2024 McLaren Artura Spider review: Electrification boosts excitement in this Ferrari-baiting plug-in powerhouse

June 30, 2024June 29, 2024 Andrew Chesterton 391 Views 0 Comments McLaren Artura Spider

Electrification has arrived in the world of supercars, where the world’s most mad-hatter manufacturers are now using electric motors not just to aid efficiency, but to ratchet up the excitement levels, too.

Take the new McLaren Artura Spider, and its hardtop sibling which has also been updated for the 2024 model year, with its dinner-plate-sized e-motor tuned to deliver even more power, unlocking even angrier acceleration.

But that’s not all that’s new. It’s faster, louder and safer, plus there’s better suspension, better braking and a louder exhaust.

Can a plug-in hybrid supercar rival screaming petrol V8s and V10s? You bloody bet it can!

2024 McLaren Artura Spider price and equipment:

Being shocked that a supercar is expensive is like falling over when you discover politicians tell fibs, but if you do happen to fall into that camp, then you might want to take a seat.

The new McLaren Artura Spider lands in Australia wearing a $525,010 price tag. Its also-updated hardtop sibling is $477,310, making that wind-in-your-hair feeling a circa-$50k option.

Bargains are a relative thing, though, and given the Spider’s closest competitor is the $700,000 Ferrari 296 GTS, the Artura might just qualify.

The Artura Spider rides on staggered alloys which are 19 inches up front, 20 inches at the rear and wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero rubber. In the cabin there’s a wireless charging pad, Apple CarPlay controlled via a low-mounted central screen, a digital dash and a five-speaker stereo.

There’s new safety stuff, too, including lane monitoring, which McLaren is quick to point out you can switch off, and when you do, that it stays off until you switch it back on again. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert remain optional.

The headline act is the roof, of course, which is a constructed of carbon-fibre composite and controlled through eight individual e-motors. It opens in 11 seconds and at speeds of up to 50km/h.

But the real good stuff isn’t in what you can see, but rather what you can’t. The power, braking and suspension have all been improved, and there’s a redesigned exhaust that delivers a louder and more natural soundtrack. Oh, and there’s a burnout mode for the first time, which McLaren calls the ‘Spinning Wheel Pull-Away’ feature, which plays with the tractions settings to allow you to light up the rear tyres at will.

You can also plug the Artura in, and taking the 7.4kWh battery from zero to 80 per cent charged takes around 2.5 hours. McLaren reckons you can expect fuel use of around 4.8L/100km when both powertrains are in operation.

The e-motor also allows you to start up and take off in silence (no more disrupting the neighbours), and all up there’s around 33km of EV-only range.

At the Artura’s heart is a twin-turbocharged V6 and e-motor, delivering a total 515kW and 720Nm — up some 15kW on the existing model. That means a sprint to 100km/h in 3.0 seconds, a run to 200km/h in 8.4 seconds and from standstill to 300km/h in 21.6 seconds.

2024 McLaren Artura Spider: What we think

There’s long been a view that drop-top performance cars aren’t for “real” drivers, whatever the hell that means.

The idea was that, by cutting off the roof, you were reducing a vehicle’s stiffness and rigidity, not to mention adding weight through the roof mechanism, none of which are things you’re looking for in a performance car.

But the McLaren Artura Spider obliterates that argument, or at least leaves it obscured and unrecognisable in a plume of tyre smoke. Because yes, McLaren has cut the roof off the Artura, and added about 60kgs in weight, but if you can find a dynamic weak spot as a result, you’re a sharper mind than me.

Part of that is owing to the fact the Artura’s monocoque is carved from a single piece of carbon-fibre, meaning no extra stiffening was required even once the roof was removed. But the biggest factor at play here is that that bonkers powertrain, which is so potent and so aggressive. If you think this is soft, you must have pure adrenalin pumping through your veins.

It’s not angry all the time, though. In fact, I don’t I think I’ve driven a car in which the gap between calm and crazy has been quite so vast.

In all-electric mode, the Artura happily shimmies along in near-silence, its ride cosseting and comfortable and (this is not an exaggeration) the sweet sound of cooing birds you pass filling the cabin via its open roof.

Even when you call the twin-turbo V6 into action, the Artura Spider can be a comfortable daily driver. It doesn’t feel overly intimidating, and it’s easy to forget you’re driving something super at all.

But really plant your right foot and the Artura’s Mr Jekyll appears. The flat-footed acceleration is properly violent, while the tall 8500rpm redline means the experience only gets louder and angrier as you scream towards it.

The steering is super direct, near-telepathic even, in the way it responds to your inputs, and it pairs beautifully with the Artura’s overall agility. Much work has been done here to remove weight and tighten the drive experience, mostly through new and stiffer engine mounts and that single piece carbon-fibre tub.

As a result, the Spider feels light, lithe and super reactive, devouring corners with mega grip and no roll, before screaming off in search of the next one.

2024 McLaren Artura Spider: Verdict

The McLaren Atura Spider proves that we need not fear plug-in power’s impact on the supercar experience. It does’t detract from it. It only makes it better.

Score: 4/5

2024 McLaren Artura Spider specifications:

Price: $525,010 plus on-roads

Basics: Plug-in hybrid, twin-turbo V6, 2 seats, 2 doors, RWD

Range: 33kms (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 7.4kWh battery

Battery warranty: Six years/75,000km

Motors: 70kW and 225Nm

AC charging: 11kW

0-100km/h: 3.3 seconds

Andrew Chesterton

Andrew began his career as a journalist at Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, before he was lured into the fast-paced world of supercars at TopGear Australia. He has also held senior roles at The Daily Mail, which involved spending time at HQ in London, and on the other side of the automotive divide with FCA Australia. As one of Australia's best-read freelance writers, Andrew now contributes to Robb Report, Wish in The Australian, Domain in The Australian Financial Review, CarsGuide, Wheels, The West Australian, GQ, Men's Health and more. His love for writing has carried him around the world and back again, writing for clients in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the USA. He secretly enjoys it so much he’d probably do it for free, but he hopes his editors never find out that bit...