<span>McLaren plans to electrify its full model line-up by 2025, and it showcased the first instalment of its battery-charged future with the reveal of the state-of-the-art Artura plug-in hybrid supercar. </span><span><em>The National</em></span><span> was among the select group of media invited to a closed-room preview of the car at Dubai's Caesars Palace Bluewaters resort.</span> <span>The Artura is due out </span><span>in the third quarter of this year, but order books are open for the new-age supercar. McLaren says UK pricing will start at £185,500 ($255,900) for the standard specification, positioning it on a </span><span>par with its 600LT. In the UAE, it is </span>priced at Dh954,000, including 5 per cent VAT and 5 per cent duty. <span>Although the Artura does not deviate dramatically from McLaren's recent design language, the debutant carries over virtually nothing from existing models as it's underpinned by a brand-new platform and features a cutting-edge drivetrain and suspension. The Artura is the first model to be based on all-new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture</span><span>, built in-house at the McLaren Composites </span><span>Technology Centre</span><span> and optimised for High-Performance Hybrid (HPH)</span><span> powertrains.</span> <span>In keeping with McLaren's minimalist and built-for-purpose philosophy, the Artura's superformed aluminium and carbon-fibre bodywork has a "shrink-wrapped" look and it contributes to the lithe kerb weight of 1,498kg, which McLaren </span><span>says makes it the lightest car in its class. </span><span> </span> <span>But the real highlight is the all-new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that’s paired with an E-motor and energy-dense battery pack, producing combined outputs of 680PS and 720Nm, which isn’t too far off the 720hp and 770Nm belted out by the blindingly quick 720S.</span> <span>The supplementary 95hp axial E-motor weighs </span><span>15.4kg and delivers instant torque of up to 225Nm, ensuring what the manufacturer says </span><span>is the sharpest-ever throttle response from a McLaren supercar. The raw stats are eye-opening, with the </span><span>zero to 100kph sprint dispatched in three </span><span>seconds; zero </span><span>to 200kph in 8.3 seconds; and </span><span>zero to 300kph in 21.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 330kph.</span> <span>Despite its rapidity, the Artura is billed as the most fuel-efficient McLaren ever produced, consuming a miserly 5.5 litres per </span><span>100km in the combined EU WLTP cycle and emitting only </span><span>129g per </span><span>km of CO2. The 7.4kWh battery pack supports 30km electric-only range, so the Artura has at least part-time EV credentials.</span> <span>The battery pack can be recharged from zero </span><span>to 80 per cent in two and a half hours with a standard EVSE cable, and it can also harvest power from the combustion engine. The driver can select a "set charge to 100 per cent" function that prioritises using the V6 to charge the batteries</span><span>.</span> <span>Also new is the lightweight eight-speed dual-clutch transmission designed for the Artura. The close-ratio transmission is capable of shifting in 200 milliseconds, with the torque of the E-motor used to smooth the transition from one ratio to the next. Interestingly, the transmission makes do without a reverse gear, as the E-motor runs in reverse instead, whenever you need to back up.</span> <span>McLaren </span><span>says the Artura pairs two diametrically opposed characteristics. It's touted as being </span><span>highly agile as well as highly stable, thanks to a completely new rear suspension concept and McLaren's first electronically controlled rear differential, which together allow the full accessibility of the car's dynamic behaviour to be separated from its high-speed stability.</span> <span>There are three drive modes – Comfort, Sport and Track – each tailoring the stiffness level of the dampers, as well as the settings for the E-diff. McLaren has always favoured electro-hydraulic assistance over a fully electric steering set-up and has maintained this philosophy with the Artura in the quest to deliver the highest level of immediacy, on-centre feel and textured feedback to the driver.</span> <span>Other </span><span>highlights include an all-new interior with</span><span> controls accessible without requiring the driver to take their hands off </span><span>the wheel. There's</span><span> a new </span><span>eight-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system enabling configuration of advanced driver assistance systems</span><span>; and smartphone mirroring.</span>