McLaren Artura Spider at Lightning Lap 2025
From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver.Lap Time: 2:44.0Class: LL5 | Base: $319,918 | As Tested: $388,793 Power and Weight: 690 hp • 3575 lb • 5.2 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4; F: 235/35ZR-19 MC-C, R: 295/35ZR-20 MC-CMcLarens never roll off the car hauler short on speed, and the brand's newest junior supercar is another hallmark of its quest for velocity.
Despite being down two cylinders to every other McLaren we've lapped, the Artura Spider's 596-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 is an enthusiastic little thing. Sandwich a 94-hp electric motor between it and the crisp-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch automatic for a total of 690 horses, and the Spider reaches 162.2 mph on the Front Straight. But a plug-in hybrid has a weight disadvantage. The Artura Spider packs on 359 pounds compared with the 600LT Spider and doesn't exit Hog Pen with the same forward momentum, ultimately coming up 3.1 mph slower on the Front Straight despite having a marginally better power-to-weight ratio. The Artura's 1.05 g's in Turn 1 can't touch the 600LT's 1.14 g's, and in the many spots around VIR where there are quick transitions, the 600LT maintains an advantage.Though the 600LT laps 1.4 seconds quicker, the Artura is no slouch. In many ways, it's easier to drive. Rather than the 600LT's massive hit of boost brought on by the twin-turbo V-8, you get a more linear ramp up to peak power and greater confidence getting back onto the throttle on corner exit without triggering a huge slide. The Artura prefers the electronically controlled dampers' softest setting to attack VIR's curbing, and when it's time to lay into the brakes, the pedal is always firm and reassuring.Just as in other McLarens, the Artura's electrohydraulically assisted steering is a thing of beauty, with resistance that builds naturally. And the available grip from the Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 tires is broadcast in high definition. So what if the Artura Spider is a smidge heavier and doesn't sound as good? It's an absolute joy to drive, and of the nearly 350 cars we've lapped at VIR, every gas-powered car that's been quicker has more displacement. A win is a win.Check Out That Bird The three fastest recorded speeds on the Front Straight all belong to McLarens. The only other car to crack 170 mph was last year's Lucid Air Sapphire. Speedy Kiwis, indeed. 765LT: 174.6 mph, Lightning Lap 2021Senna: 172.9 mph. Lightning Lap 2019720S: 171.7 mph, Lightning Lap 2018Back to Lightning Lap 2025
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