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Car fires rarely end well. Whether ICE-powered or electric, they tend to contain enough flammable material to completely destroy the vehicle when set ablaze. That was very much the case with a McLaren Artura which burnt to a cinder during a test drive in Yorkshire, England.
As reported by The Sun, the car erupted into flames when driving on a roundabout near the M1 motorway in Leeds, Yorkshire on Sunday. Priced at £190,000 ($232,035), the hybrid supercar burned intensely, with seldom a panel left unscathed by the fire. Fire crews from Hunslet attended the scene, taking roughly half an hour to put out the blaze. Thankfully, both passengers were able to escape from the vehicle without injury.
The Artura is a potent weapon when it’s not burning to the ground. It boasts a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine good for 577 horsepower, with an axial-flux electric motor contributing a further 93 horsepower, powered by a 7.2 kWh battery. A spokesperson from the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service noted that a Hazardous Material Officer was sent to the scene to handle the proper disposal of the car’s hybrid battery. The Drive reached out to a McLaren representative for information, who said that the manufacturer is “aware of an incident involving a McLaren Artura in the Leeds area,” but it cannot comment on the matter until a full investigation has been performed.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time McLaren’s plug-in hybrid supercar has faced these issues. The Artura has previously been recalled for a fire risk stemming from a fuel leak. McLaren engineers determined the problem was due to unsuitable nuts used in the high-pressure fuel system of the twin-turbo V6, which could loosen over time. A recall was issued in 2022 to rectify the issue. It’s unclear at this time if that issue played a role in this incident, or if the fire was due to another cause.
One must feel for the McLaren dealer. It’s mighty difficult to sell a customer on a vehicle that has caught fire with them inside, and then burnt a huge black patch into the nature strip. Here’s hoping the Artura becomes better known for its handling and performance instead of its fiery demeanor.
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