McLaren dreams up spanking-new engines about as often as the census gets taken, and this one's a humdinger, boasting a funky angle, a powertrain chimney, a first-of-its-kind axial-flux motor, and even a tri-clutch transmission. Let's give you the pub ammo to become an instant expert.
Why A 120-Degree V-6?
For its first "Super Series" hybrid, McLaren was extremely keen to minimize weight and maximize the Artura's agility. Sawing off two cylinders reduces both the engine's weight and length, and splaying the cylinder banks to a 120-degree angle also lowers its mass in the car for improved handling. Six-cylinder engines want to fire every 60 degrees of crank rotation, so the six connecting rods can share three common crank throws as long as the bank angle is 60, 120, or 180 degrees. Packaging a smoother running flat-six was impractical, so 120 degrees was chosen and a counter-rotating balance shaft is fitted to quell the V-6's inherent imbalance. Weighing in at 353 pounds, it undercuts the V-8 by 110 pounds, and its 5.9-inch-shorter overall length (partially achieved by placing the chain drives for the camshafts and the oil scavenge/pressure pump and coolant pump on the back of the engine) helped shorten the wheelbase by 1.2 inches relative to the rest of the McLaren lineup, further enhancing its nimbleness.
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