McLaren Artura Spider loses its roof, gains more power

After a faltering start, McLaren has wasted no time in revealing a convertible version of its Artura hybrid supercar – and what’s more, the car has just received its first facelift, too.

Called the Artura Spider, the open-topped version has the same 3.0-litre V6 engine and plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the coupe, but an engine remap sees power lifted by 20 bhp to 690 bhp. This helps the Spider crack 62 mph in the same 3.0 seconds as the coupe, despite being 62 kg heavier.

When not driven quite so quickly, the Artura Spider’s carbon fibre roof can be electronically lowered or raised in 11 seconds at up to 31 mph.

McLaren says 124 mph is dispatched in 8.4 seconds and the Spider reaches 186 mph (or a nice, round 300 km/h) in 21.6 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 205 mph, while McLaren says its 1,457 kg weight means the Spider has a class-leading power-to-weight ratio of 473 bhp per tonne. It also says the car suffers from no loss of rigidity despite losing its roof – you’ve the stiff carbon tub to thank for that.

The facelift also includes revised aerodynamics to help reduce buffeting, while cooling for the engines and brakes has also been increased, and the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox has been tweaked to speed up shifts by 25 percent. This is achieved by pressurising the hydraulic fluid in the gearbox to the threshold required to perform a gear change, so when the next gear is selected it’ll be shifted almost instantaneously.

McLaren says the all-electric range of the 7.4 kWh battery pack has also been improved, up from 19 to 21 miles if you’re gentle with your right foot. Lastly, the exhaust has been tuned to produce what McLaren describes as a “cleaner” sound intended to envelop the occupants when the roof’s down or the rear windscreen is lowered.

Despite its reputation for being a somewhat sensible supercar maker – at least compared to its Italian rivals – McLaren has added a bit of fun to the Artura Spider. It’s called Spinning Wheel Pull-Away, and it “allows dramatic wheelspin when accelerating from standstill with a large throttle load.” In other words, if you turn the electronic stability control off and mash the accelerator, it’ll bonfire the rear tyres. Hopefully it also places an order for fresh rubber from Pirelli.

Inside, there’s a five-speaker sound system fitted as standard, but I suspect most buyers will opt for the uprated 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system instead. This features B&W’s Continuum midrange speakers, Nautilus aluminium double-dome tweeters and an additional rear speaker installed specifically for the acoustics of the Spider’s convertible cabin.

The McLaren Artura Spider is available to order now and prices start at £221,500.