McLaren Artura

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Yuto Horigome

Showing off tricks with Artura in the MCT

This time, Yuto Horigome performed a skateboard trick by jumping over a McLaren Artura at the McLaren Technology Centre.

Yuto Horigome started skateboarding under the influence of his father, who is also a skateboarder. From the age of 14, he entered top contests around the world, and then moved to Los Angeles, California, where he won back-to-back SLS contests in 2018 and 2019, and won gold medals at XGames Miniapolis 2019, the Street World Championships held in Italy in 2021, and XGames Japan 2022, becoming one of the world’s top skaters.

He also won the first gold medal in street skateboarding at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and made a major comeback to win back-to-back gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yuto Horigome, who visited the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey, UK for the first time, toured the MTC on his skateboard and saw legendary racing cars and McLaren’s production line.

In addition, to fully enjoy the world of McLaren, there will be a special experience of skateboarding over the latest hybrid super sports car, the Artura, and participants will be able to effortlessly perform tricks that have captivated the world.

Drive through the MCT campus in Altura

After experiencing the F1 simulator with the McLaren Shadow e-sports team, we enjoyed a test drive of the Artura.

Afterwards, he took part in an F1 simulation game against the professional e-sports team McLaren Shadow. He also got to ride in an actual Artura with members of McLaren Shadow and enjoy a test drive at the MCT, which boasts a site area of approximately 150 acres (approximately 600,000 m2). Having enjoyed a variety of experiences at the MCT, Yuto Horigome shared his thoughts as follows:

“I was truly overwhelmed when I visited the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). Everything about the building and design, right down to the smallest detail, was beautiful and made for a special space. The gallery displaying F1 machines and classic cars from the past was particularly impressive, and I was able to feel McLaren’s history and passion for innovation firsthand.”

“I felt that there were surprisingly many similarities between skateboarding and F1, both of which require skill and precision, such as the fact that split-second decisions can determine the outcome and that the quality of the equipment is closely related to the rider’s (driver’s) performance. I also realized that MTC is not just a factory or research facility, but a place where dreams can be made into reality. I am truly grateful for this valuable experience.”

“I was nervous when I jumped over Artura, but I think I was able to pull off the trick just as I had imagined. I don’t think you get to see such a rare scene very often, so I hope everyone will come and see it.”

“My eSports experience with the McLaren Shadow was just as tense as a real race, and I felt that strategy and concentration were really important. The McLaren simulator was authentic, and it was thrilling and very exciting, as if I was actually racing. I was surprised at how realistic the graphics and controls were. I still need a little more time before I can become a racer myself (laughs), but it was a lot of fun.”

“Once again, McLaren was truly amazing! Visiting the MTC and experiencing McLaren gave me new inspiration. I hope to use this experience to further improve my skating in the future.”