As managing director of the publishing house that produces the website you’re reading now, I’m lucky enough to be invited to my fair share of ritzy media gigs. Typically, I pass on the invitations to our editorial team. Our in-house writers are, after all, far better equipped to report on the high-fashion looks that are currently sauntering down the runways, and proffer some advice on the restaurants and productions you should be booking in the weeks and months ahead (although even I know that tickets to Cynthia Erivo’s Dracula are set to be the hottest in town). Occasionally, however, an invitation lands in my inbox that’s just too difficult to pass up. As was the case in the run-up to Christmas, when an email arrived containing the words ‘McLaren’, ‘overnight stay’ and ‘Cotswolds’. Sorry, editors, but I’m happy to take this one for the team.

We’ve worked with McLaren in the past. We’ve reviewed its cars; partnered with it at events; arranged for representatives to take part in panel discussions. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed time behind the wheel of a 570S, a 720S and a 720S Spider. What piqued my interest about the most recent invitation – apart from the prospect of an overnight stay at the delightfully quaint Hyll Hotel during the busiest time of the year – was the promise of experiencing the ‘everyday usability’ of the company’s latest two-seater Artura. From previous experience, ‘everyday’ and ‘McLaren’ are two words that don’t belong in the same sentence. The McLarens I’ve driven in the past are about as far removed from ‘everyday’ as you can imagine. And ‘usability’? In a two-seater supercar? This should be interesting.

During an initial safety briefing within the honey-coloured walls of the Hyll Hotel – appropriate, given that the hotel is itself brand-spanking new – it quickly became apparent that you can’t really compare the Artura to any other McLaren that’s been before. It’s not the manufacturer’s first hybrid car. That was – *checks notes* – the P1 back in 2013. But it is McLaren’s first series-production hybrid. Replacing the discontinued 570S, the Artura becomes McLaren’s entry point.

For the Artura, we were told, McLaren has swapped its go-to twin-turbocharged V8 for a three-litre V6, which the manufacturer has paired with a 7.4kWh battery pack (it sits somewhere behind the seats). Then there’s the all-new internal ‘architecture’, inclusive of a lighter, leaner carbon-fibre tub, which is being manufactured in-house at a new McLaren facility on the outskirts of Sheffield. What does all this mean on the open road? It was time to find out.

First things first. There was no risk of any Cotswold stone being blown off the walls of the Hyll Hotel. The Artura doesn’t scream into life the way other supercars do. There’s no thunderous roar to announce that the car is ready to go. Instead, the Artura starts in e-mode, meaning we crawled away from the hotel in near silence, leaving fellow guests to enjoy their eggs Benedict in peace. Perhaps this is what McLaren means when it talks about ‘usability’. It’s a feature that will surely keep suburban neighbours happy.

Drawing from the battery alone, the Artura will comfortably sit at 70 mph for up to 19 miles. In electric mode, the car is unnervingly quiet. It is so easy to drive, narrow lanes notwithstanding, that the experience is almost disorientating. More, I guess, of that ‘usability’. It’s only when the twin-turbocharged V6 kicks in, that you’re reminded of the badge that sits upon the bonnet.

For the exact numbers, I’ll revert back to the press release: max power, with the V6 engine and 7.4 kWh battery combined, is 671 bhp; torque tops out at 720 Nm; top speed is 205 mph. The Artura will get you from 0 to 62 mph in exactly three seconds. Supercar manufacturers love to boast about these sorts of things, but, really, I wonder whether it’s actually possible to discern between 2.8 and 3.2 seconds. Silly fast is silly fast, is it not? And the Artura is nothing if not silly fast.

There’s nothing silly, however, about the lengths that McLaren has gone to in order to achieve those numbers. Between drive sessions, during a farm-to-table lunch at the delectable Daylesford Organic in charming Moreton-in-Marsh (tough job but… yadda yadda yadda), it was explained that the Artura’s real alchemy is hidden from plain sight. The secret sauce is the car’s carbon-fibre chassis. It was designed specifically for the Artura and weighs in at a mind-blowingly light 82kg, which, unlike bhp and torque, is a number I can mentally compute because I own a pair of bathroom scales.

The result is a supercar with a dry kerb weight of 1,395kg. Which, according to Google, is less than two adult cows. And, perhaps even more importantly, makes the Artura a full 100kg lighter than the 296 GTB, Ferrari’s much-trumpeted entry into the plug-in hybrid arena. McLaren’s new chassis also results in increased strength and rigidity, says the brand, a fact that bore out during our next driving session.

I’m no Lando Norris (McLaren driver, by the way). But the Artura has a way of making you feel completely at ease, more so than any supercar I’ve ever driven. First of all, the steering wheel looks like a steering wheel, not like the controls of a Star Trek spacecraft. The indicators are where you’d expect them to be, on stalks, ditto the wipers and lights. The cockpit is relatively uncluttered and tastefully designed. Infotainment comes via a centrally-mounted, Tesla-style eight-inch touchscreen. The seats are easy to adjust. The driving position allows you to see exactly where you are on the road. It’s all delightfully unintimidating.

The Artura is the first time McLaren has used an electronic differential in one of its production series cars. It performs the same job as a traditional mechanical differential – letting left and right wheels rotate at different speeds through cornering – but does so by using clever electronics and motors, instead of gears. The result, says McLaren, is to improve traction and stability. Like I said, I’m no Norris, but at no point did I feel anything other than in complete control through tight bends and winding lanes. The car feels agile and pliant wherever you point it, sweeping along sinuous roads with minimum body roll. Spend enough time in other supercars, and invariably you begin to feel sick. At no point did I need a break from driving the Artura.

But still, an 'everyday' supercar? Well, there’s enough space under the bonnet for a couple of carry-on holdalls, or several Waitrose bags for life. There’s very little road noise, and, even in Sport mode, the suspension isn’t so stiff as to make you feel as if you're inside a washing machine. Despite its width, the car feels as nimble as a hot hatch. It’s only when you park the thing that you’re reminded it’s nearly as wide as a Range Rover. The handling is incredibly light; the acceleration smooth as silk. The Artura doesn’t scare you like other supercars do. No doubt some drivers would prefer a little more drama. But who wants drama on the supermarket run?   

Back at the hotel, we were invited to an intimate, pre-dinner panel discussion between a trio of premium British brands. Among other topics, the conversation turned to the concept of luxury in the modern world. The consensus was that for a brand to succeed in gaining the respect of today’s hyper clued-up consumers, a company must prioritise best-in-class craftsmanship and the expectations of ever-more demanding customers. With the Artura, McLaren has thrown a carbon-fibre kitchen sink at the former, and, if my experience is anything to go by, is almost certain to exceed the latter. 

Prices for the McLaren Artura start from £202,660, visit cars.mclaren.com; visit hyllhotel.com.

Read more: Driving the 850 Fantom – the electric Porsche that's actually a boat