Turnpike Twist, McLaren Artura Charming Hypercar

Hakone Turnpike is known as a sacred place among Japanese car enthusiasts.Japan’s little Nureburgring, whose speed is thirsty, continues to run wild. This is the actual background of the famous scene in which Ryosuke Takahashi’s FC3SRX-7 competes with Hōjō Lin’s R32 Skyline GT-R, which is called the Grim Reaper, in the immortal masterpiece <Initial D>. Almost all driving characteristics, including ride comfort, handling, acceleration, and braking, can be identified on this 14km-long pass, so local manufacturers and automobile media often use it as a test bed.

We also found Turnpike for the same reason. McLaren’s all-new plug-in hybrid supercar ‘Artura’ planned an exhilarating shakedown. Of course, there is also the Fuji Circuit nearby, but the turnpike is the perfect test drive for Artura, which will run more on general roads. You can look forward to it because it will be different from a car that only knows how to shout out with its humble output.

McLaren’s electric shoes are not the first for Artura. Earlier, for the first time in the hypercar segment in 2013, the P1 first installed the PHEV powertrain, and the speedtail, which recorded the fastest record in McLaren history with a maximum speed of 403 km/h in 2018, was also a hybrid. Here’s a fact to note: these two were limited production models and not Artura.

Artura, which has been based on the electricity technology that has been steadily trained, is an important starting point for McLaren, who has walked the path of luxury supercar brands, to open a new era of technology and performance. As you may have noticed, the model name, which is a combination of Art, which means art, and Future, which means the future, also contains this meaning.

Starting with Artura, McLaren Yangsan Roadcar, which will be developed from this point, is likely to introduce PHEV powertrain. It is speculation to the end, but next-generation PHEV hypercar with signature V8 twin turbo engine following P1 can also be expected.

What is certain is that McLaren will continue to stick to the backwheel. At a technology workshop held before the test drive in Japan, I asked Tom Taylor, a senior manager who led the Artura development program, about his questions. Like the Ferrari SF90, the engine rolls the rear wheels in the conventional way, and the electric motor rolls the front wheels, and is not planning to release the Artura.

“McLaren’s philosophy of dealing with dynamic driving does not yet have four turns,” he replied. I don’t know again in the distant future. If you build a hypercar that exerts a terrifying power, you may end up fiddling with the four-wheeled rolling card.. Anyway, whether it will be a more anticipated brand in the future depends on the new V6 twin turbo engine, PHEV system, fierce exhaust sound, ultra-light body and aerodynamic design, as well as the attractive new supercar filled with interesting elements.