McLaren Artura vs Mercedes-Benz Gls450

What's the difference?

Obviously the headline item of the new McLaren Artura Spider is the ability to drop the top and feel the wind in your hair, or, should you live in Melbourne, at least the damp mist on your face.

But this new plug-in powerhouse has plenty more to offer than just its folding hardtop.

The coupe and convertible are more powerful, there’s a new and louder exhaust, faster gear shifts, a richer rev range, better suspension and better braking.

Oh, and there's a new feature designed to unlock your inner hooligan, but we’ll come back to that one in just a moment...

But at its core, the Artura Spider is a plug-in hybrid monster that goes someway to previewing the future of the supercar species.

Does electrification enhance the excitement? We strapped in to find out.

The ‘Upper Large SUV over $120K’ segment of the Aussie new-car market is what you might call the top end of town, not only in terms of the extravagant models available but also their purchase prices, which stretch well into six figures and require monthly lease payments that rival home mortgages.

It’s where you’ll find some of the most prestigious marques in the automotive world including Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Range Rover, Lexus and BMW. And, of course, Mercedes-Benz with its big GLS which represents the flagship of the German manufacturer’s SUV fleet.

It was given a refresh in 2023 with cosmetic and multimedia upgrades along with powertrain enhancements, but there have only been minor changes since then. We were recently entrusted with the keys to the latest GLS to see if the ‘S-Class of SUVs’ leaves any room for improvement.