August in Texas can feel like God is watching you through a magnifying glass, with triple-digit temperatures hot enough to cook a five-course meal on the sidewalk. Nevertheless, the punishing heat doesn’t prevent us from enjoying the finer things in life, like fine spirits, quality timepieces, and admiring bespoke collector cars. That was the vibe at the Wheels | Watches | Whiskey event hosted by McLaren and Michael Satterfield, aka The Gentleman Racer.
Armed with my father’s 1968 Omega Seamaster, a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, and a vintage Russian train conductor pocket watch, I arrived at the event to bask in the privilege of fine mechanisms and concentrated alcohol.
The venue for this curation of luxury was The Stella Hotel Autograph Collection in the scenic town of Bryan, Texas. On August 19, the humid summer evening cooled down long enough to enjoy a gathering of custom, vintage, and elite supercars at the hotel. Inside, guests were treated to a collection of tastings from Chapelton Vineyard and Still Austin Whiskey Co. while shopping for a new Tudor timepiece, and bid on a host of bespoke items in a silent auction with proceeds going to benefit a local non-profit. Among the collection of desirable internal combustion metals was the all-new 2024 McLaren Artura.
All-New 2024 McLaren Artura, a First for the Brand
Titled as the brand’s first-ever high-performance hybrid production vehicle, the 2024 McLaren Artura blends efficiency and performance and wraps it in Alcantara. Showcasing the automaker’s new McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), the Artura’s construction features super formed aluminum panels to keep its curb weight down to 3,303 pounds.
Sitting behind the headrests is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 supported by an electric motor powered by an energy-dense battery pack. The gas-burning engine produces 577 horsepower and 431 pound-feet on its own. Throw in a 7.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack fueling a 94 hp electric motor, and the total output on the Artura is 671 hp and 531 lb.-ft. Managing all that power is a new lightweight 8-speed transmission and McLaren’s first electronic locking differential.
These performance figures translate into a zero to 60 time of three seconds flat. McLaren claims the 2024 Artura can reach 186 mph in 21.5 seconds. But when you’re cruising around town, the Artura uses its hybrid tech to be the most efficient McLaren to date, with 39 mpg and 11 miles of all-electric range.
Power and acceleration are only good if you can keep it right side up. To do this, McLaren fitted the Artura with a newly developed multi-link rear suspension, upgrading the electro-hydraulic steering and Proactive Damping Control system to improve the car’s agility and stability. A set of next-generation Pirelli P ZERO CORSA tires further aids in putting the power on the road. The results of all this engineering translates into a sensation that can only be experienced sitting in the driver seat.
Inside, the interior of the 2024 McLaren Artura is all new, with essential controls on the steering wheel and 8-inch HD touchscreen hosting features like smartphone mirroring and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Non-Profit OnRamp Gives Reliable Vehicles to Those in Need
OnRamp was founded in January 2017. It’s a 501c3 non-profit corporation with a core purpose of helping individuals and families in Texas who urgently need personal and reliable transportation.
Working with local charities and religious organizations, OnRamp finds candidates who need a vehicle but lack the funds or are sincerely seeking self-sufficiency. A growing network of donors, partners, and volunteers helps OnRamp locate and purchase reliable cars to donate to candidates.
In addition to providing them with stable transportation, OnRamp includes a full year of free vehicle maintenance. That includes hands-on teaching on the basics of vehicle care, ranging from changing a tire and inspecting vital engine fluids to navigating the bureaucracy of auto insurance forms.
If put into the context of the proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”, OnRamp provides the fish and then teaches you how to bait a hook.
Finer Things Support a Worthy Cause
Plans for next year’s Wheels | Watches | Whiskey events are underway. The Stella Hotel announced August 17 as the save the date. Given this year’s success, I have no doubt that 2024 will bring more cars, exclusive watches, and higher shelf spirits to further aid non-profits like OnRamp.
Jesus Behind the Wheel 
Oh God, you either take away my taste for expensive things or give me money to buy them.
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Excellent report and event thanks!
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