McLaren re-engages with Artura Spider

The arrival of the McLaren Artura Spider means much more than just the drop-top version of its performance hybrid sports car. It represents the latest point in a journey to restructure the business and focus once again on its key values. That means a focus on making great sports cars, though don’t doubt for a second that conversations about a McLaren SUV are not taking place.

That’s a story for another day though. Now it’s all about the new Artura Spider. If you are thinking it is simply a drop-top version of the coupé, then read on, because there’s much more to it than meets the eye.

When it was launched in 2022, the Artura coupé had a few issues. Now, less than two years after its debut, we have what could be described as the Artura Mk 2. That doesn’t mean big changes in design; you will barely spot the difference except for a few small aerodynamic and cooling changes. The main evolution is beneath the skin. This includes a 15kW jump in power, with the extra kilowatts being squeezed out of the V6 petrol engine.

There’s good news for those who have already bought an Artura, because that extra power is a software upgrade that will be applied to all coupé models past and present. The bad news is that they won’t get the rest of the upgrades, which are extensive and will be applied to an updated coupé version later this year. As well as the increase in power, the engine has been recalibrated, the power curve has been enhanced and there are new driver assistance systems.

The gearshifts are now 25% faster, the Proactive Damping Control for the suspension reacts 90% quicker and there’s a new wheel pull-away feature, or in layperson’s terms, a burnout mode. It might sound a bit Fast and the Furious, but it’s been engineered to smoke the rear tyres without losing control, so you don’t end up on a social media video.

Minimal noise

Then there’s all the cool stuff, the kind of things Spider owners will want to point out to those who bought a coupé. The main thing is the carbon composite roof, which is available with electrochromic glass. It’s a retractable hardtop that opens or closes in just 11 seconds at up to 50km/h.

Not only does it give you a proper open-top driving experience, it does so with minimal wind noise. That’s partly due to a clever raised lip above the windscreen, something the engineers told us took months to develop and required extensive virtual testing and multiple 3D models.

Then there are the new glazed buttresses on either side of the engine cover. McLaren says glazed, but it is actually plastic and help to increase rearward visibility enormously. It also channels air to cooling ducts in the engine cover and it happens to look cool.

Looking cool is one of the things the Artura Spider is all about. Roof open or closed, it is a good-looking thing and it even turned heads on the streets of Monaco, at least until a Lamborghini Countach came along. Then a Lamborghini Miura. What did we expect, it’s Monaco.

Despite the original issues with the Artura, it was a fantastic car to drive, on road and track. Its level of control, performance and impressively precise steering made it a genuine concern to rivals such as the Ferrari 296 and Porsche 911. That’s even more so in the new Spider. We didn’t take to the track this time, instead we headed out on some of the greatest driving roads in the world, roads like the famous Route Napoleon.

There’s a focus on everyday comfort, much like the original McLaren MP4-12C. Even the Clubsport seats felt comfortable and provided adequate adjustment.

The driving position is spot on and the instrument cluster is mounted on the top of the steering column to ensure you always have sight of your performance indicators.

Remain silent

The eight-inch vertical infotainment screen still feels like it lacks user-friendliness, but slot your smartphone into the new wireless charging port and you can just use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead.

Start your day in Normal mode and the performance hybrid will remain silent, running on the electric motor. Your neighbours will love you for it.

Start in Sport and there’s a bit more of the noise you want in a supercar, though not as much as you might expect. Changes have been made to the exhaust and resonator but the V6 could do with a bit more growl, a bit more bass. It also creates a bit of a drone in the cabin at certain revs as the active exhaust flaps open, but you just need to tap the accelerator a little more to move past it.

When you really tap on the accelerator, the Spider is a true athlete. It can change direction on a dime, responding with incredible accuracy to every steering input. The electric motor delivers that extra boost of torque in the corners and it all feels brilliantly engineered in every situation.

It might be a modern supercar, but with the roof down, it has all the characteristics of a traditional open-top sports car. It’s great cruising along a coastal road simply enjoying the drive, but take to a mountain pass or to the track and it immediately gives you a level of confidence in all that McLaren’s engineers have put into it.

The gear changes are quick but not boisterous, the acceleration rapid and linear and the suspension provides a level of understanding between road, car and driver.

Priced from R6,929,597, the new Artura Spider provides a real challenge to not only Ferrari and Porsche, but also to the new Aston Martin Vantage.

We’ll have to wait to see what Lamborghini comes up with for its new Huracán, but it’s going to have to be something a bit special to match its British rival.