A full-time road car manufacturer since 2011, when it launched the MP4-12C, McLaren has expanded its product lineup to include three different vehicles as of 2015: the entry-level Sports Series (540C and 570S), the Super Series (650S and 675LT), and the range-topping Ultimate Series, which includes the already sold-out P1 supercar. Rumors about McLaren planning to expand and build an SUV and sedan have been swirling around for a couple of years, but the Brits denied that such body styles are underway, especially an SUV, which wouldn't fit in the company's racing heritage. However, it now seems that McLaren is considering a four-seat sports car.

According to Duncan Forrester, the brand's Global Corporate Manager, McLaren is exploring the possibility of a family-oriented vehicle, even though nothing is set in stone just yet.

"I think we'll play with it, but I don't think there's much of an appetite for a family McLaren," he told Australian outlet Motoring. Also, Forrester took to opportunity to point out, once again, that McLaren won't build an SUV. "We are not going to build an SUV. I can tell you that straight out. Today, and as far into the future as we can realistically predict, customers aren’t going to be coming to McLaren and saying 'What I really want is one of these cars, but raised up about a foot,'" he added.

A four-seat would be a first for McLaren, a company that has only offered two-seat sports cars and supercars since 2011, while its first production model, the F1, had three seats. Although Forrester mentioned that the four-seat would be a 2+2, green-lighting such a project will definitely take the brand closer to a four-door sedan, a vehicle we've already rendered and speculated upon here.

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Why it matters

While I do appreciate McLaren's commitment to two-door sports cars and for not jumping on the SUV bandwagon for the sake of profits, I am aware that the Brits will have to expand beyond the two-seat configuration at some point. A 2+2 sports car or grand tourer would be a great start, but I think that the full-fledged sedan would make for a better choice, especially with the luxury, sporty sedan market having gained a lot of traction in recent years. McLaren definitely has what it takes to come up with a competitor for the Porsche Panamera and I think that, at some point, it will pull the trigger and approve it for production. It might not happen by the end of the decade, but the way the current market evolves will eventually force McLaren to build more than just two-seat sports cars.

McLaren Sedan

Read our full review on the McLaren Sedan here.