Grace Kelly’s kid, and the sovereign prince of Monaco, Albert II, had a pretty special drive around his domain this weekend. Taking the wheel of a McLaren Artura, he drove an honorary lap of the famed Grand Prix circuit.
“We are honored to have H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco open the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix behind the wheel of the McLaren Artura,” said Gareth Dunsmore, McLaren’s chief marketing officer. “This iconic race has special significance to McLaren back almost 60 years.”
Finished in McLaren Orange, the Artura was brought to the prince at the starting line, where was able to complete a lap of the circuit in front of the crowd. Not the only Monegasque on the track, he was likely happier with the result of his weekend than Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc, who finished the race in fourth after starting on pole.
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McLaren’s most recent plug-in hybrid, the Artura is a look into the brand’s electrified future. The supercar pairs a 3.0-liter twin-turbo wide-angle V6 with an electric motor producing a combined 671 hp (500 kW / 680 PS). Thanks to a carbon fiber monocoque that weighs just 181 lbs (82 kg), curb weight is kept at just 3,302 lbs (1,498 kg) despite being a plug-in hybrid.
The Artura is capable of hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) from a standstill in three seconds flat and can run the quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds. Mclaren hasn’t shared what its Monaco lap time is, though we doubt the prince was really pushing it.
Prince Albert II isn’t the only royal to be courted by McLaren recently. The automaker celebrated its own regent with an Artura dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, to celebrate her platinum jubilee.
