McLaren Artura review

Not much radical thinking on display in here, but this is a more polished and better finished interior than the Sports Series. Or GT for that matter. It’s logical to operate, the central portrait touchscreen is responsive, and Apple CarPlay integration is neat. It functions well, there are few frustrations.

IS IT EASY TO CLIMB INTO?

Possibly a bit trickier than other McLarens. You have to move right into the gap between the roof and the upward opening door before dropping down. And it’s a long way down. Especially if you stick with the standard Clubsport seats – another signifier that McLaren wants this car to be taken seriously as a driving machine.

By the way, those are absolutely the seats to have if your hips permit. They’re one-piece but tilt, lift and rotate cleverly. Great support and comfort overall. They seem extreme, but they’re not. The £3,300 Comfort seats obviously have much more adjustment, but are sited too high in the cabin.

HOW’S VISIBILITY?

Always a McLaren strong suit, and same here. The back window is actually pretty big and because there’s no wing, you can see what’s going on back there. It helps that the Artura isn’t an excessively large car (4,539mm long by 1,976mm wide).

AND WHAT ABOUT PRACTICALITY?

No power going to the front wheels means room for a decent 160-litre load bay. It’s pretty generous. There’s also a parcel shelf behind the seats (although anything put there is at risk of sliding around and will block your view), but more than that cabin stowage has been well considered. There are phone slots and cup holders, places for your wallet and car keys, and a big door bin that things don’t fall out of when you swing the door up.