Moment £190k McLaren’s luxury hybrid electric sports car bursts into flames after being taken for a test drive
THIS is the moment a £190,000 McLaren hybrid sports car burst into flames after being taken for a test drive.
The luxury motor was engulfed in a fireball while cruising down a main road in Leeds, Yorkshire.
Fire crews battled the blaze for 30 minutes yesterday afternoon before finally bringing it under control just after 3pm.
The Artura, the first electrified car from the iconic British brand, was recalled in the US last year due to a fire risk but is still on sale in the UK.
A total of 164 Arturas, which feature a 7.4 kWh battery in conjunction with a twin-turbo V6, were flagged up the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in America in December.
The issue was reportedly related to a loose nut on the fuel injector which could allow petrol to leak onto the engine and catch light.
However, the exact cause of the fire in Leeds is not yet known.
Reports from the scene suggest that the car went up in flames without warning.
Thankfully, both passengers were able to escape unharmed.
Pictures show the scorched wreckage of the plug-in hybrid, which has a top speed of 205mph, on the side of the road around a mile away from the dealership it was borrowed from.
A spokesperson from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We received a call from the driver regarding a hybrid McLaren which went up in flames during its demo drive in Leeds, on the roundabout near the M1 at junction 44.
“We sent crews from Hunslet, which arrived on the scene at 14:35. We also sent a Hazardous Material Officer to dispose of the electrical battery.
“The fire was put out at 15:02 with no report of injury.”
McLaren has been contacted for comment.
It comes after a car expert revealed why EV fires are much more dangerous than those caused by other motors.
Meanwhile, a family told of how they were saved by strangers after their electric car “exploded” on their driveway.