There was a time when the brand claimed it would never build an SUV, but times have changed. The British supercar maker now wants to collaborate with another manufacturer to create a “shared performance” model equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
A strategic turnaround for McLaren
In 2019, former McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt promised that the supercar maker would never make an SUV. Flewitt has since left the company and his successor, Michael Leiters, has confirmed that McLaren not only wants to build a model that strongly resembles an SUV, but also wants it to be a plug-in hybrid.
During an interview with Car and Driver at McLaren headquarters in Woking, England, Leiters didn't use the term SUV, but his definition of a “shared performance vehicle” appears to fit a luxury SUV competitor :
“To unlock our full potential as a company, we believe there is a second step: expanding and expanding our range beyond the segment we are in today. We called it 'shared performance' because you can share the performance with more people than in a current McLaren. It would therefore have two more seats. »
An architecture shared with another manufacturer
McLaren has already built cars with more than two seats, like the legendary F1 and the 2020 Speedtail, which offer room for three occupants thanks to their central driving position. But this future model is clearly intended to be larger and more practical.
Unsurprisingly, this means it won't be built on the existing carbon fiber architecture of McLaren supercars. Leiters acknowledges that the only practical solution is to base it on a larger manufacturer's platform:
“I think the smart solution is a technology partnership, finding a partner and creating synergies. »
The recent simplification of McLaren's ownership structure, now 100% owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, could make it easier to find such an alliance.
The ambition of an in-house plug-in hybrid powertrain
As the luxury market moves towards full electrification, Leiters admits it is an option, but says his ambition is for the new McLaren to be a plug-in hybrid. He actually wants to use one of the brand's existing powertrains:
“If we're doing a PHEV, we want to understand if we can use our own powertrain, integrate it into an existing platform – that would be ideal. »
A price close to $400,000
Even if an agreement were signed soon, it would still be several years before such a vehicle sees the light of day, limiting its potential lifespan in parts of the world that plan to soon ban the sale of diesel-powered cars. combustion.
In terms of price, Leiters thinks it would be at the high end of an already extremely expensive segment, close to the Ferrari Purosangue and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, at around $400,000.
If Leiters goes ahead with this project, it will mark a radical shift for the supercar manufacturer. But in a rapidly changing automotive market, even the most exclusive brands must adapt to stay in the race. McLaren appears determined to meet this challenge, while remaining true to its DNA of performance and innovation.
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