Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Down to a fine Artura
British luxury car manufacturer McLaren has a new, high-performance hybrid supercar that puts function over form
It may not have the drama of a Lamborghini, the heart-clutching aura of a Ferrari, or the precision engineering of a Porsche, but McLaren has a distinct pedigree and stands left-field in the realm of high-performance automotive brands. McLaren is a brand built on its Formula 1 heritage and brings that same racing spirit to its road cars. Speed, performance and putting the driver at the centre of the action is what defines the brand.
And the McLaren Artura I am driving imbibes all these brand values. For sure, the Artura, like all McLaren’s, is a head-turner especially in this shade of Ember Orange. But you can’t miss the no-nonsense design ethos. The Artura’s design is defined by its clean lines, purposeful simplicity with a focus on aerodynamic efficiency and design elements that influence performance. Unlike its Italian rivals, the Artura shuns unnecessary design embellishments, giving it an unmistakeable and uncluttered visual identity. Providing some drama are the scissor doors that swing upwards to reveal a cabin bereft of superfluous details.
However, the minimalist interiors feel a bit sterile too. And the steering wheel, devoid of buttons, is McLaren’s way of telling you to focus on driving. But toggling the butterfly switches on the instrument binnacle to select multiple drive modes is just as distracting.
The central, vertically oriented, touchscreen is easy to use and functions such as Apple Car Play integrate quite seamlessly. What I absolutely love is the driving position. The one-piece driver’s seat is nice and snug with enough movements to arrive at a comfortable seating position. It is complemented by fantastic forward visibility. Before you even drive off, you feel in total command.
The talking point of the Artura is its hybrid power-train which marries a 585hp twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 engine to a 95hp electric motor powered by a 7.4 kWh battery. The total output is potent 680hp, which can catapult this relatively light weight hybrid to 100kph in 2.9 seconds. Whilst these numbers are impressive, it’s the way the Artura goes about its business that characterises the car. The blend of electric power and internal combustion delivers one seamless and powerful shove, which will keep you grinning and pinned to your seat. This is indeed a very fast car and the flex of your right foot at any speed feels like you’ve been flung to the horizon at warp speed.
But there is an absence of drama and the Artura makes going fast feel too easy, almost matter of fact. The V6 engine lacks the spine-tingling exhaust note you expect from a ₹5 + crore hypercar and sounds disappointing. The flip side is that when you’ve come back from driving on your favourite road (which is currently the Atal Setu for me) and get into city traffic, the hybrid system makes going slow painless. You don’t have to deal with a jerky transmission or the abrupt power delivery of a high strung engine, just pure, smooth electric power good for 25-30kms.
The suspension is naturally stiff but in the softest setting, the rounded off edges and ruts highlight its practicality. In fact, that’s what the Artura is a practical supercar that makes driving fast, ludicrously fast seem clinical and easy.
