Convincing petrolheads to embrace electrification is a tough task, but one Richard Jackson hasn’t taken lightly. The chief powertrain engineer joined McLaren in 2014, right at the start of development on what would become the Artura.
Hybrid lessons learned from the now-legendary P1 hypercar were brought to the marque’s main series models for the first time: namely keeping the engine as the headline act, while bringing the instant torque shove combustion power can’t deliver on its lonesome. Oh, and don’t forget the convenience factors that make it viable as a daily driver. Meeting emissions rules couldn’t hurt either.
I got to hear how it went from blank sheet to production reality first-hand on a recent visit to McLaren’s Technology Centre, then experience it on a circuit.
Weight watchers
McLaren’s road cars have always aimed to be as light as possible. It’s why every one has been based around a carbonfibre monocoque, right the way back to the iconic F1. For Jackson, that meant designing a hybrid system that integrated as much as possible, minimising its packaging and keeping the wheelbase short.
The resulting 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 uses a 120-degree “hot vee” design that’s narrower and lower than the V8 found in McLaren’s other road cars. It’s also 40kg lighter. The axial flux electric drive motor it’s pared with weighs just 15kg; relying on it entirely for reverse gear meant around 5-10kg could be stripped from the eight-speed, twin-clutch transmission, which was all-new for the Artura.
Elsewhere the three-phase motor control unit (MCU) was made to spec to halve the weight compared to equivalent designs. The 7.4kWh drive battery was then bolted directly into the carbon tub, forming part of its structure. All-in, the car weighs just 1498kg in its lightest configuration – less than 50kg more than the fully combustion-powered 570S did.
Numbers alone don’t make for an exciting supercar though. McLaren learned that with the 12C, which contemporary testers said had plenty of performance but not enough drama. For the Artura Jackson’s team focused on “crescendo” – shaping the torque curve, deliberately not shortening the exhaust and tuning the muffler resonators to get maximum engine noise into the cabin.
They also optimised the turbochargers for a fast spool up without relying on the e-motor and avoided features that would make the hybrid system the focus. Outside of a silent start-up and enough range for a few miles of electric driving, you won’t find any regenerative braking options or augmented engine sounds in the cabin.
Where it all comes together
The Artua is assembled in production building at the far end of the Technology Centre, where each car is built to order and takes 25 working days across 30+ stations, manned by 500 engineers per shift.
Getting there meant walking through the iconic Boulevard, which is home to some truly priceless machinery. McLaren’s 2026 F1 car greets you as you walk in through the entrance; it’s the only show car on the boulevard, given this season’s dramatic regulation changes. Team Principal Zak Brown casually strolled past our tour group, likely on his way to talk strategy for that weekend’s upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
You can’t miss company founder Bruce McLaren’s first ever race car (the only non-McLaren on display), the McLaren F1 “experimental prototype 5” that set a then-world record top speed of 240.14mph and its Le Mans-winning race variant, or Aerton Senna’s McLaren MP4/4 – one of the most dominant Formula One cars of all time. There was even a 1:1 scale Lego version of McLaren road car that bears his name, at the far end of a seemingly endless hallway lined with the largest collection of motorsport trophies you’ll find anywhere in the world. Glass-fronted workshops house more heritage F1 cars in various states of repair and refurbishment.
It’s hard to believe the place was originally an ostrich farm. Planning permission was only granted to build as tall as the largest farm buildings – hence why it also goes multiple floors underground and is affectionately known among its 3000+ staff as “the Iceberg”.
Putting theory into practice
Opening the Artura’s upward-swinging doors and sitting inside for the first time, there’s little in the cabin to suggest this $260,000/£200,000 supercar (before you start getting too crazy with the online configurator, anyway) is housing hybrid power: just a range indicator on the digital instrument cluster and an Electric option accessed with a twist of the drive mode dial.
Our four-car convoy peeled out silently from McLaren’s famed Technology Centre, those V6 engines only firing up once we reached the main road. I could hear the high-pitched hum of the e-motor if I concentrated, but there’s no question you get more six-cylinder growl.
That said, a busy M25 motorway wasn’t an ideal spot to hear it rev to a screaming 8500rpm redline; better to save that for the nearby Dunsfold Aerodrome, once home to a certain tamed racing driver. The one sat next to me for my sighting laps was a lot more talkative, pointing out braking zones and explaining the various traction control modes.
On an empty runway the Artura hits 0-62mph in three seconds flat, with power coming in instantly when asked. All 690bhp and 531lb-ft of it. There’s no waiting for turbos to kick in or revs to climb, while the handover between the two is seamless; the horizon simply gets much closer, very quickly, with all the visceral engine sounds you’d expect.
On the handling circuit it was even more eager, with even a light squeeze of the accelerator pedal urging the car forwards. McLarens are renowned for their steering feel and that remains true here, bringing a precision and consistency that rewards you through every committed corner entry.
That it can be so engaging and entertaining one moment, then cruise silently back into the garage the next suggests that it’s a job well done by Jackson and his team.
