Executive writer / Photography by Seven Lo / imknife1981
When you are in a daze, you always encounter ideas unexpectedly. Even if they are not great, they can be called beautiful.
For example, on the day we got along with Artura, we came all the way to Xibin Highway, and found this private road according to the remaining memories. Looking at the rare and clear Taiwan Strait, I thought to myself, what should I do if I am the chief designer or engineer of McLaren?
This is a bit of an official stereotype, let’s change the angle. If it is a director, an architect, an artist, a social observer, a popular science YouTuber… with more diverse roles, what kind of future supercar can we design? The future mentioned here is not a random talk, but a concrete plan that can be seen immediately.
It’s very simple, just use the racing technology. What racing technology does McLaren have? Formula 1, of course. This time Artura is equipped with a V6 turbocharged engine and an electric motor. Isn’t this the gasoline-electric hybrid architecture of today’s F1 racing cars? Gasoline hybrid? Isn’t there a bunch of Hybrids on the road? What’s so rare? The rarity lies in the extraordinary performance output.
Looking at the data, Artura’s 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine can output a maximum horsepower of 585 horsepower and a maximum torque of 59.7kg. With heavy steps on the accelerator, both oil and electricity are released, and the combined power is 680 horsepower + 73.4kg.m torque.
The Artura gearbox is an 8-speed SSG automatic manual gearbox. For the sake of simplicity, this gearbox itself does not have a reverse gear, and the R gear function is controlled by an electric motor. It takes only 3 seconds to sprint from a standstill to 100km/h, and it will reach 200km/h in 5.3 seconds, with a top speed of 330km/h… Although we do not have a safe environment to test whether the above data is true, however, I am very happy when I have the opportunity to step on the accelerator. Sure, the satellites in the sky immediately detected a bright emerald green object moving at an alarming speed. It’s not Superman or Iron Man, but it’s worth paying attention to.
Who doesn’t know that electric vehicles are the future, just as electric vehicles are in full swing, unknowingly, gasoline-electric hybrids have quietly become the core of supercar power. Yes, this is a high-pitched internal combustion engine that can effectively reduce carbon emissions, drive quietly in urban areas, and maintain a vigorous and powerful sound. A complete set of gasoline-electric hybrid power system can make the supercar continue to play, and the gasoline-electric supercar is a win-win strategy. As early as the end of 2007, Honda launched the concept of gasoline-electric hybrid power for the second-generation NSX, but unfortunately encountered the financial tsunami of Lehman Brothers, and the mass production plan fell through.
About 10 years ago, Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder, and McLaren P1 jointly unveiled the super gasoline-electric era. The power specification was close to 1,000 horsepower. The Super Car that has been used for many years is obviously out of date.
My first experience with a gasoline-electric supercar was the Porsche 918 Spyder. The biggest surprise at the time was that a sports car with such a huge power can start quietly! It will not disturb the neighbors and wake up my wife at all! The same is true for today’s Artura. The built-in plug-in hybrid system can be charged with the EVSE charging pack, and it provides four driving modes: Electric, Comfort, Sport and Track. It is really rich.
McLaren says it can be charged to 80 percent in 2.5 hours, with the ability to recharge the battery when on the road. It can travel 30km in pure electric mode, and the pure electrode speed is 130km/h. That is to say, assuming that the home is within 15km from the company, there is no need to wake up the V6 twin-turbo engine behind you in traffic jams when you commute to work, and you don’t need to drink gasoline at all when you stop. .
Artura is positioned between the GT and 720S car series. McLaren classifies it as the Supercars series. Artura is McLaren’s third gasoline-electric supercar, the second plug-in gasoline-electric supercar, and more importantly, the first non-electric supercar. The limited gasoline-electric supercar is a supercar that can commute very well.
By the way, Artura is equipped with a carbon fiber lightweight chassis as usual, and this time it is the latest version of MCLA (McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture). Even with the hybrid motor and battery, the dry weight of the body can reach 1395kg. In terms of handling, ergonomic optimization is the first good impression I have. This pair of Clubsport sports car seats can only adjust the front and rear and elevation angles, and the back and waist angles are fixed. This is basically compared to the single-body design of a racing car, but it is easy to get in and out , Comfortable all the way.
The steering wheel and the instrument panel are an integrated linkage design. On both sides of the steering wheel are H control and P power selection buttons, which can be adjusted without moving your hands. The MIS II infotainment system and 8-inch high-resolution screen in the central part, this time McLaren has introduced smart phone connection and mirror output, and can also touch the track telemetry system and dynamic tail control system.
Furthermore, Artura comes standard with intelligent cruise control and iACC full-speed zone follow-up system, as well as lane departure warning, automatic high beam switching and street sign recognition system… This set of supercar players shouts that they don’t care but actually want it The Active Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is standard and, let’s be honest, could be safer, so why not?
At the end of the day, I’m starting to think that McLaren qualifies as a sports car connoisseur. In the past, we always said that the Porsche 911 is the best sports car, because the 911 has both performance, practicality and durability. When McLaren chooses all its sports cars with carbon fiber bodies, there is no reason for performance fans not to love it! However, high-level strategies are bound to have to pay some costs, and these costs are difficult to implement. From 650, 570, 720S, GT… to today’s Artura, the suspension is enough to cope with various road surfaces, the ability to move quickly and freely, and the door can be easily entered and exited… McLaren let us understand that falling in love is easy but getting along is difficult can be overturned.
McLaren Artura key specifications
Engine type V6 turbocharged gasoline engine + electric motor
Displacement 2993c.c.
Synthetic horsepower 680ps
Maximum torque 73.4kg.m
Transmission type 8-speed dual-clutch automatic manual
Body size 4539x2080x1193 mm
Wheelbase 2640mm
Vehicle weight 1395 kg
Tire size front 235/35R19 rear 295/35R19
0~100km/h 3 seconds
Maximum speed 330km/h
