Haute Yacht

High-Performance Hybrid

British marque McLaren Automotive’s latest supercar is designed and engineered to perform at the highest level across the electric power-only board.

BY NIKITA VIVEK PAWAR

IT’S BEEN A DECADE SINCE BRITISH LUXURY AUTOMOBILE manufacturing company McLaren dipped its toes in the production-car pool with the MP4-12C in 2011. The latest by the supercar marque is the 2022 Artura, the brand’s first high-performance hybrid supercar.

“Every drop of McLaren’s experience and expertise has been poured into the Artura,” says CEO Mike Flewitt. “Our all-new high-performance hybrid delivers all of the performance, driver engagement and dynamic excellence for which McLaren is renowned, with the additional benefit of EV driving capability. The introduction of the Artura is a landmark moment — for McLaren, for our customers who will appreciate and enjoy this car on every emotional and rational level, and for the supercar world.”

At the heart of Artura’s powertrain is McLaren’s all-new 2,993cc twinturbocharged V6 engine. With a power output of 585PS — nearly 200 PS per litre — and 585Nm of torque, the dry-sump aluminium engine is compact and lightweight; at just 160kg, it weighs 50kg less than a McLaren V8 and is significantly shorter, enhancing packaging efficiency. Working in harmony with the new V6 is the Artura’s compact axial flux E-motor, located within the transmission bell housing. Smaller and more powerdense than a conventional radial flux E-motor, it can generate 95PS and 225Nm and boasts a power density per kilo 33 percent greater than the system used in the McLaren P1. The instantaneous nature of the motor’s torque delivery — known as “torque infill” — is key to the car’s razorsharp throttle response.

The Artura is the first model to have the new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) at its core. Designed and manufactured at the McLaren Composites Technology Center in the Sheffield region, MCLA sets a new standard for McLaren’s advanced flexible chassis design. Optimized for high-performance hybrid applications, it includes a bespoke battery compartment. It introduces a groundbreaking domain-based ethernet electrical architecture, along with an electrical heating, ventilation and airconditioning (eHVAC) system. The supercar is designed with full plug-in hybrid capability and can be charged to 80 percent in just 2.5 hours with a standard EVSE cable. The batteries can also harvest power from the combustion engine during driving, tailored to the driving mode selected.

Inside, the Artura is no less of a revolution, with the cockpit centered more than ever around the driver. Choose from four powertrain modes, including an E-mode for 30km of emissions-free, electric-only driving. Designed for mixed driving conditions, the Comfort mode maximizes range and efficiency. The combustion engine shuts off under 40km/h using an extended stop and start mode but phases in for more incredible speed and power requirements. In the Sport and Track modes, electric power is deployed aggressively for low-end response and acceleration (“torque infill”).

An all-new McLaren infotainment and connectivity system (MIS II) utilizes two high-definition screens. The interface is built on allnew software and bespoke hardware to deliver a smartphone level of responsiveness and is also capable of smartphone mirroring. MIS II includes updated versions of familiar McLaren apps, including McLaren Track Telemetry and Variable Drift Control, and features a redesigned navigation map in the instrument cluster that focuses on key information to minimize driver distraction.

“The all-new McLaren Artura was designed and engineered to perform at the highest level across the board, in electric power-only, zero-emission, urban commutes to weekend breaks, favorite drives and track day sessions,” says Jamie Corstorphine, McLaren product strategy director. He adds, “As well as setting new standards in the supercar class for performance and efficiency, it has a world-class warranty and service package to match, giving our customers peace of mind while they are enjoying their new high-performance hybrid supercar to the full.”

Every new Artura will be covered from the point of purchase by a 5-year/75,000km vehicle warranty, 6-year/75,000km hybrid battery warranty and 10-year, unlimited mileage, body (anti-perforation) warranty. This comprehensive package is included as standard in all markets worldwide, with the further provision of a 5-year roadside assistance package in most regions, including the U.K. Owners will also benefit from a 3-year service plan, which covers the cost of all regular maintenance undertaken in the 12-month/15,000km/9,000-mile interval, including oil and filter changes, renewal of the engine and E-motor air filters, brake fluid replenishment and safety inspections.

The new Artura, which is priced from £185,500 in the U.K. (roughly $255,000), is available in a standard specification and three different trim levels: Performance, which has a sporting, functional aesthetic; TechLux, where the focus is on the technical luxury the name suggests; and Vision, which has a more and adventurous look and feel.

NAUTICAL masterpiece

Azimut Yachts presented one of its most anticipated launches, the 82-foot Magellano 25 Metri, in collaboration with Vincenzo De Cotiis and Dutch naval architect Ken Freivokh.

BY NIKITA VIVEK PAWAR

AZIMUT YACHTS’ LATEST LAUNCH IS A TRUE WORK OF ART. The 82-foot superyacht is so important to the company that it plans to make a movie about it: award-winning director Gabriele Muccino, who directed Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, has agreed to make a short film about the Magellano 25 Metri.

This superyacht is a collaboration. Vincenzo De Cotiis, an internationally renowned artist and architect, designed the interiors of the boat in line with his unmistakable language. The refined external lines, with chic taste and timeless elegance, are a creation of Dutch naval architect Ken Freivokh.

The yacht is characterized by the widespread use of carbon, which makes it environmentally conscious, and has an active air sanitation system based on a NASA patent. It also uses “hotel mode” functionality that allows use of the main onboard services for an extended time when the boat is at anchor without having to turn on the generators.

Designed with a special low-consumption dual mode hull, the Magellano 25 Metri offers the highest levels of comfort and safety even in rough seas. It is one of the few boats in its category to have direct access from the internal wheelhouse, located in a raised position on the main deck, and the external one on the flybridge, to facilitate the work of the captain and the crew on board.

De Cotiis uses a special type of resin embellished with a bronze powder to give interior surfaces a cloudy effect and the look of some precious stones. He also makes extensive use of fiberglass in an artistic manner. Brushed Verde Alpi marble, lush carpet, polished brass, dark walnut wood, lacquered wood, and wood ribbing add to the customized effect. Two original artworks from the designer hang in the owner’s cabin and the corridor of the yacht.

Another glorious space on the yacht is the salon, where the designer uses a mirror coating that reflects the light to “dematerialize” the structure. At night, in addition to the lamps and the classic ceiling spotlights, the sofas are illuminated from beneath to give a suspended effect. All the fabrics are designed by Loro Piana Interiors. In the owner’s suite, one gets the impression that space expands thanks to the inclined position of the walk-in closet, while the mirror coating makes volume disappear and reflects the light and the starboard panorama, creating highly suggestive changing optical effects. On the lower deck, there are four sleeping cabins, two of which are VIP cabins, one double and one with double sliding beds.

Exterior designer Freivokh started with the concept of timelessness. The central element from which the whole project develops is a fully glazed superstructure designed to create the feeling of a penthouse on the sea. The elegant spiral staircase, teak side flaps and retro hull window cut-outs give greater personality to the profile of the yacht. The sundeck and lounge in the bow area can be experienced differently depending on the time of day, while the stern, thanks to a pivoting door mechanism, offers the charm of an Infinity Terrace from which to contemplate the sunset without any visual impediment.

The dual mode hull, in burnished teal with a mustard beauty band, created by Pierluigi Ausonio’s studio, guarantees safe and comfortable navigation, even in rough seas. The engine is powered by a pair of 1,400 horsepower Man engines (or, alternatively, 1,550 horsepower) with V-Drive shaft drive. Stabilization is entrusted to a Humpree electric fin system. The expected maximum speed is around 24-25 knots, while the cruising speed is 21 knots.