McLaren has been a formidable automaker for the almost 30 years it’s been in existence. Go a few decades back to 1999, and you’re met with the aggressive, record-breaking McLaren F1 that stood as the fastest production car for a decade before Volkswagen started smashing records with their 16-cylinder Veyron.

Then came the MP4-12C in 2010, which was their first supercar for the 21st century. Ever since that V8 monster rolled off the production line, we’ve been graced by impressive machines such as the McLaren 650s, 570s, 675LT, and the iconic 720s. And who can forget the iconic McLaren P1 that almost made Porsche regret why they launched the 918 Spyder with sub-900 horsepower?

All those cars, and the P1, are what have led to this: The Artura.

The car is a completely new type of product for McLaren. This is the first McLaren with a twin-turbo V6, the first plug-in hybrid, and the first to don McLaren’s new lightweight platform. Here’s everything you need to know about this new 600+ horsepower machine from Britain.

8 You Can Never Fully Discharge The Battery

Via: SlashGear

Despite being a PHEV, the McLaren Artura is designed such that it can never fully-discharge its battery. Part of this reason is that it reverses in electric mode only, thanks to the axial-flux electric motor that rotates in opposite direction to the crank.

RELATED: 7 Things We Just Learned About The McLaren Artura

Via: AutoNXT

So, to keep everything topped up, the battery is always charged by the engine while driving, just like any other plug-in hybrid. Besides, the 7.4kWh battery can be charged to 80 percent with 2 and a half hours, using an EVSE cable.

7 The Twin-Turbo V8 Has Been Ditched

Via: Edmunds

Yes, the monstrous twin-turbo V8 that most McLarens have been powered by, including the menacing P1, is not going to make an appearance in the Artura. McLaren has opted to use their new M630 power unit to power the Artura.

Via: Latest Hunt

This 3.0L twin-turbo V6 is capable of 577hp and 431lb-ft of torque at 8,500RPM. The cylinders are positioned at a 120-degree V-angle with two symmetric turbos being fixed at the center. McLaren has also smartly reduced turbo lag by adding a chimney that extracts hot air from the hot-V, making the turbos operate more efficiently, or at least that’s what we expect.

6 It Uses A Tri-Clutch Gearbox

Via: AutoNXT

Away with the dual-clutch, in with the tri-clutch. That’s Artura’s new transmission philosophy. But don’t be quickly fooled. This 8-speed transmission still operates like a dual-clutch. Since no one has tested this car yet, how rapid those shifts are is still a mystery, but expectations are that the Artura will be faster on the shifts than the 720s.

RELATED: The McLaren Artura Has Surprisingly Convenient Features For Daily Driving

Via: McLaren

So what’s the third clutch for?

Disconnecting the engine from the transmission, when the car is being driven in full electric mode. This is among the notable innovations McLaren will be bringing with the Artura.

5 It Can Be Driven In Fully Electric Mode

Via: Motoring Research

Yes, the Artura can be driven in electric mode only, just like the McLaren P1 that set the foundation for it. Besides, this is the expectation with most plug-in hybrids. But here’s the catch with this mode.

Via; Motor Authority

You can only get a maximum of 20 miles of range. This kicks the Artura out of the list of plug-in hybrids that can be run for long distances on electricity only. Even worse, when driven in this mode, the Artura can only do a maximum of 18mph, which makes this mode useful only when you’re crawling through traffic.

4 It’s Very Light

Via: Motor1

Plug-in hybrids don’t have a great weight history. However, the Artura is different. This is thanks to the new and innovative carbon-fiber monocoque that McLaren developed for the Artura. Yes, that monocoque weighs 13 pounds more than the carbon-fiber monocoque strapped into the 570s. However, this new design makes the car lighter by including various fixing points for units like the door hinges and B-pillars.

RELATED: 2022 McLaren Artura: Here is What We Expect

Via : Motor Trend

The wiring has also been done differently in the Artura. It follows the Ethernet layout that requires less wiring. The final dry weight of the Artura thus sits at an impressive 3,082 pounds, despite the hybrid powertrain adding 309 pounds of weight.

3 Its Performance Is Mad

Via: Motoring Research

Mating a potent twin-turbo V6 to an electric powertrain is bound to create a ravaging monster. And that’s what the Artura is. Current performance figures put it in proper supercar category. Combined, that V6 and electric drivetrain give 671hp and 531lb-ft of torque.

Via: : Latest car NEWS

The V6 is good for about 577hp. The electric motor then adds 94 more horsepower and 166lb-ft of torque for those ridiculous figures.

The only downside is that the electric motor can only maintain that 94hp output for 15 seconds, after which the output drops to 49hp. Still, the Artura does 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds and hits a top speed of 205mph.

Just like the P1, this machine is a rear-wheel drive, meaning a bit of character should be expected especially on corner exits.

2 The Hybrid Drivetrain Has Been Cleverly Packaged

Via: AutoWise

The mad performance from the Artura can only be possible if the hybrid powertrain is well designed. And that’s exactly the case. The shift from the V8 to the V6 was not from a fuel-economy perspective or F1 technology point of view. Rather, it was to save weight. And that is the drivetrain philosophy all through.

Via: Edmunds

That V6 is also narrower and shorter. It thus means that it’s easier to package an 8-speed as opposed to a 7-speed transmission. And even that 8-speed transmission is shorter than the 7-speed. The axial-flux motor is also smaller and more than twice lighter than the radial flux motor used in the P1. That allows it to fit in the transmission’s bell housing to not only save weight but also space.

1 It’s the First PHEV For McLaren

Via: : Latest car NEWS

The Artura is not McLaren’s first hybrid. That crown was taken a long while back by the menacing McLaren P1. However, unlike the P1, this can be plugged in and charged, making it the first plug-in hybrid for the British automaker.

Via: McLaren

This move by McLaren can be attributed to the electrification and hybridization of vehicle powertrains over the past decade, based on the demands of the future. The McLaren P1 was built to show how powerful a hybrid supercar can be. The McLaren Artura is built to show how practical they can be.

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