McLaren's Product Line Update Focus on Supercars and SUVs, Artura's Role and Future Plans
TapTechNews July 14th news, McLaren's product line layout is divided into three series branches, namely the SportSeries, SuperSeries and UltimateSeries series. Among them, the SportSeries models including two-door coupes and convertibles such as the 540C, 570GT, 570S and 600LT have been discontinued previously, and McLaren confirms there will be no subsequent models. Instead, McLaren will focus on supercars, hypercars and the highly anticipated 'hared performance' SUV model.
Jamie Corstorphine, McLaren's product planning director, confirms that the company currently has no plan to launch an entry-level supercar below the Artura positioning. This also means that the successor of the GT, the GTS, will be the only two-seater model in McLaren's portfolio with a relatively 'affordable' price.
Since the Artura was released, McLaren has always called it the first 'high-performance hybrid supercar', which is different from the discontinued 570S. TapTechNews noticed that unlike the previous V8-powered models, Artura adopts a cutting-edge hybrid system consisting of a new twin-turbocharged V6 engine and an electric motor, and the power output is stronger than any SportSeries model, allowing Artura to be among the higher-level supercar category.
Corstorphine said that McLaren realizes through the feedback from consumers and the media that the 570S does not fully conform to the definition of a'sportscar'. Therefore, Artura represents McLaren's 'next step', firmly rooted in the supercar segment along with the higher-positioned 750S.
In essence, Artura is a muscle-enhanced version of the 570S, and the all-round upgrade enables it to compete head-on with popular supercars from other manufacturers, such as the Ferrari 296GTB/GTS. It is known that during the R & D process of Artura, McLaren took this Ferrari as a benchmark. McLaren also emphasized Artura's weight advantage - it is a full 83 pounds lighter than its closest competitor.
Although both of these cars are electrified 'entry-level' supercars, the price of the Ferrari 296GTB/GTS is much higher. The real rival of Ferrari, that is, the successor model of the 750S, is still in the planning stage and will be equipped with a hybrid V8 engine. Before that, Artura will compete with Ferrari's electrified warhorse with its lighter weight and lower price tag.
When asked about the market positioning of the successor model of the 750S, Corstorphine refused to disclose information about future products. However, judging from the pedigree of the 570S and Artura, it can be inferred that the new supercar will be closer to the UltimateSeries in terms of power and performance, while maintaining an appropriate gap from the upcoming flagship model.