Price (as tested) đź’˛: $253,835
Powertrain ⚙️: 3.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged V6 + E-Motor + 7.4 kWh Battery
Output đź’Ş:Â 671 hp/531 lb-ft of torque
Transmission đź•ą: 8-Speed Automatic
0-60 MPH 🚦: 3.0 seconds
Top Speed đź’Ą: 205 mph
MPG (as tested) ⛽️: 18 combined MPG/39 combined MPGe + 11 mile electric range
Curb weight ⚖️: 3,305 lbs
In the days before I became an auto journalist, I had the luxury of coming to conclusions about new vehicles without ever sitting inside them.
I say “luxury,” because without any chance of first-hand evaluation, there was no need to adjust my presumptions; a vehicle was terrible or terrific simply because the specs or photos said so.
In my current role, however, when a new car is parked in my driveway, I’m often forced to rehash mental notes I’d made following its press release or leak.
This design, in fact, looks polished in person. The engine note is much sweeter than recordings would suggest. I do prefer tackier but less distracting buttons rather than a dazzling, though convoluted touchscreen, etc…
The McLaren Artura, a successor to the 570S and the British supercar manufacturer’s new gateway drug, conjured a groan of disappointment when images and details first emerged.
A plug-in hybrid saddled with the weight of a battery pack and styled so similarly (it appeared) to the 570S? No, thanks.
Then it turned up in the metal, and I had to tear my convictions down to the studs.
The Artura is the prettiest McLaren road car yet; it weighs less than even non-hybrid competitors; the short electric range is enough to salvage relationships with noise-conscious neighbors; brilliant hydraulic steering and chassis tuning solidify the car’s pedigree.
It’s so much less convenient to be wrong, but when it means I get to experience sensational drives like that of the McLaren Artura, I’ll trade entitlement for humble pie any day of the week.