Yahoo Autos McLaren Delays Artura Deliveries in U.S. Again
Deliveries of US-bound McLaren Arturas are slated to be delayed an average four months as a result of quality control issues during production in Woking. A new set of “enhanced testing procedures” are being installed to limit issues moving forward.
The news comes by way of a memo to McLaren’s U.S. retailers, which was obtained by the team over at Automotive News. According to the report, current order holders expecting deliveries this summer may be looking at another third of a year of waiting before their cars are approved for sale. More specifically, McLaren told the publication that these new testing procedures are explicitly aimed at improving the brand’s quality control procedures. The brand also confirmed a delay in production.
"To implement these quality control procedures, we have temporarily slowed production," spokesman Roger Ormisher told Automotive News.
This is not the first time that McLaren has had issues surrounding the Artura. The supercar was initially slated to make its debut in the fall of 2020. Supply chain issues related to the pandemic played a role in delaying that launch until late last year, but the global health crisis was far from the only factor slowing Artura’s progress. Early media drives in June 2022 saw the car hampered with seriously buggy software calibrations, with one test car ultimately catching fire on track. It is important to note that McLaren would later state that the vehicle was a pre-production unit utilizing non-standard hardware. In December of 2022, 164 Artura owners in the U.S. received a recall notice related to the car’s fuel system. More specifically, some faulty nuts on the car’s high-pressure fuel system could leak, raising the risk of a fire.
Artura is a hugely important product during McLaren's efforts to stabilize its finances. The car is the first all-new product since the MP4-12C kicked this all off back in 2011. It’s also the first electrified series production car from the brand, and the first model with some EV boost since the legendary P1. Artura is also the first car from Woking to utilize the new carbon monocoque, and to carry a V-6 behind the driver. The engine itself is a twin-turbocharged unit splayed out with a 120-degree V-angle, and works in conjunction with an electric motor sandwiched between the dual clutch gearbox. Total system output is 671 hp and 531 lb-ft. All of that is exciting stuff, but we’re glad to hear McLaren is taking the quality control issues seriously. CEO Michael Leiters told the brand’s dealers that producing higher quality vehicles and improving resale value were high priorities for the company at a meeting back in April. Leiters is going to need to figure it out with haste if the brand wants to keep customers and dealers alike interested in this latest project.
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