If anyone needs a lesson on how to make an entrance at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, just ask McLaren. The British marquee drove into the hill-climb, with its all-new track weapon, the Artura GT4. Based on the McLaren Artura, which was unveiled back in February 2021, the GT4 comes with a host of changes, some good and some bad.
The McLaren Artura GT4 manages to maintain most of the original bodywork, except for a few track-focused modifications. This includes a larger front splitter, front duct, dive duct and a rear spoiler, with various degrees of adjustability, to generate more downforce.
The major difference here though comes in the form of what’s under the hood. To make it eligible for competitions, folks at McLaren had to do away with the hybrid setup found on the road-going Artura. The GT4 now packs a 3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, with no electric assist.
While McLaren didn’t discuss the power figures, we suspect it churns out 585PS of power and 584Nm of torque, which the road-going model makes without the electric motors. However, the company claims that the GT4 more than makes up for its lost power, thanks to the fact that it’s shed 130kg of weight. Another mechanical change here involves replacing the 8-speed automatic gearbox set up with a 7-speed one.
Since the GT4 is a customer race car, designed for drivers with varying skill levels, the company has loaded it with driver aids. This includes a race-tuned ABS and traction control, along with a tyre-pressure monitoring system, a collision-avoidance system, and ride-height sensors. Other additions include V-Box telemetry, brake infrared sensors, additional lights for night racing and of course a drinks system.
Other enhancements include a Bosch Motorsport ECU for optimum power delivery and better dampers. McLaren has also equipped the GT4 with a 24-gallon fuel cell with motorsport-spec fuel pumps and has moved the low-temperature radiators inboard, to protect them from any on-track damage.
You’ll have to wait a while to get your hands on the McLaren Artura GT4 though. The company has confirmed that it’ll be officially available from 2023. Until then, you can catch a glimpse of it at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
( Image credits: McLaren )
