounding the 'chimney' that releases surplus engine heat.

Artura’s dihedral doors have an LED signature in them that outlines their shape at night, it runs 19-inch front, 20-inch rear alloy wheels, has a relatively long 2.64 metre wheelbase and there are three launch colours that are called Flux Green, Ember Orange and a moody grey-black called Plateau.

Buyers get single-piece Clubsport seats as standard; those after a plusher chair will want the optional Comfort types. Ahead of the driver, two high-definition screens provide all the driving and entertainment information.

But so what, right? It’s a supercar, so get onto the oily bits …

The unit replacing the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol has a combined output of 500kW and 720Nm, in isolation the V6 makes 430kW/585Nm. McLaren suggests instant torque of up to 225Nm, ensuring the sharpest-ever throttle response from any of its cars and ferocious acceleration: 0-100kmh in 3.0 seconds, 0-200kmh in 8.3s and 0-300kmh in 21.5s. Top speed is 330kmh.

The six-cylinder’s packaging is interesting. The cylinders are arranged in a 120-degree vee, with the two turbochargers located inside the banks of pistons, known as a 'hot-inside-V' arrangement, and it's fitted with a short, very stiff crankshaft that allows it to spin to a frenzied 8500rpm.

Attached to the engine is a new eight-speed dual-clutch automated transmission, as well as an electric motor housed in the gearbox, and a five-cell lithium-ion battery pack rated at a modest 7.4kWh.

To that end, the Artura has no mechanical reverse gear - going backwards is handled by the electric motor alone; this trims weight from a car that, in its lightest dry weight form, clocks 1395kg. The DIN weight (driver and 90 percent fuel load) that figure rises to a still trim 1498kg.

McLaren says the Artura can travel around 30km on electric power only, at speeds of up to 120kmh. Its part-electric properties allow the new model to record impressive eco-stats of 129g/km CO2 and in excess of 5.7 litres per 100km), though these figures are as yet unvalidated by the WLTP test.

Proactive Damping Control is a development of the fancy suspension system seen on the 720S and even the Artura's tyres, mounted on 19 inch front and 20 inch rear rims, are high-tech - they're a bespoke set of Pirelli P Zeros with the Italian firm's 'Cyber Car Technology'. This means a chip in the rubber transmits tyre temperatures and pressures on the move. Carbon-ceramic brakes with forged lightweight callipers, these items available in seven different colours, are offered and it has a 72-litre fuel tank.

The lithium-ion battery pack’s 7.4kWh capacity isn’t massive, but it can be replenished through the onboard 11kW AC charger in 2.5 hours or externally, via a Type 2 electric port. McLaren will offer a six-year battery warranty, a five-year vehicle warranty and a ten-year body warranty.

You thought McLarens were slinky simply to be sheikh chic?

‘Conversations online with the minds behind our pioneering technologies.’.

That all sounds a bit pretentious and utterly boring, right?

It could well be were the subject matter, say, window blinds or whiteware.

But it’s not. The subject is the Kiwi-founded, based-Britain hero brand that these days brings its astounding motorsport pedigree to the road.

Specifically, it’s the McLaren Tech Club, whose remit is to explain and explore the technologies featured in McLaren road cars. With videos in which the interviews with McLaren experts is abetted by footage of great cars doing their thing.

Here are episodes one and two, respectively dealing with aerodynamic magic and how air and wind affect a car’s design. The first centres on the open-top Elva concept and the second uses as its muse another wee special, the Senna GTR.

With the latter, principal Designer Esteban Palazzo explains how the latter followed the F1 GTR and P1 GTR in adopting a multi-tiered, multi-layered, carbon fibre pedestal wing.

Palazzo says it was not only inspired by high-performance cars of the past and aircraft design, but also by the likes and tastes of the intended customers.

So as much for show as go? Well, that might be so, but it is effective. Additional to episode two McLaren has released three videos of the Senna GTR testing on the Bahrain International Circuit, where the car holds the fastest race lap in the circuit's current configurations.

Any, you’ve lots of time to spare, so here are all five videos. Don’t forget to turn the track footage up loud.