McLaren has confirmed plans to build its first SUV in the UK as part of a GBP 500 million investment in its manufacturing and engineering operations. The unnamed performance SUV is in the early stages of development and is planned to launch before 2030.
The investment will also fund a second vehicle assembly facility in the UK, expand McLaren’s existing facilities and bring engine development and production in-house for the first time. The programme is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs within and around McLaren, with a further 3,000 jobs expected across its supply chain.
Speaking to Autocar UK, McLaren COO Michael Straughan said “there’s a roadmap for about the next 10 years that gives us real confidence. We’ve got a growth plan and a delivery perspective on how we can get to where we want to get to.”
McLaren SUV confirmed
McLaren had previously ruled out an SUV, with former CEO Mike Flewitt saying the company could not afford to develop one and that it “just doesn’t fit the brand”. The company is one the last supercar makers to add an SUV to its range, following rivals including Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.
The SUV will use one of the company’s new hybrid powertrains. Straughan said the SUV remains in the early stages of development, although McLaren is targeting a launch before 2030. The company has not yet announced its name, technical details or exact launch date.
The SUV will be the first McLaren road car to move beyond the mid-engined supercar format that has defined the brand since its road-car business was established. “No longer will we be only rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive cars. There's going to be front-engined, and either four-wheel drive or perhaps rear-wheel drive in the future. It's very difficult off one assembly line, so we need another assembly line - wherever we decide to put that”, Straughan said.
The SUV’s body structure is still being decided. McLaren is considering several options, including carbonfibre, drawing on its expertise in lightweight composite construction. “It's one of the discussions we're having at the moment, because nobody has ever done this before,” he said. “Every other SUV [of this type] has been aluminium, and we've got a number of options at the moment for what the body structure will be in the future. If we went that way, it would be the first. It would be incredibly special.” he added.
The SUV is the only new model McLaren has confirmed. However, the front-engined layout could support other models in future. Straughan said there are no firm plans for additional models, but that the layout “opens up other opportunities”. McLaren has not confirmed any further derivatives or changes to its existing supercar range.
New engines and gearboxes
McLaren will develop and manufacture future engines and gearboxes in-house for the first time. Its current V6 and V8 engines are supplied by Ricardo, which has powered all of McLaren’s core models since the company’s relaunch with the 12C in 2011. The engines are exclusive to McLaren.
McLaren hasn’t alluded to their technical specifications, but says they will support “the company’s hybrid engine strategy”. The company says they will be developed and tuned to maximise driver engagement. Asked about the technical make-up of these new engines, Straughan said: “Obviously it’s going to start with the current V8 products or the future generation of that, but once you start building engines there are lots of opportunities”.
Confirmation of plans for two distinct engine programmes suggests McLaren will offer different cylinder counts and capacities across its line-up going forward. McLaren’s partnership with Ricardo will continue for other engineering work, but future engines will be built by McLaren rather than shipped to Woking by Ricardo.
No immediate McLaren EV
McLaren has no immediate plans for a fully electric road car. COO Michael Straughan said the company will wait until customer demand is strong enough, although its integration with Forseven has provided experience in electric-vehicle development. Straughan said it was important that McLaren launched an EV "at the right time".
"It's inevitable - it will come, and we've got to be ready for when it does come. But the market reception to EVs in this space is not fantastic at the moment, so we can't afford to make a mistake with the product, and therefore we will hold off until we're certain that the customer demand is there", he added.
Second UK factory planned
The new facility will supplement the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, although its location has not yet been confirmed. “We can’t build a front-engined car on the same line as a rear-engined car,” Straughan said. “We’re not going to use somebody else’s production line,” Straughan said. “We’ll build our own”, he added.
McLaren will also expand its existing production facility in Woking, which built around 2,000 cars in 2025, as well as its carbonfibre manufacturing and research centre in South Yorkshire. The company has recently opened a design and innovation centre in Bicester and a testing and vehicle development facility in the Midlands.
Together, these sites will support McLaren’s UK operations across design, engineering, vehicle development and manufacturing, increasing production capacity for its next generation of models. “We can’t stop making the cars we make today,” Straughan said. “We have to introduce the new products alongside them”, Straughan said.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dipan Sur
