SUVs have become best sellers for just about every luxury car manufacturer.
But there have been some holdouts in a world where the words “luxury” and “SUV” didn’t usually get said in the same sentence – until recently.
McLaren is the only supercar brand that doesn’t currently have an SUV in its line-up.
However, the times they are a changing.
And you may be seeing McLaren’s first four-door, family-sized sports utility vehicle on the market by 2025.
And it will be an all-electric McLaren SUV.
The scuttlebutt all started when former Ferrari exec Michael Leiters joined McLaren in 2022 as chief executive officer.
At Ferrari, Lieters led development of the Purosangue SUV project. And before that, he worked on developing Porsche’s Cayenne SUV.
During interviews with major media, Michael Leiters has expressed his strong desire for a new vehicle in McLaren’s line-up, that can fit more than two passengers.
Could be a sedan? Could be a McLaren SUV?
Nobody is totally sure yet but his track record and the strong selling track record of luxury SUVs might suggest the latter.
The British automaker has already revealed its all-electric SUV for the Extreme E off-road series. However, that one was never a production model.
Whatever the new more-than-two-seat vehicle turns out to be, Leiters has confirmed that it will be made of pure McLaren DNA.
It will look like a McLaren and drive like a McLaren.
That means a light and strong supercar shaped by the forces of nature. “Honed by the elements. Poised for attack. And ferociously fast. Yet beautifully made” is how McLaren describes a McLaren.
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Developing a McLaren SUV is a good move in terms of business.
Consider that Aston Martin DBX made up more than half of that British car manufacturer’s in its first year of production. The Lamborghini Urus? Same story.
And the Porsche Macan and Cayenne SUVs are now the German automaker’s top sellers ahead of the iconic 911.
In the past, McLaren has said it would never build an SUV.
But never say never.
“The technology is much more mature [and allows us to] customize it to have a more lifestyle, a more utility purpose,” Leiters told Evo, as reported by sister publication Auto Express.
“Words like ‘utility’ or ‘lifestyle,’ you’ll obviously leap to certain conclusions,” Leiters continued. “I think the key measure for McLaren is potentially something with the ability to share with more occupants in the car. Not necessarily higher-riding, but it could be.”
Leiters noted that whatever shape it takes the first McLaren SUV and EV will be, of course, exclusive.
That means you can expect to pay more than $230,000 for the model.
“We need to focus on profitability, not volume,” Leiters said.
According to the Auto Express blog, McLaren will surely have to partner with a larger automaker so it can gain access to key technologies for producing a high-performance EV.
BMW is definitely a candidate. It already assisted McLaren with the development of the Artura, the McLaren hybrid.
But it’s all speculation at this point. In the meantime, check out the McLaren Artura, which is causing a stir in the world of hybrid supercars.
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McLaren is calling it the next-generation hybrid supercar.
The product of a relentless pursuit of lightness, the Artura is on another level – with aerodynamic efficiency that is more advanced than anything that has come before it.
And it’s all within a framework of minimal, beautiful design.
You can expect ultra-light supercar engineering, blistering electrified power, sublime agility, and engagement. This is McLaren for the next generation.
The Artura’s V-6, which churns out 577 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque, may just be the supercar engine design of the future. Unlike all other V-6s Artura’s M630 3.0-liter V-6 boasts a 120-degree bank angle that allows the engine to produce even firing without splitting the crank journals.
A plug-in-hybrid system contributes up to 96 hp and 166 pound-feet to the output. You can get from zero the 60 in 3.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 205 mph. All starting a $225,000.
It may take a while until we get a McLaren SUV. So, why not take advantage of the best McLaren cars at McLaren Houston? Check out our latest inventory below.
