WOKING, ENGLAND - McLaren is taking its first significant step towards the electrification era with its new Artura supercar.
As the British sports car maker’s first series-production plug-in hybrid supercar, the newcomer is primarily powered by a brand new 3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, which is paired with an electric motor housed within the transmission bell housing. The turbochargers are located within the 120-degree v-angle of the engine, which not only brings many packaging and efficiency advantages but also allows for a lower centre of gravity.
While the V6 motor alone produces 430kW and 585Nm, the electrical boost allows for total system outputs of 500kW and 720Nm. That, McLaren says, is enough to get the supercar from zero to 100km/h in three seconds flat and on to 200km/h in 8.3 seconds and 300km/h in just 21.5s.
In keeping with the times, it also happens to be the most efficient McLaren ever, with the 7.4kWh battery said to offer a range of up to 30km on electric power alone.
The petrol and electric motors are integrated via an engine disconnect clutch, which drives a brand new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that was developed specifically for this car.
The other part of the performance equation is a new lightweight structure that results in a kerb weight of just 1498kg - keeping in mind that this includes the heavy batteries.
The Artura is the first McLaren to be built around the company’s new Carbon Lightweight Architecture, which also incorporates a “ground-breaking” domain-based ethernet electrical architecture that reduces cabin cabling by 25 percent. The new electrical system also allows for over-the-air software updates.
“From the very beginning of the project, designing and engineering the Artura has been all about challenging ourselves to innovate, pushing and pushing to achieve everything we knew a next-generation, High-Performance Hybrid McLaren supercar had to be,” said chief engineer Geoff Grose.
“As a result, the Artura is all-new; the carbon fibre monocoque, electrical architecture and the body and interior are new. So too is the V6 engine, the transmission – which also integrates a new type of electric motor for the industry – as well as the rear suspension concept and our first-ever electronic differential.”
The cockpit is also more centred around the driver than ever before, McLaren says, and drivers can choose from four Powertrain modes, including E-mode, Comfort, Sport and Track. The vehicle also comes with a 20.3cm HD touchscreen infotainment system and driver assistance gadgets include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Auto High-Beam Assist and Road-Sign Recognition.