McLaren Artura Launch Delayed Because Of, You Guessed It, Chips

The 2022 McLaren Artura was supposed to launch this fall in the US. However, the winter solstice has come and gone – and no Artura. There won’t be one until early July, according to a new Automotive News report. The chip shortage that has rocked the entire auto industry has finally hit McLaren, which is delaying the Artura’s launch. McLaren spokesperson Roger Ormisher confirmed the delay with the publication.

This isn’t the Artura’s first hiccup it has suffered on its way to market. McLaren wanted to launch the supercar in the fall of 2020, but it had to delay the launch until June of this year. Supply chain issues then delayed the car’s launch in the US, and the ongoing chip shortage will push its launch even further back. A source told Automotive News that McLaren is prioritizing its chip supply for higher-margin models as it faces the same squeeze affecting production at other automakers.

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The 2022 Artura is the brand’s first series-production hybrid, and it packs a technological punch. It pairs an electric motor located within the transmission bell housing to a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. The combined output is 671 horsepower (500 kilowatts) and 593 pound-feet (804 Newton-meters) of torque, which can propel the supercar to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 3.0 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 205 mph (329 kph). It has a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, too.

News of the Artura’s delay certainly hurts, but it isn’t surprising. In March, automakers began suffering from chip shortages, forcing many to pause production or build vehicles without certain features. Automakers are still struggling nine months later, with companies like BMW, Chevy, Alfa Romeo, and Toyota being affected to various degrees. Automakers will likely face chip shortages well into 2022 before the global supply chain resolves its bottlenecks.