New Hybrid Technology Breaking Ground for McLaren |
Since McLaren introduced its first full production car – the MP4-12C – back in 2011, nearly all their cars have been built on, or have evolved from, the same basic architecture. With the unveiling of the Artura – a new plug-in hybrid supercar that basically replaces the Sports Series line-up – McLaren showed Driven during a deep dive technology session, why this may be the brand’s most important new car to date. Yes, perhaps even including the F1…
McLaren obviously has a thing for nostalgia. Twenty years ago, the company broke the supercar mould with the pioneering F1. And without so much as a hint of another production car in between, dropped the magnificent MP4-12C bombshell ten years later.
Now, another decade later, McLaren reckons that the 2022 Artura, which in a sense replaces the 570S at the bottom of McLaren’s hierarchy, is its most advanced car to date.
That said, the Artura treads its own path, with a higher level of performance than the 570S, which actually positions the car alongside the 720S and 765LT, above the GT, and below Ultimate Series cars.
While there is a significant amount of innovations crammed into the Artura, it all comes down to an all-new engine, a new transmission, a unique carbon fibre tub built in a new McLaren-owned factory, a new electrical architecture, and a new hybrid motor.
OLD VS NEW
Visually, the McLaren Artura is immediately identifiable as a McLaren, showing the marque’s distinctive forward-sloping aggressive look. Under the skin, however, it is all change, even down to the infotainment system.
Under the proverbial ‘hood’, however, is where the Artura departs further from McLaren’s past than any vehicle before it. Naturally, McLaren purists will decry that the Artura boasts a blown V6 rather than a naturally aspirated V8, following in the footstep of such cars as the Maserati MC20 and Mercedes-AMG One. Whether a V8 or a V6, it is almost impossible to argue with the amount of power and torque that the Artura develops: 424 kW at 7,500 r/min, and over 580 Nm of torque between 2,250 and 7,000 r/min.
Setting the Artura V6 apart, is that its M630 3.0-litre is placed at a rather obtuse 120-degree bank angle. McLaren chose this angle to allow the engine to achieve even firing without splitting the crank journals. The result is a shorter and stiffer engine that quickly winds up to 8,500 r/min
With more available space, the exhaust manifolds and twin turbochargers can be arranged in a hot-vee formation. And while this is not a traditionally popular layout for mid-engined cars (due to the high temperatures generated), McLaren has solved the heat dissipation problem in the Artura by isolating the manifolds and turbos from the rest of the engine bay in a space that resembles a chimney. Air coming off the radiators now flows over the turbos and out through the top of the engine cover.
With this configuration, McLaren has managed to keep the engine dimension very compact. Including the exhaust and turbochargers, the engine is 19.05 cm shorter, 4.06 cm lower, and 22.1 cm narrower. Richard Jackson, the head of powertrain development at McLaren, refers to the M630 as “a very dense cube of an engine.”
The supercar’s straight-line stats also speak for themselves; zero to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds, zero to 200 km/h in 8.4 seconds, and a top speed of 330 km/h. What’s more, this is to be the starting point for Artura; everything from this point going forward will be even faster.
HYBRID FUTURE
As interesting as the oddly banked V6 is, it tells only one-third of the powertrain story in the new Artura. Perhaps the more significant news is the new plug-in-hybrid system that contributes up to 70 kW and 225 Nm to the experience.
This is not McLaren’s first foray into hybrid tech – the P1 and Speedtail are both hybrids. But, unlike McLaren’s previous attempts, the Artura’s electric motor has been integrated with the new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. This axial-flux electric motor is more power-dense than the more common radial-flux motor used in the Speedtail. Interestingly, there is no reverse gear in the Artura. This action is handled by spinning the motor backwards, allowing for a maximum reverse speed of 40 km/h.
The third component – a modest 7.4-kWh lithium-ion battery – feeds the electric motor and should provide around 25 km of electric-only range on the EPA scale. To ensure a low centre of gravity, McLaren has placed the battery on the floor at the rear of the cabin, using the protective plate that holds the battery in place to increase the Artura’s structural strength. According to McLaren, the hybrid system adds a mere 130 kg to the car’s overall weight. With the new V6 weighing 160 kg (50 kg lighter than the V8), the Artura’s complete powertrain is a mere 80 kg heavier than that of the 570S.
The new carbon-fibre tub to which the hybrid powertrain is mounted is called the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), which includes the aluminium crash structure at the front of the car, the aluminium mount of the powertrain itself, and a new ethernet-based electrical architecture that both saves weight and increases bandwidth, enabling over-the-air updates to the Artura system.
The ethernet-based electrical system is made up with the exterior, which is composed of superformed aluminium and carbon fibre panels. Buttresses guide air past the chimney for improved heat dissipation. There’s no big wing, but downforce is derived from the full-width diffuser. The suspension employs control arms at the front and a multilink system at the rear, as well as adaptive dampers, coil springs, and anti-roll bars.
MORE TECH
The Artura is also the first McLaren to offer advanced driver-assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, road-sign recognition, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beams.
Owners of some competitor products will notice the lack of any assisted steering, though. McLaren decided to continue using an electrohydraulically-assisted steering system to maintain the integrity of their cars’ driving feel. For self-parking or lane-keeping, they would have to switch to an electrically assisted steering rack, and likely alienate some customers in the process.
LAST WORD
Having insight into why McLaren considers the Artura to be its most advanced ever, provides a better understanding of McLaren’s future strategy. All-electric cars are not on the cards just yet, but the strides made in developing the Artura’s hybrid system will likely tide over the Woking-based supercar maker for another couple of years. Nothing was left untouched in what was less the development of a supercar, and more the revitalisation of a company whose sole dedication is to creating thrilling supercars for their customers.
Report by BERNIE HELLBERG | Images © MCLAREN AUTOMOTOVE
