While the McLaren Artura made its debut back in 2021, its arrival in the United States faced delays due to quality-control issues, with sales commencing only last year. Despite the initial setback, McLaren has now unveiled a slew of enhancements alongside the introduction of the 2025 Artura Spider, featuring a retractable hardtop, enhanced power output, and refined suspension. These upgrades, excluding the removable roof, are also extended to the 2025 Artura coupe.
The Spider marks McLaren’s inaugural hybrid convertible, powered by an upgraded iteration of the 120-degree 3.0-liter V-6 engine coupled with an electric motor, a combination introduced in the coupe variant last year. The powertrain now delivers a robust 690 horsepower to the rear wheels, an increase of 19 horsepower compared to the 2024 model. While peak torque remains unchanged at 531 pound-feet, McLaren has optimized torque delivery through revised engine mapping. The axial-flux electric motor retains its 94-horsepower output, with the additional power primarily sourced from the internal combustion engine.
The hybrid system remains linked to an eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle, incorporating the electric motor. Enhancements for 2025 include a new “pre-fill” feature in the gearbox, purportedly reducing shift times by 25 percent. This innovation pressurizes the hydraulic fluid to an optimal level, ensuring instantaneous gear shifts upon command. Additionally, an electronically controlled differential within the transmission allocates power between the rear wheels.
McLaren asserts that the Artura Spider accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.0 seconds, with 124 mph attained in just 8.4 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 205 mph. Introducing a new feature for 2025 dubbed “Spinning Wheel Pull-Away,” McLaren allows for controlled wheelspin upon aggressive throttle input from a standstill, a feature sure to captivate audiences at events like the Pebble Beach car show.
McLaren promises improved handling dynamics courtesy of new mounts designed to better integrate the powertrain within the chassis, enhancing stability, steering feedback, and overall handling. Furthermore, damper valving has been revised to enhance responsiveness by up to 90 percent. The Artura retains its three handling modes—Comfort, Sport, and Track—allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences, along with adjustable stability control intervention.
For 2025, the Artura receives carbon-ceramic brake rotors paired with lightweight aluminum calipers and revised cooling ducts, alongside a recalibrated ABS system. McLaren claims the Artura can now decelerate from 62 mph to a standstill in just 102 feet. However, real-world performance improvements will be assessed upon testing the 2025 model independently.
McLaren has enriched the engine note through a new valved exhaust system featuring a tuned resonator, paired with tailpipes adopting an upward conical shape. The result is a “cleaner” sound throughout the rev range, with an optional sports exhaust system enhancing cabin ambiance by channeling “authentic sound waves” through a symposer.
On the efficiency front, the lithium-ion battery pack, with a usable capacity of 7.4 kWh, has been marginally enhanced to offer a few extra miles of range. McLaren claims up to 21 miles of electric-only driving, although the EPA-rated range remains at 11 miles for the 2025 Artura. The updated model also showcases a newly standard 15-spoke silver wheel design, with additional wheel finishes available, including a new gold-colored option.
Visually, the Spider closely resembles its coupe counterpart, distinguished primarily by its electrically operated hardtop, which retracts in a swift 11 seconds, courtesy of eight electric motors. The standard carbon-fiber composite hardtop can be replaced with electrochromatic glass, offering the convenience of transitioning from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button. Roof operation can be remotely controlled via the vehicle key when stationary.
Incorporating the foldaway roof necessitated the integration of new buttresses, featuring a glazed polycarbonate section to enhance rear visibility and direct airflow into the engine bay. A heated rear screen, operable via a button, enhances comfort with the top down and amplifies the auditory experience with the V-6 engine when the roof is raised. Rearward-shifted powertrain cooling vents accommodate the retractable roof and tonneau cover, also serving as outlets for expelling hot air.
Despite the additional equipment associated with the convertible configuration, McLaren asserts that the Spider weighs a mere 136 pounds more than the coupe, boasting a claimed dry curb weight of 3212 pounds. This is attributed to McLaren’s Carbon Lightweight Architecture, ensuring structural rigidity comparable to the coupe variant.
The 2025 McLaren Artura Spider embodies the pinnacle of hybrid performance, combining exhilarating acceleration, enhanced handling dynamics, and refined aesthetics, all while offering the open-air driving experience synonymous with convertible supercars.
