British supercar brand McLaren confirmed to dealers that it will roll out a procession of new models each year through 2028, including a first-ever SUV. Headlight.News has more.
A series of renderings by Avervarii Automotive Artworks on Instagram suggests what a McLaren SUV might look like.
Even the most hidebound brands can’t escape reality forever. Following in the footsteps of competitors like Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Ferrari, Britain’s McLaren told dealers this week that it will add a first-ever sport-utility vehicle to its line-up, confirming rumors swirling all year.
The performance SUV will be one in an assortment of new models McLaren plans to introduce, averaging one new product a year through 2028, according to a report in Automotive News quoting a dealer source. If the experience of other manufacturers proves true for McLaren, the ute could become the brand’s best-seller.
The SUV, it appears, will be a hybrid, using electrification to boost performance, as well as fuel economy.
A “presence (that) won’t get lost”
The McLaren SUV will have a hybrid driveline, the automaker told dealers.
The addition of an SUV to the McLaren line-up has long been anticipated. Utility vehicles have become the dominant body style in virtually every market segment, and in price segments running from the lowest-cost to the most exotic, with brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce watching as they become best-sellers. Even supercar manufacturers have had to buckle to demand and it’s been widely rumored for the past year that McLaren would have to follow Ferrari and others into the SUV/CUV market.
McLaren’s five-door design is codenamed P47 and will be slightly bigger than a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, according to a dealer at the meeting who described a clay model as having 24-inch wheels.
“The SUV is sculpted and muscular,” the retailer told Automotive News on background. “It has presence and won’t get lost in the exotic SUV segment.”
Hybrid power
The McLaren Artura was the brand’s first model to go hybrid.
Along with the arrival of SUVs, electrified powertrains are becoming increasingly common in exotic vehicle lines, including mild, conventional and plug-in hybrids, as well as all-electric models. Ferrari pulled the wraps off its Elettrica EV last month.
McLaren isn’t going quite that far but will use a hybrid drivetrain in the SUV. One report indicates the electric side of the system will be paired with a V-8 internal combustion engine, others questioning whether it actually will be a V-6. McLaren did not reply to an e-mail requesting comments on the new SUV.
The automaker isn’t entirely new to electrification, having recently introduced a hybrid powertrain for its Artura coupe. The $249,000 sports cars V-6 Hybrid package makes 671 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque.
More Supercar News
- Ford to Debut New Supercar at Detroit Auto Show
- Ferrari Teases First EV, the Elettrica
- Chevy Pushes Into Supercar Realm With Hybrid Corvette ZR1X
A new model each year
McLaren’s current line-up.
McLaren faces plenty of competition in the supercar market. Even Ford is believed to be entering the market, the automaker this week signaling its newly renamed Ford Racing unit will reveal a “production road car” using track technology at the Detroit Auto Show next month.
McLaren told dealers it will introduce a new model a year through 2028, the list including:
- An 800-hp coupe using a mild hybrid V-6 set to arrive in 2027;
- A final edition of the 750S which sits just below the Senna in the line-up from a performance perspective.
The SUV is expected to wrap up the new product blitz, coming to market in 2028 at an estimated $400,000, according to several sources.
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