Has hybrid supercar got through its teething troubles? Our new arrival will reveal all
I met up with a friend who has owned a few McLarens, including a 570GT, a 675LT and his current 720S, so he was naturally keen to try the Artura. That meant I had to drive back in his Porsche 911 R. The things I do for my mates… His verdict? “The Artura is very, very impressive, easy to drive really fast, even if doesn’t quite have the 720S’s punch up top.” I don’t disagree.
From the early MP4-12Cs that were delivered with navigation controls but no actual navigation, to McLaren's dreadful home-grown IRIS system, to the better but not brilliant Android-based system that replaced it, to what we have in the Artura today - fully functioning Apple CarPlay - the transformation has been extraordinary.
I know they all do that, sir is the lamest excuse, but in the interests of accuracy, it's worth pointing out. Of course, when I came to photograph this nonsense to illustrate my point, it flashed up an entirely plausible 285 miles. Other faults or quirks? I often see the little traction light glowing away. I also remember exactly the same happening with the 720S - despite it not having 'cybertyres' and it going absolutely berserk the moment I strapped on some summer rubber.
The second conversation- and I had it a few times that day - started with a question and a smirk:"Has it gone wrong yet?" To which the answer was:"Save having the incorrect cruise control wand fitted, since corrected, it has not yet even looked like going wrong." It's early days and that should be nothing to crow about, but it shows what McLaren is up against in some people's perceptions.
Even so, I wouldn't replace those Sottos for anything. Pirelli's track-day rubber isn't the greatest, and I have even felt in the past that some of McLaren's more extreme products have been held back by it , but if there's a better grim-weather tyre than this, I've not driven on it.In EV mode, the engine can start up before the battery is empty, limiting further the already quite short electric-only range.
Just delivering the Artura's engine to market, emissions-compliant and fully homologated right around the world, would have been a task to make Hercules think he'd got off lightly. I could have had a lot more say in its specification, but so busy is McLaren filling existing orders that a new car wouldn't have arrived until the summer, and while I might enjoy it even more then, I don't think anyone wants to wait any longer - and besides, a cold, wet winter is a far sterner challenge. If it can prove itself to be an all-season, all-reason kind of supercar, that will be a potent point in its favour.
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