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McLaren Artura GT4 Race Car Ditches the Hybrid System

McLaren's new GT4 racer is lighter, more efficient and more competitive than the old 570S GT4.

Daniel Golson Former social media editor
2 min read
McLaren Artura GT4 race car driving on track

McLaren's race cars always look good.

McLaren

McLaren's Artura supercar isn't even on sale yet, but the brand has unveiled the GT4 race car version ahead of its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. While the Artura GT4 uses the same brand new twin-turbo V6 engine as the road car, it ditches the plug-in-hybrid system, which isn't permitted in the GT4 class regulations.

Like most GT4 cars, the Artura looks basically just like the production car. The front end has larger intakes, a new splitter, canards on the edges of the bumper and additional vents in the hood, and the big wing at the back has seven angle settings. It also gets a unique wheel design that retains the road car's five-lug setup. The interior is stripped out and gets a racing bucket seat, a GT3-style wheel with all sorts of buttons and switches, adjustable pedals and a Bosch digital gauge cluster. McLaren says the Artura is easier to get in and out of the Artura than the old 570S GT4, which is important for safety and driver changes.

Low rear angled view of a McLaren Artura GT4 race car
Enlarge Image
Low rear angled view of a McLaren Artura GT4 race car

We love a big wing here at CNET Cars.

McLaren

Because the Artura GT4 is two cylinders down compared with the V8-powered 570S GT4, McLaren says the new race car is over 220 pounds lighter. And because it lacks the roadgoing car's hybrid setup, the GT4 is 286 pounds lighter than the normal Artura. In place of the hybrid components mounted low in the carbon monocoque are the ancillary drive system and fuel cell. No performance specs were given, but McLaren says the Artura GT4 has a better center of gravity, fuel economy, power-to-weight ratio and throttle response than the 570S GT4. It also has a modular wiring harness that reduces repair costs and times and a Bosch ECU that handles the balance of performance settings.

Interior of a McLaren Artura GT4 showing the steering wheel covered in colorful buttons
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Interior of a McLaren Artura GT4 showing the steering wheel covered in colorful buttons

I wanna press all those buttons.

McLaren

Instead of the eight-speed sequential automatic transmission of the road car, which uses the electric motor for reverse, the Artura GT4 has a seven-speed gearbox with an actual reverse gear. The front wheel width has been increased, it has improved brake cooling and damping, and there's a new mechanical limited-slip rear differential. The Artura GT4 also has racing-specific ABS and traction-control systems, and it's availble with in-car telemetry, a push-to-drink system, tire-pressure monitoring and even a front collision warning sensor.

The first customer Artura GT4s will compete in the 2023 season. No price has been announced yet, but the Artura GT4 should cost around $250,000, close to the price of both the 570S GT4 and the roadgoing Artura. It will be driven up the hill at Goodwood by factory driver Rob Bell, who won the Timed Shooting last year in the GT3X.

McLaren Artura is a meaner, greener supercar

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Watch this: The McLaren Artura is a 680 hp plug-in hybrid