2023 McLaren Artura

The lineage is obvious from the moment you walk up to it, as the design — while all-new — features cues found on other models like the GT and 720S. That includes details like deeply inset headlights, high-mounted exhaust tips and, of course, the dihedral doors that open up and out. The Artura is striking, especially in some of McLaren's more vibrant paint colors, though we wouldn't call it beautiful. But looks are only part of the equation when it comes to cars like this: You need to have the performance to back it up.

As notable as the new V6 engine is, it's the electric motor mounted in the eight-speed transmission's bell housing that's the real news here. It's only a few inches thick and light enough to pick up with a single hand, yet it helps boost the Artura's total output to 671 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque, up from 577 horsepower and 431 lb-ft of torque from the gasoline engine alone. The electric motor is powered by a 7.4-kWh battery pack that's mounted behind and below the driver. The center section of the car is a single carbon-fiber tub that's attached to aluminum front and rear frames. The new design was developed with a hybrid powertrain in mind, so we expect this won't be the last plug-in McLaren.

The transmission is notable, too, as it's McLaren's first eight-speed transmission. The transmission itself is no bigger than McLaren's seven-speed, made possible by removing the reverse gear entirely. So how do you back up? The electric motor will simply run in reverse. Clever stuff to help keep weight down. All in, the Artura weighs a little over 3,300 pounds. 

The suspension has three basic settings tied to each drive mode, but it's adaptive and constantly adjusting on the fly. McLaren is using a new rear suspension design that it says improves stability and reduces understeer. The stability and traction control are adjustable, too. Traction control uses what McLaren is calling Variable Drift Control. Rather than on and off, traction control can be backed off incrementally to allow for some rear-out antics if you're so inclined. Aiding traction is the Artura's electronic locking differential. Using an e-diff saves weight versus a mechanical differential and allows for precise control over how much torque is being sent to each rear wheel.

Given everything McLaren has thrown at it, it's no surprise that the Artura is an obscenely fast machine that can quickly send you well past the speed limit with a dip of your right foot. Power response is immediate and fierce, provided you don't have it in all-electric mode. The battery allows for an EPA-estimated all-electric range of 11 miles, though power is limited to what the electric motor can provide. It's enough for city driving, and while you can drive up to 81 mph with electricity alone, it will take a bit to get up to that speed as power falls off dramatically past 30 mph.

There's more than enough power on tap for any public road. We had a chance to drive the car both on the street and on a short 1.4-mile road course, though that course included a straight long enough to find that fourth gear will take you to at least 131 mph. The Artura's top speed is an electronically limited 205 mph.

The engine revs quickly, and redline is a heady 8,200 rpm. If you shift by ear rather than eyeballing the tach or leaving it in automatic, there's an inclination to short shift. As with other screamers like the Ford Shelby GT350's V8, the Porsche 911 GT3's flat-six and the Honda S2000's inline-four, it takes a minute to get used to having a higher rev ceiling. The difference here is that those three were all naturally aspirated engines, whereas the Artura of course is a turbocharged hybrid. High-revving engines can feel a bit weak at low revs, but that's where the electric motor and turbochargers benefit the McLaren. It helps offer smooth power delivery rather than the swell that can come with powerful turbocharged cars.

Because there's an extra gear in the transmission, the gear ratios have been tightened up in an effort to further improve throttle response. The dual-clutch transmission is very responsive, and the one-piece wheel-mounted shift paddle is satisfying to use. But at low speeds, especially when coming to a stop, downshifts can feel clunky and a bit unrefined.

Speed is far from everything. Handling is paramount in sports cars, and the Artura mostly delivers. The car feels planted and stable on the street, tackling a winding back road with aplomb. The steering is still hydraulically assisted and offers excellent feedback. It's quick and weighted well, with enough heft to give you a sense of what the front tires are doing without feeling overly heavy. That's good, as there's only one setting for the steering. McLaren says it wants the steering to feel consistent no matter the drive mode. We think that's a good thing because electronically assisted power steering all too often feels compromised and numb.

Part of the beauty of moving the engine is freeing up weight over the front axle and pushing the cabin forward. It makes the Artura quick to turn in, though on the road course we did notice the nose pushing a bit on tighter corners. If you back off the traction control a few notches, you can use the throttle and e-diff to mitigate understeer and rotate the rear.

In addition to improved handling in corners, the Artura's e-diff helps with high-speed stability, too, say like cruising on the highway or barreling down the straight on a track. The Artura has a relatively short wheelbase to help make it feel nimble in corners. Longer wheelbases provide more stability at speed, but the way the differential can adjust torque on the fly can be used to help provide the same stability with a shorter wheelbase.

The Artura wears big carbon-ceramic rotors with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. McLarens all tend to have firm brake pedals, and the Artura is no different. As with the steering, McLaren wanted the brake feel to be consistent all of the time, so, somewhat unusually for a hybrid, the Artura does not use a brake-by-wire system, and as such, there's no regenerative braking at all. The upshot is that the brakes always feel the same no matter what drive mode you're in. The pedal is firm, but it feels strong and is easy to modulate. We didn't notice any fade during our day behind the wheel.

McLaren worked with Pirelli on a new tire for the Artura. It comes standard with Pirelli P Zero summer tires, while higher-performance P Zero Corsa tires are available. All of the test cars were fitted with the latter. They're staggered, sized 235/35ZR19 front and 295/35ZR20 rear. But these aren't the typical P Zeros you can order off of Tire Rack. The compound was developed for this car and, interestingly, features a Bluetooth chip embedded inside the tire that communicates with the car. The car can automatically recognize the compound as well as read tire pressures and temperatures.

The Artura's exhaust note is loud but not overbearing from inside the cabin. It's one of the better-sounding V6s around, though it doesn't sound quite as burly as McLaren's V8. There's a bit more wind and road noise on the highway than we'd prefer, but, as with the exhaust, it's never overbearing or obnoxious.

The rest of the cabin is handsome and well appointed. There's decent room in all directions. It's very driver-focused, and everything is easy to see and reach. McLaren wants you to be able to control most features without taking your hands off the wheel, but the automaker doesn't slather it with buttons like you'll find on a Lamborghini or Ferrari. It's a much more clean and elegant design than what the Italians offer.

McLaren offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the Artura, and over-the-air updates should bring wireless connectivity in the future. The screen is small but responsive, and a knob on the side that resembles a watch crown can be used to adjust volume. That's good since this is also the first McLaren to offer a subwoofer.

Standard
The base Artura comes with a black interior and includes these key features:

• 19-inch front, 20-inch rear wheels
• LED headlights
• Adaptive suspension dampers
• Carbon-ceramic brakes
• Electronic limited-slip differential
• Synthetic microfiber seating, headliner and interior trim
• Sport seats
• Power-adjustable steering wheel
• Black interior trim and components
• Five-speaker audio system
• 8-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
• Digital instrument panel
• Navigation system
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror

Performance
Stepping up to the Performance adds interior color options and:

• Seats, headliner, dashboard and door inserts upholstered in synthetic microfiber
• Reflective seat piping
• Ambient interior lighting

TechLux
Opting for the TechLux adds interior color options and:

• Leather-trimmed interior panels
• Dark titanium interior components

Vision
The top trim is available in two unique interior color combinations and adds:

• Synthetic microfiber and leather seating

All trims are available with these packages:

• Practicality package
• Vehicle nose-lift system
• Power-folding, heated outside mirrors
• Soft-close doors (catch as they're being closed and gently pull shut)
• Technology package
• 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the McLaren and the car in front)
• Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)

You can option the Artura with exterior and interior packages that add black or carbon-fiber trim. You also have a choice of wheel designs and an assortment of brake caliper colors.

The McLaren Artura is also available with these notable stand-alone options:

• Sport exhaust
• Upgraded high-performance tires
• Titanium engine cover
• Heated front seats with driver's seat memory
• Track telemetry with lap time settings and cameras
• Six-point seat harness