Finally test drove an Artura. Some thoughts as a prospective owner.
Posted by cookingboy@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 97 comments
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Posted by cookingboy@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 97 comments
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fldsmdfrv2@reddit
Sort of O/T. One thing BMW can truly work on is reducing weight in their cars. Driving dynamics, IMHO, still take precedence over electronic whiz bang gadgets. The M2 Comp for what it is is too bloated.
Weak-Specific-6599@reddit
Posts like this remind me of the wideness of the demographic on this sub. You have beater Miata-boys and then you have dudes testing and purchasing $300k+ cars. I am not sure I would be on Reddit at all if I was pushing around that kind of money.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
There are people here who are buying multi-million dollar cars lol. Some of the people here have 8 figure garages.
And it’s not like money changes things. I’ll still be on Reddit even if I were a billionaire. Why wouldn’t I?
Weak-Specific-6599@reddit
I guess I would think I would be more interested in spending my spare time in places where I was interacting with a higher concentration of people who actually had the same vehicles as me in real life. My purposes for using Reddit are typically related to researching DIY fixes, researching vehicle issues prior to purchases, etc. if I had a much higher net worth and income, I guess I figure I would just be spending less time online trying to figure out a lot of these things.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I mean we do that, but that doesn't take away Reddit time lol.
And it's fun to engaging with everyone, regardless of their background, especially for someone like me, who've been a car enthusiast far longer than I've been well off.
And it's not like I'm only interested in supercars. I own an EV for daily, and I wrote a long review of the new Prius here the other day.
Btw, I actually got a lot of good insights from certain Redditors here (see the beginning of my post).
Weak-Specific-6599@reddit
All good points! Thanks for the insight and good luck with the Arturo purchase if you get one!
SireEvalish@reddit
Sir, have you met our lord and savior, the Corvette Z06 in Torch Red, available from your local Chevrolet dealer?
Ok_Parking9714@reddit
Not gonna consider the 458? That’s my favorite out of the ones that I can think of. It’s NA but I don’t think that would be a huge problem, and I don’t know about the throttle response because I’ve never driven one. But, going to car meets, I love seeing the 458.
From the ones you named though, not really a wrong choice. You’re going to enjoy whatever you get.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I’ve considered it over and over again, but at the end of the day the car is showing its ages. I love the design and the engine but for a car I want to drive a lot, I don’t think I can put up with its melting button interior and lack of CarPlay…
And finally, I have a good friend with that car that I can borrow whenever… so haha
rhinoscopy_killer@reddit
What do you mean by melting button interior? Just curious.
Dragonai@reddit
The 458 is one of several Ferrari models that suffered from the now-well-known “sticky button problem” where some of the buttons were rubberized poorly and would start to melt with heat and usage. It’s such a dumb, painfully Ferrari quirk and I say that as a 458 fanboy :)
One of many FerrariChat threads about the issue: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/sticky-buttons-are-starting.670720/
Detailed description of the problem from a company that sells better replacement buttons (note the URL lol): https://stickybuttonfix.com/blogs/ferrarif430/the-infamous-ferrari-sticky-button-problem
rhinoscopy_killer@reddit
That is so very Italian, haha.
That's the thing I don't quite get with buying expensive cars. It seems as though, more often than not, you're paying more for the opportunity to pay even more and/or deal with annoying issues that large scale manufacturers have figured out a long time ago. I can understand why people would lease them.
krackenracer@reddit
The 458 sounds amazing. Fantastic. Epic. And everything else has been well eclipsed by other cars that are either less expensive or much quicker.
TheWolfofBinance@reddit
458 has terrible steering feel. If he has the capacity to appreciate the Emira and Artura's steering he will be disappointed by the 458 which feels like a videogame.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I’m torn.
I actually love Ferrari’s video game steering ratio and lightness, but it’s very different from the hydraulic racks from the Lotus/McLaren.
I guess that’s why rich people have all of them lmao
Ok_Parking9714@reddit
Oh dang I didn’t realize it didn’t feel good. I guess it’s out of my tax bracket tho
pants_full_of_pants@reddit
How are there so many people here who have first hand knowledge of these cars? The hell do y'all do for a living?
cubanb407@reddit
I saw an artura at an imsa race and was blown away with the design in real life. Pictures and video really don’t do it justice
fullock@reddit
Go test drive an Emira. It's less than half the price and 7/8 the fun.
I test drove an Artura, and several other cool cars, when shopping last fall, and I bought an Emira over all of them.
The Artura powertrain is great and has instant response, just as you observed, and the SportSeries cars (like the 600LT/570S) do have noticeable lag. 100% agree with you on this one.
I chose not to buy the Artura because the hybrid system is complex and McLaren isn't known for reliability, and it glitched during my test drive in a brand new car. I also like to go to the track, and that would put a lot of wear on the battery. The tires were another issue - the car is only compatible with the Pirelli CyberTire, nothing else. These tires have temperature and pressure sensors integrated into the tire itself, and no other tires nor standard TPMS will work with the car. A non-CyberTire version of a Pirelli costs half as much as the CyberTire version. For someone who shreds lots of tires, this is a no-go.
For the money, you'd be better off with a used 720S or something. It will feel similar (albeit with turbo spoolup lag), but you can use normal tires with it, and a pure gasoline engine is much simpler than a blended hybrid system, particularly from a company that's not known for its reliability.
As for the Emira, I chose it because the interior is a really airy, nice place to sit, and it made me feel the best being inside. The V6/6MT combo was a big deal for me, which McLaren doesn't offer, and the handling is equivalent to McLarens, having double A-arms and hydraulic power assist. If you want two pedals, there's the AMG I4 version with a DSG, however, the steering is hydraulic with an electric pump, and feels a little "lighter".
throttlehouseTH@reddit
The Artura still has the most engaging front end of any modern car I’ve driven. If they’ve improved the interior tech quality, it’s very high on my list of recommendations.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
Totally agree!
And congrats on the Grand Tour gig!
Due_Percentage_1929@reddit
I would lease, not buy
thedogthatmooed@reddit
I had no idea you could lease a McLaren
SF-cycling-account@reddit
You can lease almost anything
I wouldn’t be surprised if you can’t lease a Chiron or a koenigsegg (also wouldn’t be surprised if you could lease em) but most anything in the sub 1mil range can be leased, especially the “volume” models from the big exotic brands
As rich as you think you need to be to own these cars, a ton of them get financed because there are always guys making 200k-300k who want them but that’s not quite enough to buy one outright, so they finance them. And that’s thousands of sales Ferrari and McLaren would be throwing away if they didn’t offer financing
And leasing is just a type of financing
gimpwiz@reddit
There are third party leasing companies specializing in the weird. So yeah, you can lease just about anything, if someone is fairly sure they'll make money off selling the finance setup.
strongmanass@reddit
Enter Stradman and his $35K/month Agera lease.
AnonymousEngineer_@reddit
I know he's big on YouTube but surely even all the monetisation off the channel can't pay for that lease, plus the multiple other supercars he has.
SF-cycling-account@reddit
Oh wow! I’m not surprised, but that’s amusing
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
Yep! The lease deals on those are quite jaw droppingly good.
Like I’m talking about total cost of $70-80k for 3 years, 10k miles good. A new 296GTB will depreciate that much after 2k miles.
LucyMor@reddit
That's like $2k a month. This is insanely good.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
Yep. Like 2500+ tax with 0 down lol.
53bvo@reddit
Damn that’s almost something I could afford. Yeah I wouldn’t be saving any money or going on vacations but I’m almost considering it.
I’ll just assume they don’t have these kind of lease deals over here in Europe
strongmanass@reddit
wtf that's astonishing. I'm gonna stop reading before I end up with an Artura I have no use for.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
lol yeah… the exact numbers obviously depends on the options and the car, but if you are ok with not going crazy with options you can get amazing deals
strongmanass@reddit
Luckily for my pocketbook, driving an MC20 broke me out of my supercar lust. From my perspective it's a phenomenal driving experience: approachable, progressive speed, good steering feel IMO, good handling - set up for mild understeer but in a way that feels deliberate so you don't swap ends - and easily controllable with the throttle. But there's a lot going on: blow-off valve noise and mechanical noise and gravel-in-a-blender exhaust note and wind noise and tire noise. For me it was relentless information overload, like an over-caffeinated friend with ADHD.
But that variety and amount of feedback is what a lot of buyers are looking for. So I concluded that supercars probably aren't for me, at least in their current form. I'll just see how the market evolves over the next few years.
TangerineBroad4604@reddit
I would buy used
Rabo_McDongleberry@reddit
I don't think it's the build quality that's been an issue. From some McLaren owners I've spoken to, it's the reliability. Their service is top notch, but you don't really want to see those guys too often. Hopefully they've made the Artura better.
I remember being at Thunderhill quite a few years ago and was speaking to the personal mechanic of a Google Exec. The dude got paid to maintain the McLaren (Others to but mostly the McLaren). He said that car was the best of the lot the guy owned... If he could get it going. The Google Exec didn't want to wait on McLaren's service so got his own personal guy. Lol
unatleticodemadrid@reddit
I have my own McLaren guys now too. Got them after my car got a dead battery and McLaren refused to tell me how to jump it over the phone. Wanted to charge me a couple grand so they could come out and sort it out. There’s also no information online on how to jump it or charge it from dead. I had to get that information from a third party mechanic who happened to work on Sennas fairly often.
Rabo_McDongleberry@reddit
Wow. That's a pain in the ass way to do something so simple. I really don't understand these car makers. Like you've already made so much money on these cars and will make more on service. But don't make simple shit complex for no reason.
And damn. You have one hell of a stable. If you're ever in need of someone to drive your cars from point A to B... Hit me up. I'll do it for free. Lol
unatleticodemadrid@reddit
You answered yourself. They make stuff complex so owners go to them and they can charge exorbitant amounts for the service. Not sure how well this model works for them given most owners have their own third-party mechs. There's a fellow Senna owner here on Reddit who actively tries to avoid all the required services.
Rabo_McDongleberry@reddit
Not really. Simple things shouldn't be complex. I'm fine paying for complex services from the dealer.
I've personally gotten stranded in places where I had to wait 4 hours for a tow. If I had to wait for McLaren service guys? I would never buy that company again and would make sure all my rich buddies know how they did me dirty.
unatleticodemadrid@reddit
I wholly agree with you in principle. Just not how it shakes out in real life unfortunately. I did warn people about McLarens and now we know how to deal with most issues that might pop up. They make far too good of cars to let their service behaviour hold anyone back from purchasing one.
Rabo_McDongleberry@reddit
Yeah. I get you. I guess since I'm not rich, reliability and money are quite important to me. Lol. And honestly seeing the behaviors and greed of some of these companies is turning me off from ever buying these new cars.
I'm not rich today but eventually. And I like to work on my own cars and the feel they provide. The current cars are super fast but lack the feeling of the old cars. Plus I'm not going to be at a track all the time. Right now I'd rather own a 360 Modena with the manual than almost all current supercars.
pdp10@reddit
Consistently getting all the details right is the difference between building a car and being an automaker. McLaren's been in the volume sportscar business for fifteen years now, which I'd have thought was quite sufficient, considering the nature of the product but also how clever they are over there.
TangerineBroad4604@reddit
Think we all know who that Google exec is haha
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
Haha yeah I’ve seen Ben’s Senna (and a few other cars) at work when I was at Google.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
tangent but i visited nvidia recently and that parking lot is absurd nowadays, obviously that one in particular is a bit of an outlier but all the vest guys have caught up on their rest ...
feel sorry for the kids who will never get to experience the times where you could join google without a degree for basic dsa knowledge and climb the ladder in peace
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
Yeah that’s Silicon Valley lottery for you.
For the longest time Nvidia engineers made far less than people at Google/FB etc, but that all changed in recent years of course.
The SV money is real. When I was at Google there were internal mailing lists for McLaren owners and Ferrari owners and the local dealerships organized dedicated events just for Googlers lol.
Stabmaster@reddit
I’ve never even thought about an Artura but after reading this I’m gonna go look at one.
dreaminphp@reddit
You have a 4RS. Don’t bother lol. I cross shopped an Artura when buying my 4RS and there’s a clear winner if you drive them back to back
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I think they are ultimately different cars.
Like the GT4RS is a more special car to drive, and definitely a more potent weapon on the track.
But it is a RS product from Porsche which means it’s going to beat you up a bit on public road and it will take a bit more to wring out that performance when you are stuck behind traffic.
The Artura, despite looking more exotic, is actually the more “friendly” car that you can easily put on some music and just relax in while having fun.
You own a lot of cars, so I bet you get the fact that depends on your mood at the moment, you want to drive different cars.
So in that regard, I think the Artura is an excellent product in its own right and is a very different from a GT4 RS.
oOoWTFMATE@reddit
Spyder RS is considerably more comfortable than a GT4RS
woodsides@reddit
It's still a GT product at the end of the day and will wreck your back. The noise/drone from the intake is much lower on the inside which makes it bearable.
oOoWTFMATE@reddit
This is totally subjective. Ask me how I know?
Stabmaster@reddit
Got it. Thanks for the comment. I love the 4rs
Standard-Juice-3738@reddit
Would it be to replace the GT4RS though? Feel like they’re very different use cases
Stabmaster@reddit
Yeah I’m out of space so only one modern sports car. This is my first cayman though and I love it.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
It won’t replace your GT4 RS, but looking at your flair, I think it can complement the rest of your cars pretty well, if you what an “entry level super car that can be easily driven on public road”.
fnkdrspok@reddit
I’m glad that the Emira is the new benchmark for modern steering. Previously it was the Elise. We are evolving.
pioneer9k@reddit
How’d you like the Emira?
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
See that’s the thing about being terminally online, I wrote about it here too:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/s/zL3QYBARga
Standard-Juice-3738@reddit
That’s a good review. I’m loving mine and it’s actually really comfy on a road trip.
Biggest negative IMO is the fuel cutoff at redline. Other than that I love it
qb4ever@reddit
Given your requirements, you're probably missing a RAV4Prime and not another coupe.
krins12@reddit
I think at this price point the 458 or a 488 is a no brainer. I know the 488s can take miles, I think the 458s are a little temperamental, but they’re NA cars so that’s a plus.
Both cars, if kept well, will appreciate, and even if you buy a relatively miley example I doubt you’ll regret it
BrownGhost10@reddit
The interior and infotainment is best in the supercar class.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I think “best” is subjective. For example the 296 has a more beautiful interior and the new Lambos look more special inside.
But for ease of use and being functional? Yes, McLaren has always been great at that.
strongmanass@reddit
There's no excuse for Lamborghini not to have the best supercar infotainment. They're directly under Audi.
unatleticodemadrid@reddit
Don’t get me started on Lamborghini’s infotainment. It’s a miracle I haven’t punched through that screen yet.
strongmanass@reddit
It feels almost deliberate, like they feel they have to maintain the "quirks" of Italian supercar ownership. Jason Cammisa had an amusing anecdote of the difference between the Italian-dominated Murcielago and German-dominated Gallardo production lines where the former was chaotic and the latter very prim and proper.
How are you getting on with the Revuelto otherwise? IIRC you've had other frustrations with it too?
unatleticodemadrid@reddit
I’ll have to find that clip, I’m haven’t seen it. But that does sound right, Murcielagos were perfection.
It’s great for my use case, which is just city cruising. It’s sporty enough for me yet comfortable enough for my girlfriend to not hate it. I don’t think it’s a particularly fun track vehicle, too heavy around corners. I’ll probably hold on to it for a little longer before I trade it in for something else. I want to play around with some exhaust systems but it appears no one has really figured out the tuning yet fully.
strongmanass@reddit
Here it is timestamped.
Lamborghinis do seem like showpieces more than track weapons (although I'm sure they're quite capable on track if need be). Of the mainstream supercar marques I see McLaren as the driver's car, Lamborghini as the showcar, and Ferrari somewhere inbetween.
BrownGhost10@reddit
Ergonomics and infotainment is disappointing based on videos I’ve seen and comments from reviewers.
Jamesthrottlehouse@reddit
Enjoyed the thoughts! Sensational car
krackenracer@reddit
The 296 makes the Artura feel like a cheap toy. And for the record I love the 765LT and I think a properly equipped/maintained 720S is a great deal in this market as well as being a long-term keeper.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
The 296 also costs 50% more than the Artura, so it should have something to show haha.
krackenracer@reddit
That’s fair.
Embarrassed-Curve109@reddit
I'm not there yet, financially speaking, but the Dota comment made me smile. appreciative nod
Best of luck! :-)
oOoWTFMATE@reddit
Are non-GT 911s known to have bad throttle response? First I’ve heard of that.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
Porsche’s turbo cars have always had pretty big lags, despite what reviewers say.
Which is funny, because all the reviewers say the 992.2 GTS’s hybrid system made the lag disappear, the same lag that according to the reviewers didn’t exist in the first place…
oOoWTFMATE@reddit
I’ve driven a 991.2T which had very little turbo lag. It does use the smallest turbo out of all the 991.2 variants so that may be why.
I’ve also gotten very familiar with a 488. Car is amazing. Sound is intoxicating. Steering feels overly light.
strongmanass@reddit
Think he means turbo lag.
opportunptr@reddit
Have you driven a 296? I’ve not driven an Artura so I can’t compare but I’ve absolutely loved driving the 296.
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
The 296 is a better car in almost all objective regard (and most subjective one too). The only thing better with the Artura is the steering.
But it’s also $100-150k more. So it competes against the 750S and is priced accordingly.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
finally someone gets it i read too much on the internet where people think the artura is a 296 competitor for porsche money - its damn good but it's something else entirely
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I think people just sees the “V6 hybrid” and calls the two competitors.
When in reality the 296 is in a different segment altogether.
eaglerulez@reddit
Glad you enjoyed the Artura! It's a pretty cool car and something I definitely have had my eyes on as well.
I do disagree with you slightly on the car's power delivery though. It genuinely did not feel as fast as a 720S to me. While the Artura has a very smooth and immediate power delivery, it did not feel EV-like at all to me.
I do agree that a hybrid gives a lot to love though. I really enjoyed switching into EV mode whenever I hit traffic or was on city streets.
di0njack@reddit
Interesting conclusions. I test drove the GTS, the Artura, and the 750S Spider. If money weren’t a factor, I’d go straight for the 750S without thinking twice, it’s simply in another league. The Artura felt a bit underwhelming compared to the raw aggression of other McLarens, and I’m not quite ready to pay over $200K for a V6.
In the end, I went with the GTS. I travel a lot, and it’s the most modern ICE model in McLaren’s current lineup, the most practical choice for me.
Really enjoyed reading your thoughts and comparing them with mine. Thanks for sharing!
cookingboy@reddit (OP)
I’ve put on over 1k miles in 720S lol.
It’s a truly special car and bat shit insane fast, but I don’t think I’d want to own one.
And you are right the Artura lacks aggression, and I actually like that haha.
See I guess that’s where I’m different from many other enthusiasts. I’ve never owned a V8 and I’m very ok with never owning one.
The best powertrain I’ve ever experienced is the 296GTB’s V6. It sounds better than the V8 from both Ferrari and McLaren and outperforms all of them.
di0njack@reddit
Now I will need to test drive the 296GTB also 🤣
I was coming from a 718 and most of the McLarens felt very close to it in terms of weight and dimensions, I shared the same sensations. Plus the hydraulic steering is god, ofc.
BTW, I didn't feel annoyed by any V8 turbo lag on the GTS. In contrast, the lag on my daily (M850i) is a bit annoying and tedious...
Mean_Farmer4616@reddit
I guess I'm a fucking broke idiot. I know this is the cars page. I own a small used car dealer. I own over 20 cars and maybe 10 boats plus an airplane. I had to google WTF is a fucking Artura.
krackenracer@reddit
I think your point is to highlight how poor of a job McLaren has done in promoting the Artura, but it didn’t come off well 😛
withsexyresults@reddit
You would know if you those were yachts instead of boats
TangerineBroad4604@reddit
I don't think you're broke but I can't argue against the other.
AmNoSuperSand52@reddit
If it makes you feel better I have 1 car and 0 boats and I only know about the Artura because it’s a meme that every car reviewer that had one experienced some kind of insane mechanical/electrical breakdown during their review
thedogthatmooed@reddit
Yeah but that one car is a great car 😉
areyouahuman@reddit
Cool brag bro
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