McLaren's Artura supercar launched a year ago is set to spawn a racing variant.
A camouflaged prototype was filmed by YouTuber 19Bozzy92 earlier this week testing at Italy's Monza racetrack, and it appears to be already at a late stage of development. This means the car could be racing as soon as 2023.
Given the almost road car-like look of the prototype, we're most likely looking at an Artura GT4 to fill in for the aging 570S GT4 in McLaren's customer racing lineup. Hopefully there will also be a version designed for track enthusiasts along the lines of the 570S Sprint, which is based on the 570S GT4.
The Artura road car is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 and an electric motor integrated with the transmission, in this case an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. Peak output is 671 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque, with drive sent to the rear wheels only.
McLaren Artura
McLaren Artura
McLaren Artura
This race car is likely running the V-6 only. In the road car, the engine on its own delivers a peak 577 hp and 431 lb-ft.
Ferrari's upcoming GT3-spec race car based on the rival 296 GTB will also skip the electrification of its road car sibling. The 296 GT3 is scheduled to starting racing in 2023.
McLaren's current GT3 contender is based on the 720S supercar. It's possible an Artura GT3 is developed to replace the 720S GT3, although McLaren may also hold off on developing a new GT3 race car until it launches a successor to the 720S.
The Artura is priced from $225,000. Pricing for McLaren's race cars, which are largely hand built by the McLaren GT division, typically runs substantially higher than the pricing for the respective road car counterparts.
