Plug-in hybrid 2023 McLaren Artura delivers equal helpings of power and prestige

What is it? 2023 McLaren Artura. High-performance, plug-in hybrid two-seater.

How much? Base price $225,000, excluding $4,500 destination charge.

Why should you consider it? Rare, beautiful; fast, but easy to drive — plus it’s a hybrid.

What could be better? The 11-mile electric range isn’t much — even for McLaren’s first PHEV.

When can you buy it? On sale now.

Prices for the 671-hp 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid start at $225,000.
Prices for the 671-hp 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid start at $225,000.

LAS VEGAS − You don’t see McLaren’s exotic sports cars every day, even at the concierge entrance to top hotels here in the capital of conspicuous consumption, where the doorman asks “What color?” when a guest says he’s ready for his Rolls-Royce.

So it’s no surprise McLaren’s first electrified car, the 2023 Artura plug-in hybrid, starts every drive nearly silent in EV mode. The Artura doesn’t need to draw attention to itself. Attention will be paid.

Window rattling exhaust notes are for parvenus, and you don’t want to startle Adele as she departs for tonight’s show. As 2023 dawns, true exclusivity arrives in an electrified papaya-orange two-seater that can do 205 mph, but doesn’t have to shout to be noticed.

2023 McLaren Artura interior trim and Bowers & WIlkins audio
2023 McLaren Artura interior trim and Bowers & WIlkins audio

2023 McLaren Artura price and selected options

Base price: $225,000

Sport exhaust: $4,450

Stealth exhaust finisher: $1,350

Track telemetry app: $910

Performance spec: $7,500

Fire extinguisher: $200

Warning triangle and first aid kit: $125

Technology pack: $7,000

Gloss black wheels: $1,450

McLaren Orange brake calipers w/silver logo: $1,350

Vehicle tested: $249,335

Source: McLaren

Prices exclude $4,500destination charge.

You’ve never seen a V6 like this

The Artura is McLaren’s first plug-in hybrid, combining an electric motor and twin-turbo 3.0L V6. Total power from the engine and an electric motor mounted in the engine’s bell housing — between engine and an eight-speed seamless-shift automatic transmission — is 671 hp and 531 pound-feet of torque. The Artura weighs 3,303 pounds, giving it a weight to power ratio of 4.92 pounds/hp. That compares to 5.28 for a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, if you’re scoring at home — or if you just want proof some journalists can do math. (Fingers crossed.)

The 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid's 3.0L V6 has an unusual 120-degree vee..
The 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid's 3.0L V6 has an unusual 120-degree vee..

The V6 sits in an owner-proof glass-topped compartment behind the passenger compartment, but the V6 is a work of art when you see it on a workbench. It has an angle of 120 degrees between the cylinder banks of its Vee. Most V6s have 60-degree angles, which makes them taller than the McLaren engine. The unusual layout allows the engine to sit lower in the car than McLaren’s V8, which has a 90-degree bank. That contributes to a lower center of gravity — good for handling and road holding — and more efficient exhaust flow.

Ferrari came up with the same layout, at the same time for the V6 in its 296 GTB supercar, a coincidence that delights McLaren. Great minds, and apparently great engineers, think alike.

Carbon-fiber and ethernet architectures

Powertrain innovations notwithstanding, McLaren Automotive’s core competency is lightweight, advanced materials. It’s on display in the Artura, the first vehicle to use the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture, a carbon-fiber tub manufactured in the English city of Sheffield, a famed hub of steelmaking for centuries.

The McLaren Artura's carbon fiber tub incorporates the passenger and battery compartments and mounting points for suspension and drivetrain.
The McLaren Artura's carbon fiber tub incorporates the passenger and battery compartments and mounting points for suspension and drivetrain.

The tub encloses the passenger compartment, houses an 87-pound lithium ion battery behind the seats, and attaches to subframes for the car’s powertrain and suspension.

The body panels are aluminum.

The Artura also features a new ethernet electrical architecture McLaren says weighs 10% less and requires 25% less wiring than conventional systems.

Driving impressions: EV mode is modest, performance isn’t

The Artura has four powertrain modes, but McLaren programmed it to always start in EV mode, an acknowledgement that some of us like our neighbors. No need to set off firecrackers every time you leave. The other expected powertrain modes are present: comfort, sport and track.

Prices for the 671-hp 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid start at $225,000.
Prices for the 671-hp 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid start at $225,000.

EV mode makes starts smooth and stealthy, with plenty of power for city and suburban traffic. The other handling modes — comfort, sport and track — manage adjustable dampers and the stability control system. The powertrain and handling modes are independent: you can combine them however you like.

The 11-mile electric range is pretty puny, to be honest, but the McLaren didn’t want to take any chances with the performance and handling of its first PHEV. Future models should go farther on electric, as McLaren gains confidence and battery technology improves.

Eventually, all McLarens will be gasoline-electric hybrids, and at some point probably purely electric, but the weight of batteries precludes that today. The Artura is the first step. We can expect more electric power and longer ranges as McLaren rolls out new models.

The Artura can reach 81 mph in electric mode.

The V6 and electric motor mesh seamlessly when you want more range or speed. Occupants are pleasantly shielded from the engine note, but the Artura makes its presence known when you open it up.

Prices for the 671-hp 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid start at $225,000.
Prices for the 671-hp 2023 McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid start at $225,000.

The steering is fast and direct. The car’s low center of gravity and sporty suspension combine for excellent road holding and surprising comfort. An electronic locking rear differential is standard.

Putting the battery between the passenger compartment and powertrain contributes to a 42% front/58% rear weight distribution. Putting most of the weight over the powered rear axle helps the McLaren hit 60 mph in just 3 seconds.

Unlike most hybrids, the Artura doesn’t recover power from the brakes when it decelerates. The engine has enough power to keep the battery useful. That contributes to immediately familiar brake feel.

Track mode increases that charging, allowing the McLaren to run flat out for 40 miles on the Nardo test track in southern Italy without running out of juice.

The 2023 McLaren Artura's touch screen is clear, but small for use in a moving vehicle.
The 2023 McLaren Artura's touch screen is clear, but small for use in a moving vehicle.

Driver assistance and safety features

  • Adaptive cruise control

  • Lane departure alert

  • Road sign recognition

  • Over the air updates.

Interior comfort and features

The passenger compartment is snug, but comfortable. The gauges and controls are generally easy to read and use. All the controls are easy to reach, as they should be in a car designed for regular days at the track.

The seats are comfortable, covered in suede and leather, and trimmed with McLaren Orange piping in my test car. Bower & Wilkins audio provide sound befitting an advanced luxury car.

023 McLaren Artura instrument cluster
023 McLaren Artura instrument cluster

A small tablet mounted low in the center stack controls navigation and other features. It’s clear, but its size makes it difficult to consistently tap the feature you want in a moving vehicle.

Unlike most lane-departure alerts, which have all the charm of an elevator chime, the Artura employs three electronic beeps reminiscent of sounds from "Star Wars" — "pew-pew-pew." I enjoyed it over the course of a day, but you can turn it off if you disagree or its charm wears out.

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McLaren’s signature scissors doors pivot up easily, creating a larger entry/exit than most sports cars offer.

A 5.3-cubic-foot compartment under the hood will hold a weekend’s gear for a disciplined couple. Otherwise, ship it ahead.

2023 McLaren  Artura interior
2023 McLaren Artura interior

2023 McLaren Artura at a glance

Base price: $225,000 (all prices exclude $4,500 destination charge)

Plug-in hybrid two-passenger exotic sports car

On sale now

Specifications as tested:

Price as tested: $249,335

Drivetrain: Twin-turbo V6 with

Output: 671 hp; 531 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Eight-speed seamless-shift automatic

Battery: 7.4 kWh lithium ion

Charging time: 12.5 hours @ 240v; 31 minutes 10%-80% @ 200 kW

Efficiency: 39 mpge combined. 18 mpg combined, gasoline only. Premium gasoline.

Charging time: 3.5 hours @ 240v

Electric range: 11 miles, 330-mile combined range

EPA estimated annual fuel cost: $2,850 (gasoline+electric)

0-60 time: 3 seconds

Top speed: 205 mph

Wheelbase: 104 inches

Length: 179 inches

Width: 78 inches (mirrors folded), 75 inches without mirrors

Height: 47 inches

Cargo volume: 5.3 cubic feet

Curb weight: 3,303 pounds

Assembled in Woking, England

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletterBecome a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: McLaren’s first hybrid shows where supercars are headed – and how fast