2025 McLaren Artura Spider Review: Ambitious, Amplified Engineering

On first sight, it's hard to not have high hopes for McLaren's latest super sports coupe. The 2025 McLaren Artura Spider isn't just a cabriolet version of the coupe. It serves as the introduction of the company's next step in technology and power.

"With the introduction of the Spider variants of the Artura we have dramatically increased power will improve performance. We've put in considerably more emotionality and driver engagement into the car. But we haven't just done that with the Spider, we've taken the opportunity to bring all of those enhancements into the coupe as well, which essentially means we are launching two all new cars. And, those two variants join what is the youngest range lineup that we have had in the in the history of the company," a McLaren spokesperson told Newsweek during a press event in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.

Artura Spider's hammerhead nose, tightly poised bodywork and retractable hardtop make the model desirable from a distance and sweat-inducing close up.

But, not all is sunshine and roses, despite the weather and region of the world I test drove it in. The hills, valleys, narrow neighborhoods, highways and rural roads surrounding Grasse, France are an excellent proving ground and, at the beginning of summer when the flowers are in full bloom, the area grows even more intoxicating.

Having recently done much of this route in the Aston Martin DB12 offered a good head-to-head comparison between the two models. In looks and drive-ability, DB12 is more refined. But, what the Artura Spider lacks in sophistication, it more than makes up for in brawn.

The 690 horsepower drawn out of its plug-in hybrid propulsion system allows for a 3.0-second zero to 60 mph time. That's enough to make you sit up a little straighter in the seat, but not so quick your stomach flips.

Part of that is because its power allocation is a disaster in nearly every powertrain mode, even Electric. Getting off the line and through to third gear is a clunky operation with far too many delays and not enough low-end torque to make up for the misfires. The car can't figure out what it wants to do until it's up well over 25 mph when driving as a true automatic.

While getting the car set up for the day, the technician advised that I'd want to drive it in Sport powertrain drive mode. Ever the professional, I endeavored to try it in Comfort, Sport, Track and Electric. Comfort was a disaster, Track was less so, Electric was puzzlingly bad, and Sport was the best compromise with the electric motor working to improve low-end power and acceleration. No wonder he left it there when setting up the car.

That said, drivers will need to pick their drive mode based on how much battery they want to use and how they want their powertrain response to be. These are not separate choices like they are in many plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and in every mode the car has less than 30 miles of all-electric range.

Switching between modes is easy and quick. A simple flip of a paddle on top of the driver's information display cave and the mode is changed.

Raising the car to go over speed bumps is nearly as flawless, utilizing a button press on a panel on the left side of the wheel. It takes just four seconds to go up fully and less than one second to initialize.

All that is to say that when the Artura Spider soars, it SOARS. Speed is its friend, both in terms of power and drive dynamics. The faster you get, the more it thrives, begging for more. Turn into corners at moderate and higher speeds and you will practically hear it say, "Yaaaaas," and ask for more turn in.

Its only barriers there are sight lines. A-pillar visibility isn't great, and the seating structure means that you can't turn your head more than 90 degrees to look out the side. This is especially problematic on twisting, turning mountain passes and roads that don't meet at a proper "plus sign" style junction.

Like most supercars, the Artura Spider's steering and braking are far more mechanical than the average car's. Braking is a short glide that doesn't inspire confidence, but does get the job done. It's endearing to those that long for simpler times and easy to get used to.

Hearing the engine roar is one of the highlights of any supercar. McLaren has niftily figure out how to pipe in more of that noise to the cabin without using any electronic enhancement.

The cabin of the Artura Spider is properly streamlined. It's biggest headache, at first, is the low placement of the car's small infotainment screen. Quickly, however, it becomes easy to view on the go, even when it comes to navigation.

Artura Spider's seats are not fixed, but also not entirely moveable. They tilt up and back in a manner not unlike an automated baby rocking machine, along an elliptical plane. They were surprisingly comfortable during seven-ish hours on the road.

The tester I ran all over southern France and Monaco had a glitchy infotainment screen that flickered on and off at inopportune moments thoughout the journey. In-car navigation tried to point the car down a street that was closed, and had been for a while, resulting in a very cautious five-point turn that utilized a very narrow driveway.

To be clear, the interior is not the highlight of this, or any supercar. It also isn't the lowlight in this model.

Storage space at the front of the car makes for easy transport of a weekender bag and not much more. There's enough space on the passenger's side floor for a small personal bag if the need arises.

Artura most goes up against the DB12, Lamborghini Huracán and Ferrari Roma. They all have spider variants and similar price points, with audiences that value brawn and status over comfort and convenience. There's nothing wrong with any of that.

And, honestly, you can't go wrong with any of these models. The McLaren and Lambo are the bigger brutes whereas the Aston and Ferrari are stylish speedsters. All excel at being driven hard and none are likely the owner's only car.

That being said, paying over a quarter-million dollars for a sports car is more about emotion than what makes the most numbers, operations and practicality sense. In this category it's okay to buy something just because you love it, and that is exactly what Artura Spider buyers will do.

They want something that performs on mountain roads, basks in the glory of high speeds, and looks right pulling up in front of the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo for an overnight stay. Artura does all those things.