McLaren Artura

[drmanny3]

Just reviewed the specs on the new Artura. It is lightweight at 3300 lbs. and puts out over 670 hp. And it can drive up to 11 miles per the battery. Wow! And it can do 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 to 3.0 secs. Also the 1/4 mile in around 10.7 secs. And this is a clean sheet design from McLaren. The Altura comes with Apple Car play and starts at a miserly $235,000. With options another $50,000.

Boy does this put our old 5 year NC1 to shame at 3900 lbs. What a fatty we drive. And our car is Cheap as well. I guess I better sell my car and get a real performer.

 

[docjohn]

I would call the NC1 a tank......the mac is a carbon conch...

 

[Honcho]

Just reviewed the specs on the new Altura. It is lightweight at 3300 lbs. and puts out over 670 hp. And it can drive up to 11 miles per the battery. Wow! And it can do 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 to 3.0 secs. Also the 1/4 mile in around 10.7 secs. And this is a clean sheet design from McLaren. The Altura comes with Apple Car play and starts at a miserly $235,000. With options another $50,000.

Boy does this put our old 5 year NC1 to shame at 3900 lbs. What a fatty we drive. And our car is Cheap as well.

Yeah, but it is a Mclaren LOL. At least your NC1 starts every time you press the button and doesn't explode the engine for no reason.

Besides, I bet you could find a couple hundred lbs in there to lose, like with a Ti muffler, etc.

 

[drmanny3]

Can you believe McLaren is selling a new car that is 600 pounds lighter and has 100 hp more then our cars but cannot out perform the NC1. I will never sell my car.

 

[Honcho]

Can you believe McLaren is selling a new car that is 600 pounds lighter and has 100 hp more then our cars but cannot out perform the NC1. I will never sell my car.

The NC1 is truly a performance marvel- it really shouldn't be as fast as it is. But it is. It's that Honda magic.

 

[docjohn]

gives me pee shivers...

 

[Bricks and Bio]

Do we know how an NC1 does vs an Artura on the track?
What has amazed me is that no one cares about the car because it is way down on power vs a more expensive 296

Going off topic, have folks seen how well the Lucid Sapphire did vs a Plaid, Chiron and Sport Bike?

 

[docjohn]

you are spending way too much time on youtube....

 

[RYU]

honorable mention to the NC1 at the end ;-) (or maybe not so honorable)

 

[drmanny3]

Keep in mind the Artura is rear drive only. Which when you think about was a missed opportunity. Hybrids have been around since the late 1990s. I had a 2005 and a 2006 Prius which was a front drive hybrid. McLaren sees themselves as Formula 1 as far as technology. To not have put motors in the front is an embarrassment. They could have had a fairly lightweight all wheel drive that would have made us feel bad. But instead they wanted to suggest they are at the cutting edge. Too bad, lost opportunity.
Our NC1 is as fast stock with a 100 fewer ponies in the 0 to 60 and the 1/4 mile is probably a tenth off. That is without a JB4 added. And our car was designed 8 years ago.

 

[97NSXer]

Acura mentioned at 16:49 (and not in a positive note). There always seems to be controversy when comparing two cars developed so far apart and at different price points. I think $50K difference in price and 5-6 years in time is very significant. Imagine the NC1 with a carbon fiber monocoque. That would add cost but reduce weight. Full disclosure, I am not a fan of McLaren. I almost got a P1 when they were still in production. Had the opportunity to drive one in anger and was quite impressed. It suited my driving style. However, I just never trusted McLaren could endure and provide the support/parts over time. It should be noted that McLaren barely had enough funds to develop and bring the Artura to market. They recently sold a number of corporate heritage cars to fund the launch. Outside of that, I personally don't care for how much each model looks so similar. For me, you've seen one modern McLaren you've seen them all.

 

[drmanny3]

Another question , who would spend $250,000 to $300,000 plus for an Altura.

 

[RYU]

Acura mentioned at 16:49 (and not in a positive note). There always seems to be controversy when comparing two cars developed so far apart and at different price points. I think $50K difference in price and 5-6 years in time is very significant. Imagine the NC1 with a carbon fiber monocoque. That would add cost but reduce weight. Full disclosure, I am not a fan of McLaren. I almost got a P1 when they were still in production. Had the opportunity to drive one in anger and was quite impressed. It suited my driving style. However, I just never trusted McLaren could endure and provide the support/parts over time. It should be noted that McLaren barely had enough funds to develop and bring the Artura to market. They recently sold a number of corporate heritage cars to fund the launch. Outside of that, I personally don't care for how much each model looks so similar. For me, you've seen one modern McLaren you've seen them all.

Agree on the points about the health of the company. Now that's a valid argument against ownership IMO. The cars themselves are great dynamically and they prioritize the right things for the sake of the driving experience (such as still keeping hydraulic assisted steering and brakes as well as for electric motor for torque fill).

Here's an interesting video on the tech they're using for the EV motor.

 

[docjohn]

The one thing Honda could have done was to delete the reverse gear in the DCT and have reverse purely EV as others are doing.

 

[TigerNSX]

As much as I love various McLaren cars, I just cannot imagine owning one at this point in my life (maybe once I retire?):

- One time, I went to pick up a "new to me" MP4-12C at a dealer. As I was about to leave the dealer, the car started making this crazy noise from the rear. I immediately stopped the car. The owner of the dealer ran out with his mechanic and looked at what was happening. But couldn't. The dealer gave me a refund.

- I must have looked at 10 different 570Ss and 570GTs. They all had different issues like interior leather shrinking/bubbling, exterior trims detaching (they were "glued" from the factory!), body panels misaligned, certain bolts on the carbon tub so loose you could turn with your fingers, strange random beeping noises...

Now... you add the hybrid complexity on top of all these issues they never seem to resolve? Yikes. I will always wonder what will break next whenever I go for a drive in an Artura...

 

[NbyNW]

Agree with others - their financial health is troubling. Sold their HQ to rent it back and now selling their history to fund fixes/updates to the Artura. Not something I’d buy into right now. I keep wondering who will buy McLaren.

I also looked at a ton of MP4s and 570s. Almost every one of them needed something tweaked, which meant even a decent one would need a trip back to the dealer soon. And repair times were crazy - I was reading about weeks at a time. The 570 key recognition problem really turned me off. One of many goofy electronic gremlins. Not a car I could do a big road trip in.

Plus the “mandatory” yearly extended warranty to cover expensive repairs. Very glad I went with the NSX.

 

[TigerNSX]

The 570 key recognition problem really turned me off. One of many goofy electronic gremlins. Not a car I could do a big road trip in.

Funny you mentioned this - one of the 570GTs I looked at wouldn't recognize the key so we couldn't even get it out of the garage!

 

[docjohn]

macs are cars you lease , and live within an hour of a dealer...

 

[SUNLINE]

EVO car of the year went to the MC20. They liked the 296 and Arturo, but loved the Toyota GR86 which they ranked 2nd behind the Maser. The test was great read.

 

[RPM217]

macs are cars you lease , and live within an hour of a dealer...

and hope that the dealer and the manufacturer, remain in business, for the term of your lease, and within the warranty!!!

 

[drmanny3]

When I started this post I was really trying to be facetious. The Arturo does not bring anything to the party. They have been doing carbon fiber tubs forever. This was a failed attempt to look futuristic. The NSX had the ability to use only one motor attached to the engine should they have chosen that path. They would have saved weight and essentially produced a plugin that could go a few miles under electric power. Instead they choose to develop a complex car with all wheel drive, with the front wheels having the ability to drive independently thus resulting in a very track worthy vehicle. The Arturo is a joke in my mind offering nothing of value. Porsche and Ferrari did it right and it cost a fortune. Acura did it seven years ago at a price point that is still special today. Frankly the new upcoming Corvette Hybrid breaks no new ground either, but at least they have an all-wheel drive vehicle with an old pushrod engine. Had they gone with the flat plane crank then that would have been a major milestone. Too bad, I think they missed the opportunity.

 

[docjohn]

I knew what your intent was...Honestly after my factory tour I understand why the car weighs 3800 lbs ..and If a shunt ever happened I think my squishy body might fair better in the "tank" NC1 vs the CF tubs of the others..

 

[SUNLINE]

Why do you think the tech in the NSX is old? That statement makes no sense to me. Is it just because of the number of years ago that Honda introduced the public to it? From my viewpoint it seems other manufacturers are still trying to catch up.…..

 

[Honcho]

I knew what your intent was...Honestly after my factory tour I understand why the car weighs 3800 lbs ..and If a shunt ever happened I think my squishy body might fair better in the "tank" NC1 vs the CF tubs of the others..

And that CF tends to break into razor sharp shards instead of bending like metal...

 

[drmanny3]

I have owned and driven at least 5 hybrids (combo ICE/Electric Motor). I have to say that the NSX has the smoothest transfer from engine to electric motor and the reverse that I have ever experienced. That is not by chance but purposely designed and engineered. Read the Honda Research paper on the Hybrid design of the NSX.

Automotive manufacturers are in a conundrum as to what they should do with respect to the electrification of cars. Companies like Porsche are afraid that they could end up either killing the goose that lays gold eggs (911 series) or start a whole new series of cars. They probably cannot react quickly enough to completely change their offerings. Their 918 was a success story. The challenge is to bring prices down to affordable for this crowd.

I know a lot of enthusiasts dislike or are neutral to the electrification of cars. I too enjoy the sounds of an internal combustion engine. It is hard to argue with the technology of electric cars though. Tesla has already shown that they can make a car that can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 2 seconds. And that is sedan that only costs $140k. Imagine having a motor at each wheel with that kind of acceleration.

I am not confident that Tesla has the racing expertise to really build an all-electric World Class sports car. Elon probably feels that the market is too small to waste his time and money. However, Honda, Porsche, and Ferrari can do it. In the near future, I predict you will see some extraordinary sports cars coming to market. The problem is that the overall market is not that large. So, you can build some really unique cars and price them accordingly ($$$) and sell all of them or try and build a car that will sell between $175k to $300k.