McLaren Artura Spider — Rome

The Artura Spider is McLaren's clearest statement yet on what a modern open-top supercar should feel like at moderate speed — not just at full attack. Its hybrid powertrain pairs a twin-turbo V6 with an electric motor, and the result is a car that responds to light throttle inputs with surprising civility before sharpening into something altogether more serious when you ask it to. That duality matters on Italian roads, where a morning spent navigating the A1 toward Orvieto at a relaxed cruise can turn into a spirited run through volcanic hill roads above Frascati by late afternoon. We carry the 2024 Artura Spider as a single variant, available from €1,600 per day. It seats two, the roof retracts electrically, and the cabin is finished in a way that feels driver-focused without being spartan — carbon-fibre architecture keeps weight honest, and the forward visibility through that low scuttle is excellent for tight roads. Practically, this is a car that suits Rome's outer arterials and the routes beyond the city far better than the historic centre. ZTL restrictions in areas like Trastevere and Centro Storico make kerbside stops impractical for any vehicle, but especially one this conspicuous. We handle delivery to hotels outside the restricted zones, to Fiumicino or Ciampino airports, or to addresses in districts like EUR and Prati where parking is manageable. If you're arriving by rail at Termini, handover nearby is straightforward. Where the Artura Spider genuinely excels is on the kind of route that mixes fast dual carriageway with secondary roads — the A24 east to Tivoli for a morning at Villa d'Este, or the SS218 winding through Marino and up toward Castel Gandolfo with lake Albano opening up on your left. The hybrid system means you can slip through quieter village centres on electric power alone for short stretches, which is a courtesy the locals notice and appreciate. This is not the car for a family transfer or a corporate airport run. It is, however, exactly the car for a long weekend where the point of the trip is the drive itself — and Rome happens to sit at the centre of some of the most rewarding road networks in southern Europe.