The McLaren Artura is the first McLaren with a completely new V6. A power source that is supported by an electric motor. McLaren is happy to draw extra attention to the new V6.
Facing various media, including Techzle, McLaren explains the Artura again and in particular the new V6. The 3.0-liter twin turbo produces a whopping 585 hp and 585 Nm in the Artura (excluding electric assistance). “195 hp per liter, that’s a very high power. Only the Senna and Elva are comparatively more powerful,” said Richard Jackson, who is responsible for the powertrains at McLaren. “The goal was to limit the weight as much as possible. That was almost an obsession. The length also had to be limited as much as possible, because there had to be enough space for the electric motor.” That worked out nicely, because the V6 is 2 centimeters shorter than the V8 that you find in the McLaren 720S. It is also 4 centimeters lower. With 160 kilos, the V6 is really light as a feather, no less than 50 kilos lighter than the V8.
That gave McLaren enough space to add the electric motor: a newly developed unit that provides 95 hp and 225 Nm of extra power. Again, McLaren’s ‘obsession’ to make the Artura as light as possible created a challenge, because an electric motor is often quite heavy for its size. “This electric motor is nearly half the weight of the P1 and Speedtail,” said Sunoj George, head of McLaren’s electrification division, proudly. The electric motor not only provides a boost of extra power and a somewhat better fuel consumption, but also an extremely fast response when you press the accelerator. This largely removes a power gap at the bottom. “Just 0.6 seconds after you hit the throttle, there is 750 Nm of torque to be reached,” said product manager Thomas Taylor. In addition, according to current expectations, it is also possible to drive fully electrically with the Artura up to 30 km. The top speed in full electric mode is up to 130 km / h.
An important disadvantage of a V6 compared to a V8 is, according to enthusiasts, the sound. McLaren knows that too, so it says it has worked on that too. “The exhausts are stretched as far as possible to let the sound come out nicely. There is also a resonator after the muffler to make it sound even better,” said Richard Jackson. In the video below you can hear the V6 of the Artura in action, so judge for yourself if it worked: