Goodbye Artura, Hello SUV
Discussion
. Though I suppose UK manufacturing investment is always good news.https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73761528/mclare...
Seems likely that the Artura (and particularly the Spider) will end up being one of the rarest McLaren production cars and rarer than some of the LTs.
Having said that, I really can't see a McLaren SUV being successful. Not many people buy McLaren sports cars, not sure they would buy an SUV over a Urus or Ferrari. SUVs haven't really worked out for Aston Martin.
Having said that, I really can't see a McLaren SUV being successful. Not many people buy McLaren sports cars, not sure they would buy an SUV over a Urus or Ferrari. SUVs haven't really worked out for Aston Martin.
Grey_Area said:
Surely some crossover of tech from F1 or similar in their back catalogue would help negate the TVR debacle...
I don’t think the TVR debacle (leading up to when they went bust) was much to do with tech, but more to do with wrong timing to develop their own engine. The R&D costs would have been horrendous. The Speed 6 engine had its issues, which didn’t help the brand.There’s a lot going on in the world. Fuel costs are rising in the US (main McLaren market I think) and import tariffs on vehicles, conflict in middle-east (McLaren owner resides there). I’m no expert on these matters but it doesn’t seem a good time to be throwing money into engine manufacturing and/or a frivolous and unnecessary luxury brand. I’m old enough to remember the 70’s & 80’s when oil prices and middle-east unrest caused a lot of angst amongst car manufacturers. I wish McLaren the best. It just seems a rather risky time to be doing, what they are doing.
Car and Driver said:
The Artura was the brand’s first plug-in hybrid and aimed to signal a new future for the brand, but the move from a V-8 in its predecessor, the 570S, to a V-6 hybrid, and the underwhelming styling also contributed to slower sales than expected, the dealer told AN. The Artura is set to be replaced by a new mid-engined model, codenamed P34, which should arrive by the end of 2027. While it is expected to continue with a twin-turbo V-6 hybrid setup, reports put the power output at around 800 horsepower, with a more upscale cabin and a dramatic design that references the iconic McLaren F1.
The styling is something I've felt since the Artura arrived. The 570 presents visually as a full-on supercar. I think at the time McLaren struggled to make the case for the 650S, since people perceived the fresher, cheaper car as just as good. So then with the Artura I feel they were very careful to style it to look like a sports car, not a supercar. The surfacing looks quite similar to the Emira, for instance. But then it hasn't been as popular in the marketplace, despite being of course quicker and more capable than its predecessor.
Of course there were many other issues as the article mentions, but the styling is perhaps the most self-inflicted.
Porsche had to make SUVs to enable them to make enough money to built sports cars, they sell lots of SUVs in the USA. It works for them. I don't think the UK is a primary market for a Mclaren SUV. Maybe Mclaren will base the car on a Mercedes SUV? (like the Porsches are VAG-based).
Would I buy one? No. Same as I would not buy a RR SVR, Aston thingy, big expensive Cayenne (and the Urus is too chavvy to even enter the comparison). I drive a Lexus RX Hybrid for my daily, which does the SUV thing better than any others. I will replace it with a newer one when it eventually breaks. I can understand something like an RS6 or E class being a sporting estate, but no point with an SUV. But as I said, target market is USA.
I hope Mclaren does well, I will get another (sports car not SUV) one day soon.
Would I buy one? No. Same as I would not buy a RR SVR, Aston thingy, big expensive Cayenne (and the Urus is too chavvy to even enter the comparison). I drive a Lexus RX Hybrid for my daily, which does the SUV thing better than any others. I will replace it with a newer one when it eventually breaks. I can understand something like an RS6 or E class being a sporting estate, but no point with an SUV. But as I said, target market is USA.
I hope Mclaren does well, I will get another (sports car not SUV) one day soon.
samoht said:
The styling is something I've felt since the Artura arrived. The 570 presents visually as a full-on supercar. I think at the time McLaren struggled to make the case for the 650S, since people perceived the fresher, cheaper car as just as good.
So then with the Artura I feel they were very careful to style it to look like a sports car, not a supercar. The surfacing looks quite similar to the Emira, for instance. But then it hasn't been as popular in the marketplace, despite being of course quicker and more capable than its predecessor.
Of course there were many other issues as the article mentions, but the styling is perhaps the most self-inflicted.
Funny, I feel the opposite, the 7 series has those horrible black oversized light holes at the front that ruin the otherwise great design, the 5 and 6 series look very good but were ready for an update, to my eye the Artura has a sleeker more modern design that shouts supercar! It is colour sensitive and is a little shorter in length but that makes it more wieldy! You do need to see it in the flesh though!So then with the Artura I feel they were very careful to style it to look like a sports car, not a supercar. The surfacing looks quite similar to the Emira, for instance. But then it hasn't been as popular in the marketplace, despite being of course quicker and more capable than its predecessor.
Of course there were many other issues as the article mentions, but the styling is perhaps the most self-inflicted.
Mclaren shot themselves in the foot by launching the car when it wasn't ready, adding to their reputation for unreliability, add in a reluctance to embrace hybrid technology - particularly if it showed initial flaws - and that affected sales.
This has caused rapid depreciation, but they are now sorted and come with warranty and free service, along with being one of the best driver’s car’s full stop, so imo are (relative to their performance, handling and status) a bargain on the used marked.
Let’s hope the SUV sells well to help finance more Mclaren supercars in the future!
I have actually warmed to Artura to the point where it was potentially on my radar, not as my next car, but possibly the one after that in about 3 years time. If they kill the product line that's a big negative for me. I plan to rely on specialists to look after my car, but if they stop making it there is less incentive for them to develop solutions for any known issues, especially around the hybrid system. I would also worry about long term parts support, which is hardly a strong suit for McLaren as it is.
It's a shame, as it seems like a genuinely good car.
It's a shame, as it seems like a genuinely good car.
ajm_ph said:
I have actually warmed to Artura to the point where it was potentially on my radar, not as my next car, but possibly the one after that in about 3 years time. If they kill the product line that's a big negative for me. I plan to rely on specialists to look after my car, but if they stop making it there is less incentive for them to develop solutions for any known issues, especially around the hybrid system. I would also worry about long term parts support, which is hardly a strong suit for McLaren as it is.
It's a shame, as it seems like a genuinely good car.
Not sure who as yet is supporting the Artura, Thorney don't as far as I know. With it being so new and hybrid it might be dealer only for a while yet?It's a shame, as it seems like a genuinely good car.
200Plus Club said:
Not sure who as yet is supporting the Artura, Thorney don't as far as I know. With it being so new and hybrid it might be dealer only for a while yet?
Exactly. The oldest Arturas are only 4 years old, and it was sold with a 5 year warranty and 3 year service plan, so nobody will have gone outside the main dealer network yet. Give it a few more years and the likes of V Engineering might start looking after them, but if the model is soon to be dropped support might remain patchy.I have never gone to a McLaren service centre, and I don't ever plan to if I can help it.
It is pretty much 100% for sure that new models will feature hybrid tech, if you are writing off Artura because specialists won’t fix them then you can write off most future models. Specialists will need to embrace new technology going forward otherwise their customer pool will be shrinking. Mclaren’s MDS tech systems (that I assume some will have access to) can read things like battery condition % etc, etc!
Clearly there is little point in specialists promoting Artura while it is still under manufacturer warranty and free servicing, but they are a shrewd bunch and car emissions restrictions mean hybrid technology will become more common in the supercar segment.
Clearly there is little point in specialists promoting Artura while it is still under manufacturer warranty and free servicing, but they are a shrewd bunch and car emissions restrictions mean hybrid technology will become more common in the supercar segment.
A little more info - Autocar - McLaren to retire Artura, GTS and 750S in next two years
I already heard the Artura's eight-speed DCT will remain bespoke to the model, so with talk of new 'in house' engines, that means the whole powertrain will be limited to what, 4k Arturas made by the end? (assuming the UK's 327 represent about 10% of the worldwide total, and a few more will be registered between now and then). That's compared to 8500 Sports Series, ~7000 first-gen Super Series with the same basic 3.8T engine and Graziano box, and I imagine a similar number of 720S with the 4.0 version of the same.
In terms of support I know Thorney have stated they won't touch any hybrid cars. V Engineering by contrast are P1 specialists and can even offer a replacement battery pack, so I guess with their close informal links to McLaren they would be the most likely to start picking up Artura work as the cars come out of warranty / service plan. I guess someone will offer independent servicing for them as they age out of the dealer network.
ajm_ph said:
I have actually warmed to Artura to the point where it was potentially on my radar, not as my next car, but possibly the one after that in about 3 years time. If they kill the product line that's a big negative for me. I plan to rely on specialists to look after my car, but if they stop making it there is less incentive for them to develop solutions for any known issues, especially around the hybrid system. I would also worry about long term parts support, which is hardly a strong suit for McLaren as it is.
It's a shame, as it seems like a genuinely good car.
I'm with you on that, I think an Artura Spider would make a very good daily.It's a shame, as it seems like a genuinely good car.
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