Super- and hypercar manufacturer McLaren has confirmed that its new part-electric model coming next year will be called the Artura.
New biturbo V8 debuts
Not the first hybrid this company has ever done - as we've already had the P1 and the Speedtail land-based missiles, both of which featured petrol-electric drivetrains - the Artura nevertheless represents the company's first 'series production' hybrid and, indeed, the company wants to refer to it as an 'HPH'. That means 'High-Performance Hybrid', to you and us, which means this isn't some eco-biased vehicle but one which uses its electrical assistance to bolster already-incredible performance.
Not only that, but the McLaren Artura HPH also debuts the all-new twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine, which has been specifically designed to combine with an electric motor. It will complement the twin-turbo V8 units that have seen widespread service in McLarens since the MP4-12C of 2011. The manufacturer is also claiming that the Artura can run for significant distance on its electric power alone, which will be useful in low-emission-zone urban areas.
Light in principle
This will be the first car built on an all-new platform architecture which is optimised for electrification. It has been designed and manufactured at McLaren's Composites Technology Centre and is said to be true to the marque's principles of lightweight engineering. McLaren is saying that the weight increases brought about by the addition of hybrid electrical running gear are offset by the application of weight-saving technologies through the chassis, body and powertrain. The company calls this structure the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) and you'll be hearing more and more about it in the coming years, as more vehicles shift to it from the MonoCell II set-up currently used.
Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive, said: "Every element of the Artura is all-new - from the platform architecture and every part of the High-Performance Hybrid powertrain, to the exterior body, interior and cutting-edge driver interface - but it draws on decades of McLaren experience in pioneering super-lightweight race and road car technologies to bring all of our expertise in electrification to the supercar class."