As automakers adapt to the market and shift their attention from EVs to hybrids and plug-in hybrids, some automakers have already embraced such technology and integrated hybrid tech into their bread and butter models.
One of those brands is McLaren, who are using efficient and innovative hybrid powertrains to bring some top-down, high octane fun with their latest model.
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2025 McLaren Artura Spider
McLaren Automotive
The latest creation from the boffins from Woking, Surrey in England is the new Artura Spider – a low-slung convertible version of their plug-in hybrid GT car.
McLaren's new drop-top is not your average plug-in hybrid, as this low-slung beast is a powerful machine built for speed. From the outside, the car screams that it is fast from a standstill, despite having an electrified powertrain under the hood.
The heart of the beast is a twin-turbo 3-liter V6 engine mated to an electric motor inside the dual-clutch gearbox. Together, the combination produces a whopping 690 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to this, the Artura Spider goes from 0 to 60 miles an hour in 3 seconds and up to a top speed of 205 miles per hour. What's more is that the Artura can drive up to 11 miles using just the electric motor.
2025 McLaren Artura Spider
McLaren Automotive
Additionally, McLaren has given the convertible and new versions of the Artura coupe a thorough work-around for the new model year. New models get a new, louder exhaust, a freshly-calibrated gearbox that can shift 25% faster, revised suspension and ABS components and a clever, new electronic gadget called "Spinning Wheel Pull-Away mode," which allows the driver to turn the McLaren's expensive Pirelli P Zero tires into a cloud of smoke.
Besides its loud, powerful engine and exceptional handling, the party piece of the Artura Spider is its folding convertible top. According to McLaren, the electrically retractable hard top can be toggled on or off within the span of a stoplight, as it takes about 11 seconds to operate in either direction. If you desire to see the sky without taking the top down, an optional electrochromic roof panel is also available, which can be switched from opaque to transparent at your convenience.
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However, there is a price to pay for all this and it is not cheap. McLaren says that the Artura Spider will have a base price of $273,800 before any options or the $9,400 "interior specifications." Still, the new McLaren drop-top does undercut competitors like Ferrari's (RACE) 296 GTS, which starts at a whopping $371,139.
McLaren says that owners of 2023 and 2024 Artura models will be able to receive the upgraded engine performance for free by visiting their nearest McLaren dealer. Order books for the Artura Spider and coupe are open, with deliveries planned for later this year.
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