Less than two years ago the world got to meet a McLaren vehicle called Artura for the first time. It was hailed back then as the company's first-ever series-production hybrid supercar, the first to be made using a new platform called the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), and used the Brits' first-ever electronic locking differential. A model to remember, then, just like the successor we got to see this week.
When the Artura arrived it was only available in a coupe configuration, but we all know how carmakers the likes of McLaren do like to play with other body styles. Generally speaking these guys do not experiment in this respect, and focus on mostly on what we know in the industry as the spider body style.
A convertible at heart, this kind of design has a long tradition over at McLaren, and it was only a matter of time until such a version of the Artura came to light. That's exactly what we got this week when the company announced a rather unexpected 2025 model-year upgrade for the vehicle family.
That's right, the Artura is now a family, as the revised coupe has been joined by the convertible variant, McLaren's first hybrid spider. Both cars bring with them significant upgrades over the original Artura, and they are visible all across the board.
We'll start with what remained, and that is the MCLA architecture. Blending a carbon fiber monocoque with aluminum impact structures, it leaves enough room at the back for the installation of the hybrid powertrain.
The engine-electric motor pairing from before remains on the coupe and is extended to the Spider as well. That is a combination of a 3.0-liter V6 combustion engine running an eight-speed transmission (overhauled to provide 25% faster gearshifts) and a motor driven by the electricity coming from a battery pack.
When it was first launched the Artura's hybrid powertrain was rated at 577 hp and 585 Nm of torque, but those numbers are history now. The twin-turbocharged engine plus the axial flux e-motor now crank out a total of 690 hp and 720 Nm of torque.
Photo: McLaren
The motor, installed inside the transmission bell housing, is responsible for 93 and 225 Nm of the total, offering at the same time more power density than what the mighty McLaren P1 had.
The hardware draws power from a battery pack with five lithium-ion modules and a capacity of 7.4kWh. The all-electric range it is capable of delivering, which was originally 19 miles (31 km), has now grown to 21 miles (33 km). In part thanks to this, McLaren says the new Artura is the most fuel-efficient convertible it had ever made, as it eats up 4.8 liters of fuel every hundred kilometers (58.9 mpg).
The above figures allow the car to achieve truly impressive performance figures, which are the same for both the coupe and the spider. Zero to 62 mph acceleration time, for instance, stands at just three seconds flat, while the top speed goes as high as 205 mph (330 kph).
To handle the new performance levels the Brits also tampered with the car's braking system, which now comprises carbon ceramic discs, aluminum calipers, and new brake cooling ducts. With these things on, the Artura can come to a complete stop from 62 mph in 102 feet (31 meters).
An important focus for McLaren engineers when designing the Spider version of the Artura was to keep weight as low as possible. And they did, as the company advertises the new model to be "the lightest convertible supercar in its class."
Tipping the scales at 1,457 kg (3,212 pounds, dry weight), the McLaren Artura Spider is just 62 kg (137 pounds) heavier than its coupe sibling, but still 83 kg (183 pounds) lighter than its closest rival (the company does not name said rival). The extra pounds around the waist compared to the coupe are owed to the electrically-operated Retractable Hard Top (RHT) mechanism.
Photo: McLaren
Speaking of the thing's roof, it officially comes as a one-piece hardtop, but an electro-chromic can be had as an option. Regardless of choice, it can be retracted in as little as 11 seconds, even when the car is traveling at speeds of 31 mph (50 kph).
As far as assistance systems go the two models are now equipped with Blindspot Monitoring and Cross-Traffic Detection, while the Road Sign Recognition and Lane Departure Warning now come fitted as standard.
On a design level not much has changed compared to the previous version of the Artura, except for the inclusion of new black badging and minor tweaks here and there. New colors, on the other hand, are on the table, including completely new ones – a total of 33 options can be had.
McLaren says the two new Artura models are already available for order, and deliveries should begin around mid-year. The price for the Spider kicks off at £221,500 in the home market, which was the equivalent of $281,000 at the exchange levels valid at the time of writing.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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