A
Auto Express
Guest
This is our first official look at the new McLaren Artura. It’s the British brand replacement for the ageing 570S – and it’s a clean-sheet project, built around a fresh carbon-fibre tub and powered by an all-new twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid engine.
The McLaren Artura will be fully unveiled early next year, with sales expected to start before summer. When it arrives, the new supercar will provide fresh competition for the likes of the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lamborghini Huracan Performante.
A suite of recently discovered patent drawings give us a reasonable indication of how the finished supercar will look. The British firm will take an evolutionary approach to the car’s design, moving the look of its entry-level model into step with the rest of its product range.
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - side
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - front
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - interior
McLaren sports series spy - rear
image
image
So, the Artura’s headlamp units will look similar to those found on the Speedtail; the aggressive front grille shares design elements with the Senna and the enormous meshed rear valance and exhaust outlets are almost identical to the 720S’s
McLaren also confirmed the rumours about its upcoming V6 hybrid engine – although specific technical details, such as the unit’s power output and displacement, are yet to be announced. However, McLaren has said the system will have the same level of performance as its outgoing V8 engine, while providing improved response and better fuel economy.
The system was designed using the experience McLaren gained from the P1 – and, as such, the Artura will also be able to operate on electric power alone, which means owners will be able to drive their cars emissions-free through built-up areas.
Underneath, the Artura’s bodywork is propped up by an all-new carbon fibre monocoque, dubbed the “McLaren Lightweight Carbon Architecture” – and it was designed to get the best out of the new hybrid powertrain.
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - side
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - front
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - interior
McLaren sports series spy - rear
image
image
The tub will be manufactured at McLaren’s £50 million composites base in Sheffield, although specific details about its design are yet to be confirmed. However, the firm has said that it was able to offset most of the extra mass from the hybrid powertrain’s electric motor and battery packs through clever application of weight-saving techniques, meaning more of the engine’s output can be used for speed rather than lugging around excess weight.
Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren’s automotive division, said: “Every element of the Artura is all-new – from the platform architecture and every part of the High-Performance Hybrid powertrain, to the exterior body, interior and cutting-edge driver interface – but it draws on decades of McLaren experience in pioneering super-lightweight race and road car technologies to bring all of our expertise in electrification to the supercar class.”
McLaren’s push towards hybrid drive forms part of the company’s £1.2 billion Track 25 business plan, which will see 18 new petrol-hybrid powered models launched by 2025. The brand says it is currently evaluating a new high-power battery pack for a full EV setup that will offer a claimed 30 minutes of electric range around a race track.
Find out what happened when we pitched the McLaren GT against the Porsche 911 Turbo S here…
Continue reading...
The McLaren Artura will be fully unveiled early next year, with sales expected to start before summer. When it arrives, the new supercar will provide fresh competition for the likes of the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lamborghini Huracan Performante.
- SEE MORE Best supercars 2020
A suite of recently discovered patent drawings give us a reasonable indication of how the finished supercar will look. The British firm will take an evolutionary approach to the car’s design, moving the look of its entry-level model into step with the rest of its product range.
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - side
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - front
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - interior
McLaren sports series spy - rear
image
image
So, the Artura’s headlamp units will look similar to those found on the Speedtail; the aggressive front grille shares design elements with the Senna and the enormous meshed rear valance and exhaust outlets are almost identical to the 720S’s
McLaren also confirmed the rumours about its upcoming V6 hybrid engine – although specific technical details, such as the unit’s power output and displacement, are yet to be announced. However, McLaren has said the system will have the same level of performance as its outgoing V8 engine, while providing improved response and better fuel economy.
The system was designed using the experience McLaren gained from the P1 – and, as such, the Artura will also be able to operate on electric power alone, which means owners will be able to drive their cars emissions-free through built-up areas.
Underneath, the Artura’s bodywork is propped up by an all-new carbon fibre monocoque, dubbed the “McLaren Lightweight Carbon Architecture” – and it was designed to get the best out of the new hybrid powertrain.
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - side
image
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - front
image
image
image
McLaren sports series spy - interior
McLaren sports series spy - rear
image
image
The tub will be manufactured at McLaren’s £50 million composites base in Sheffield, although specific details about its design are yet to be confirmed. However, the firm has said that it was able to offset most of the extra mass from the hybrid powertrain’s electric motor and battery packs through clever application of weight-saving techniques, meaning more of the engine’s output can be used for speed rather than lugging around excess weight.
Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren’s automotive division, said: “Every element of the Artura is all-new – from the platform architecture and every part of the High-Performance Hybrid powertrain, to the exterior body, interior and cutting-edge driver interface – but it draws on decades of McLaren experience in pioneering super-lightweight race and road car technologies to bring all of our expertise in electrification to the supercar class.”
McLaren’s push towards hybrid drive forms part of the company’s £1.2 billion Track 25 business plan, which will see 18 new petrol-hybrid powered models launched by 2025. The brand says it is currently evaluating a new high-power battery pack for a full EV setup that will offer a claimed 30 minutes of electric range around a race track.
Find out what happened when we pitched the McLaren GT against the Porsche 911 Turbo S here…
Continue reading...