Watch Daniel Ricciardo Effortlessly Drift The McLaren Artura

Mar. 16, 2021 4:20 PM ET byKarl Furlong Video /6 Comments

Hybrid supercar looks as precise and controllable as any other McLaren.

This year, McLaren took the covers off its Artura V6 hybrid, the company's firstseries-production High-Performance Hybridsupercar. Of course, with any break in tradition - McLarens are more associated with large-capacity V8 engines - comes some degree of circumspection from an otherwise loyal customer base.

To allay some of these fears, McLaren recently announced anextensive warrantyfor the Artura, boosting hopes that it'll be dependable. But the British automaker also wants to assure us that theArturais just as fun and agile as any other McLaren, which explains its latest video.

McLaren Automotive/YouTube

The short clip features Formula 1 racing driver Daniel Ricciardo behind the wheel of the Artura, demonstrating the Artura's penchant for endless power slides on a track. "The fastest way around any race track is to take the perfect line," says Ricciardo. "It's all about precision. Sliding around can cost you the race, but today, I'm not racing."

Ricciardo then proceeds to unleash the roar of the V6 as the rear-wheel-drive Artura's tail-happy antics are put on full display. The car is clearly comfortable and easily controllable in this environment, but unlike almost every other McLaren, it has a split personality.

McLaren Automotive/YouTube

年代witch to EV mode and it becomes a silent assassin, cruising in silence for up to 19 miles without the aid of the V6. It's a duality that Ricciardo seemed to appreciate. We'd still bet that most Artura owners would want to take full advantage of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6's outputs of 577 horsepower and 431 lb-ft of torque, though, with a combined output of 671 hp with assistance from the E-motor.

As Porsche proved with the Taycan in anEV drifting recordlast year, electrification and driving enjoyment can co-exist. While the Artura's V6 sounds pretty fruity, some may battle to move on from the older V8. They'd be missing out on something special if they do, though.