Rumors have been swirling about McLaren and its new hybrid supercar for the past few months. They included tantalizing tidbits such as the company ditching its long running numerical naming system, as well as the appearance of exotic technologies aimed at improving fuel economy and performance. The British supercar maker has added newfound fuel to the fire by releasing two teaser images, as well as confirming that the model will be known as the Artura. But what does it all mean for buyers
Artura what goes into a name? 
We might as well address the big elephant in the room, Artura and where on earth did McLaren find the name? As it turns out, we have ancient Celtic people to thank for that one, with Artura meaning “Noble” in that language. With many other automakers ditching numerical naming schemes as they become vastly more complicated, it should come as no shock that McLaren is abandoning the practice which should please some well heeled buyers.
Along with the elegant slice of Celtic heritage, McLaren also released two teaser images of the Artura’s rear end. They admittedly don’t reveal too much of the car, but we do get to see the Artura nameplate in all of its glory, as well as the mesh like material that will undoubtedly be adorning that particular area of the car. The nameplate also appears to be nestled in between two big black hued exhaust tips which is a nice nod to the performance pedigree that the Artura. The look (at least from this limited angle) is typical McLaren, but the company has confirmed that the model wil bring a ton of additional features and add-ons to the car.
Green infused performance
While the company stopped far short of revealing all the tricks that the Artura has up its sleeve, execs did reveal that the Artura will debut an all new platform called the MCLA platform. This lightweight platform will come equipped with a revamped electrical architecture, performance hardware, as well as the ability to support a wide range of other uses including the addition of multiple electric motors to further enhance its fuel saving mission in life.
On that note, the electric motors (we get to wait awhile before we get to find out how many there are) will be paired with a twin-turbocharged V6 that will be designed from the ground up to fully sync up with hybrid applications. Chances are good that the combination will be a noticeable bump in performance over the 3.8 liter twin-turbocharged V8 used in current McLaren models. Electrification technology typically adds a considerable amount of weight to a car when its added to one. However, McLaren has always had a few rabbits in its hat when it comes to weight saving measures, and we’re confident that they will find a way to make the weight penalty as minimal as possible.
A model for everchanging times
When the Artura makes its appearance in showrooms, it could perhaps give the company an entry that can allow it to better adapt to a rapidly changing market. Tightening fuel economy standard in Europe are putting the squeeze on automakers, and some countries have even gone as far as to only legalize EV vehicles on city streets after a set amount of time has passed. These standards are also being looked over in the U.S. and perhaps the Artura can serve as a key tool in the company’s attempt to adapt and survive this changing climate.
It’s unknown when the Artura will make its global debut, but the appearance of these two teaser images, as well as prior promises of a new model arriving on the scene early next year could suggest that the world will not have long to wait, and we look forward to seeing more teaser photos, especially those that show the front fascia of the car.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.