The McLaren Artura Is Not Like the Others: Review

The McLaren Artura may look like other McLarens, but it’s the first McLaren to pair a hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. McLaren is no stranger to hybrids; hypercars like the McLaren P1, Speedtail and W1 already use electron-enhanced acceleration, but the Artura is McLaren’s first plug-in hybrid to offer a small amount of electric-only range before using a combination of gas and electric power. I spent a week driving the Artura, and the car’s electric range and electrified boost were what stood out most.

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What I Liked About the Artura Being a Plug-in Hybrid

• The Artura’s electrified powertrain makes a combined 690 horsepower and delivers all the thrills we’ve come to expect from a McLaren; it roars from 0-62 mph in just 3 seconds. On the flip side, it can operate in a nearly silent electric mode for short distances.
• The electric motor provides 93 hp and 166 pounds-feet of torque at low engine speeds, and it’s highly evident when compared with the McLaren GT and its twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. The GT needs some good prodding before its power comes on in force, but the Artura’s electric motor fills in those power gaps. At full song, the Artura’s acceleration is completely seamless; the transmission clicks off shifts without any perceptible delay or hesitation, just the loud “brap!” out the exhaust of fuel cut at redline to help smooth shifts.
• The Artura starts in a default electric mode. Show-offs may decry that silent startup, but they can opt for a more sporting drive mode before lighting off the engine if so desired. I appreciated its silent operation during early morning departures from my suburban neighborhood.
• While the Artura’s EPA-rated electric driving range is just 11 miles, I made it 21 miles on electric power during my 35-mile commute in stop-and-go summer traffic.
• In Electric mode, the Artura is a dedicated EV, so the engine will not fire up even if the accelerator is pressed to the floor. McLaren did add in a mechanical sound of gears whirring and motors humming, which is somewhat more engaging to hear than the fake noises some EVs make.

The Artura quickly recoups battery power while driving in Sport and Track modes, which provides additional electric range when desired while maintaining optimal battery charge for the best performance.

The Artura’s electrified powertrain isn’t without its hiccups, however, and while there aren’t many plug-in hybrid supercars (the Ferrari 296 GTB PHEV is a rare direct competitor), there’s one hybrid sports car that may pose a threat to the nearly $300,000 Artura.

What I Didn’t Like About the Artura Being a Plug-in Hybrid

• Like many battery-driven vehicles, the Artura’s braking experience isn’t great, with a rock-hard brake pedal that feels more binary in its operation than a typical brake pedal; it’s incredibly hard to smoothly modulate, and my foot got fatigued at long stoplights and the car started to creep forward. The problem may have been compounded by the Artura’s ultra-high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes; the combination did not add up to a smooth street-driving experience.
• This McLaren’s power delivery isn’t as sharp as a naturally aspirated, supercharged or all-electric powertrain. Yes, there is power down low, but it’s mushy. Sometimes the car would accelerate with electric power but the engine wouldn’t rev in sync; it’s a bizarre experience for a supercar. A PHEV performance car like the 2025 BMW M5 is a shining example of how seamless a roughly 700-hp electric-and-gasoline powertrain can be; there’s no perceptible distinction between power sources in that car.
• At 3,439 pounds, the Artura Spider is 88 pounds heavier than the McLaren GTS (3,351 pounds) and 269 pounds heavier than the McLaren 750S Spider (3,170). The Artura is absolutely heavier, but it’s impressive how little extra weight there is considering the extra components of its electrified powertrain.

Despite those criticisms, the Artura Spider remains a dreamy car. Versus the McLaren GTS (formerly the GT), the Artura is aimed more at street/track use than the street-only, grand-touring approach of the GTS. Even so, I can’t get over how comfortable the Artura made me feel — both in terms of how much visibility there is for such an exotic vehicle and in the connection I felt to the car thanks to the way it steers and behaves; it’s reminiscent of the directness and steering communication you’d find in a go-kart. The fact that it does that without also beating you up with an overly firm ride is mind-blowing. There’s some brittleness to the interior, however, including creaks and rattles that just seem to be part of the experience; it was similar to the GT I’ve driven.

Oh Yeah, Spider Equals Convertible

Looks may be deceiving, but this sleek supercar is the Spider retractable hard-top convertible version, which supplies an effortless top-down driving experience with quick 11-second open/close times. The Artura has a great shape with the top up or down, and when driving with the top down, the air doesn’t beat you up. It honestly feels like a classic convertible experience despite its racy, aerodynamic shape. I preferred driving the top-down Artura Spider to the top-down Chevrolet Corvette convertible, though the Corvette has an extra cargo compartment versus the McLaren. Storage in the Artura is limited to a single front trunk, with no in-car storage behind the seats, while the Corvette convertible has a front trunk and a rear trunk that’s unaffected by the convertible top.

McLaren Artura Fun Facts

• The engine will sometimes run in the electric mode to charge the battery, warm the catalytic converters or purge fuel vapor after refueling.
• There’s no Reverse gear in the transmission; Reverse is handled by the electric motor.
• The V-6 saves 110 pounds versus an equivalent V-8.
• McLaren’s first use of an electronic differential enables a variable drift mode, which allows drivers to program the level of traction control assistance they’d like to have.
• The center-mounted “exhaust” in the decklid isn’t for engine exhaust, but is rather a heat extractor for the engine compartment. It uses the engine’s fans to blow hot air out of the compartment.
• The Artura’s carbon-fiber chassis is the next-generation McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture, which is lighter than the previous structure.
• The Artura uses a 7.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which takes 3.5 hours to charge on Level 2.
• Efficiency is rated at 45 mpg-equivalent combined, with 11 miles of EPA-rated electric range. Once its electric-only range is depleted, the Artura is rated 19 mpg combined.
• The front-lift suspension helps in urban driving, creating extra clearance for the vulnerable front splitter.

Artura Pricing

The Artura Spider starts at $278,800, including destination, but my car’s $332,000 as-tested price certainly butts up against the roughly $337,000 it takes to get into a 750S Spider, which is more powerful, more track-oriented and more … faster, too. There’s also the pesky Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, which is Chevrolet’s electrified mid-engine sports car. It’s all-wheel drive, versus the McLaren’s rear-wheel-drive setup, and the E-Ray also has silent operation (though for only 3-4 miles and up to 45 mph) and a quicker manufacturer-estimated 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. The E-Ray convertible is also criminally cheaper than the McLaren, with a starting price of $115,795. Then there’s the E-Ray’s devilish alter ego: the 1,250-hp ZR1X, which has a 0-60 time under 2 seconds, with AWD and a starting price of $217,395 for the convertible.

Will there be much cross-shopping between a McLaren and Corvette? Perhaps not given the exclusivity and race-bred pedigree of the McLaren, but the as-tested price of our Artura Spider may create sticker shock when you consider the 750S Spider’s relatively close pricing. One thing’s for sure: The Artura Spider keeps much of the coupe-only McLaren GT’s civility and comfort (but with a sharper edge) while offering a top-notch drop-top experience.

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