The Artura marks a paradigm shift for McLaren, and the eighth-generation Corvette Z06 does it as well for Chevrolet’s perennial sports car. The two couldn’t be more different, with the ‘Vette packing a flat-plane crankshaft V8 and the Artura a plug-in hybrid V6 mill.
A combination between art and future, Artura is McLaren Automotive’s first V6 production car. It’s not a regular V6, but a wide V-angle engine à la the sixer in the Ferrari 296 series. McLaren and the Prancing Horse of Maranello both picked 120 degrees for the V angle over packaging, given that both supercars are PHEVs.
Internally referred to as M630, as opposed to M840T for the V8 in the now-discontinued 720S, the 3.0-liter engine in the Artura is a 120-degree V6 because a 180-degree flat engine would’ve been too wide for the car’s platform. The V angle also keeps the center of gravity low, and the turbochargers are nestled in the valley of the V, thus reducing manifold length and turbo lag as well.
Including the axial flux electric motor, the Artura peaks at 671 horsepower and 720 Nm (531 pound-feet). In a vehicle that weighs 3,303 pounds (1,498 kilograms), those numbers are mighty impressive by all accounts. Pictured at the Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, the 2023 model year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible on the left lane of the drag strip is heavier because it doesn’t flaunt as much carbon fiber as the Macca does.
It’s all motor design as well, meaning no forced induction and no plug-in hybrid shenanigans. The first ‘Vette to come with a flat-plane crankshaft produces a whopping 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm), and as opposed to the Artura’s 8,500-rpm redline, the LT6 engine is electronically limited to 8,600 rpm.
Brooks Weisblat of DragTimes had the opportunity of racing the Z06 against the Artura, with Brooks setting the launch RPM at 4,000 revolutions per minute. The American supercar made easy work of the British interloper off the line, but the spinny lads and hybrid component of the Artura’s powertrain made a world of difference in the quarter mile. Speaking of which, the quarter-mile sprint comes to a conclusion in 10.568 seconds for the Artura and 10.922 seconds for the Z06.
The second and final dig race starts similarly to the first one, with the Corvette shaming the more expensive and lighter supercar off the line. As expected, the McLaren started to stretch its legs around the eighth-mile mark, eventually clocking 10.539 seconds at 134.95 miles per hour (217.2 kilometers per hour) in the quarter. The Corvette finished the race in 10.939 seconds at 124.27 miles per hour (just under 200 kilometers per hour).
The question is which of these two speaks to you more? The high-tech Artura or the better-sounding ‘Vette?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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