Gulf 12 Hours champion Joe Osborne unleashes the new McLaren Artura Spider at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren pro racer Joe Osborne, a Gulf 12 Hours race winner and seasoned endurance champion, pushed the limits of the McLaren Artura Spider during an exhilarating track session at the Yas Marina Circuit, the home of Formula 1™ in Abu Dhabi.

Known for his expertise on this iconic FIA circuit, Osborne was uniquely positioned to test the cutting-edge updates on the MY25 Artura models, leaving him thoroughly impressed with its explosive performance and unparalleled driving engagement.

Showcasing its unrivalled hybrid powertrain and precision engineering, the Artura Spider demonstrated why it is a supercar without compromise. “The Artura Spider’s V6 hybrid powertrain is extraordinary, with the major upgrades to power and performance introduced for the 2025 model year immediately apparent when you unleash it on the circuit. The seamless fusion of its twin-turbo V6 and E-Motor delivers instant torque, blistering acceleration, and a soundtrack that truly amplifies the driving experience. It’s like having Formula 1™ performance tailored for the road,” Osborne said.

With a retractable hard top that operates effortlessly in just 11 seconds, the Artura Spider takes McLaren’s hybrid innovation to new heights. Whether in near-silent EV mode or unleashing the visceral roar of its exhaust with the roof down, the Spider transforms every drive into an exhilarating sensory experience.

“The open-air performance of the Artura Spider adds a dynamic dimension to McLaren’s engineering mastery,” Osborne noted after the session. “The exhaust has been redesigned, allowing you to hear the V6 F1-inspired Hybrid engine stream through the track. The car feels alive, whether you’re carving through corners at speed or cruising the straights – it’s truly an epic car that’s been amplified even further.”

V6 Hybrid technology inspired by Formula 1™
The heart of the Artura Spider is McLaren’s state-of-the-art 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, paired with a powerful E-Motor. This high-performance hybrid powertrain was recalibrated for the MY25 Artura, with an additional 20PS from the V6 combustion engine versus previous model years.

This innovative powertrain, refined through expertise derived from McLaren’s Formula 1™ program, produces 700PS and 720Nm of torque. The additional power is focused from 4,000rpm to the redline at 8,500rpm, providing a marked ‘crescendo’ in performance. The result is breathtaking acceleration – 0-100km/h in just 3.0 seconds – combined with the environmental benefits of an extended 33km EV range for urban settings.

The soundtrack of the engine has also been enhanced, with a revised valved exhaust system incorporating a tuned resonator and upward conical shape to the tailpipes to further refine the engine note at the middle and higher points of the rev range.

With the McLaren Formula 1™ team newly clinching the Constructors’ Championship title on the Yas Marina Circuit, the Artura Spider reflects that same unrelenting pursuit of performance excellence. From pre-fill gearshifts delivering transitions that are 25% faster to race-honed aerodynamics, this hybrid masterpiece embodies McLaren’s winning DNA.

The lightweight architecture of the Artura Spider, built on the McLaren Carbon Fibre Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), ensures a power-to-weight ratio of 480PS-per-tonne, optimising speed and agility for both track and road. The advanced Proactive Damping Control suspension system and enhanced braking cooling ducts deliver instant response to driver inputs, creating the ultimate connection between machine and driver.

“The precision, feedback, and sheer joy it delivers is unrivalled,” added Osborne. “The hybrid technology brings a new level of versatility without compromising its supercar soul.”

The Artura Spider is a profound leap in McLaren engineering, signalling the brand’s future in electrified performance. Whether chasing lap times at Yas Marina or cruising city streets, this hybrid convertible is set to elevate expectations of what a modern supercar can achieve.

Also in 2021, the company unveiled its all-new high-performance hybrid supercar, the McLaren Artura. The Artura is the first McLaren to benefit from the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). The MCLA is designed, developed and manufactured at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in the Sheffield region of England using world-first processes and will spearhead the brand’s electrified future.

2022 saw McLaren announce the Solus GT, a single-seat, closed-cockpit track car which brought to life a futuristic concept that was originally created for virtual gaming.

In 2023, McLaren unveiled its lightest and most powerful series-production supercar, the 750S – a thorough development of the award-winning 720S supercar. McLaren also introduced the new GTS, replacing the McLaren GT.

The McLaren Artura Spider was revealed in early 2024 as the brand’s first high-performance hybrid convertible. Its introduction was part of a major model year uplift for the Artura nameplate, and meant McLaren’s series-production line-up of GTS, new Artura and 750S had been introduced within 12 months of each other.

A new chapter in the McLaren ‘1’ car story was announced in October 2024, with the reveal of the McLaren W1 supercar. A clear successor to the McLaren F1 and McLaren P1^TM, the W1 is the manifestation of McLaren’s World Championship mindset, with epic power and performance and new heights of dynamic and aerodynamic excellence.

McLaren Automotive also chooses to partner with like-minded, world-leading companies and organisations who push the boundaries in their respective fields. These include Ashurst, Bowers & Wilkins, Dynisma, Gulf, Pirelli, Richard Mille and Tumi.