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MONACO (AP) — The concept of a “basic” supercar may seem counterintuitive, but each and every line of automaker has to start somewhere, and in McLaren’s case, it’s the Artura. When Ars first tested this plug-in hybrid mid-engine in 2022, it will only be available as a coupe. But for those who prefer things outdoors, the British automaker is now offering them this option with the addition of the Artura Spider.
There’s an all-new carbon-fibre chassis, a complex electronic architecture (with a handful of domain controllers upgrading the dozens of individual ECUs you can find in some of its other models) and a very capable hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbo V6. Gasoline engine with axial electric motor.
For the 2025 design year and the launch of the $273,800 Spider version, McLaren’s engineering team has given it a facelift, even though it’s only a few years old. Total power output greater than 19 hp (14 kW) thanks to the new engine maps for the V6, which now has slightly more thrust from 4,000 rpm to the redline of 8,500 rpm. Our test car is supplied with the new sports exhaust, which is not particularly loud. It makes some nice noises when you pick up the throttle in the middle of the rev range, but like most turbo engines, it’s not especially smooth.
Combined with the 94 hp (70 kW) electric motor, this gives the Artura Spider a clever 680 hp (507 kW), which helps offset the extra 134 lbs (62 kg) due to the car’s retractable hardtop. engine mounts and new throttle mapping, and the dual-clutch transmission shifts gears 25 percent faster than what we saw in the car unveiled two years ago. (These innovations are also being implemented in the Artura coupe, and the smart news for existing homeowners is that engine reprogramming can also be implemented in their cars, making a stop at a McLaren dealership. )
Despite the hybrid system, which uses a 7. 4 kWh traction battery, and the roof mechanism, the Artura Spider remains a remarkably smooth car through 2024 standards, with an unladen weight of 3,439 pounds (1,559 kg), making it smoother than any comparable car. in the market.
In fact, opting for a comparable car is a bit tricky. Ferrari will sell you a hybrid convertible in the shape of the 296 GTS, but you’ll want $100,000 more or more to get behind the wheel of one, which is actually more of a competitor to the (non-hybrid) 750S, McLaren’s midsize model. Any other mid-engine convertible will run solely on dinosaur juice.
You can drive it alone with the electric motor for a distance of up to 18 km if you keep the powertrain in E-mode and start with a fully charged battery. This is because when you start the car, it starts up. in this mode by default. Outside of E mode, the Artura will use the available power of the motor to re-qualify the battery while riding, and it’s very simple to set a target speed state if you need to save. strength for later, for example. Connected to a level 2 tester, it would deserve to take approximately 2. 5 hours to be 80% successful.
The car is smooth enough that 94 hp is more than enough for the 20 mph or 30 km/h zones you’re sure to encounter, whether you’re driving this super car through a rural village or past the camera-wielding car spotters in the city. The mode is severe and the car may not start the engine until you switch to Comfort (or Sport or Track) mode with the button located on the right side of the main tool screen.
On the left side there is another control to toggle the chassis settings between Comfort, Sport and Track. For on-road driving, comfort was never taken the wrong way, and I would leave the track for the real track. The same goes for Powertrain Tuning Tracking; for the open road, the Sport offers the most productive sound, and convenience is considered well for everyday use and will kill the V6 when not needed. Sport and Track instead use the electric motor, fixed in the eight-speed transmission box. to deliver torque where it’s needed, such as in an F1 or LMDh race car.
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