Under its previous CEO, McLaren had spoken out against the development of an SUV, but there is a new horizon ahead for the automaker. McLaren is developing an SUV under its new CEO, Michael Leiters, and the new chief has announced more details about the upcoming model in an interview with Car Magazine. It should not only impress with great performance and exciting dynamics, but also with its lightweight construction compared to other SUVs.
McLaren Puts Lightweight Construction at the Forefront
Leiters told Car Magazine a McLaren SUV must align with the brand's focus on lightweight construction, resulting in McLaren's Composite Technology Centre examining how the development and manufacturing processes can be overhauled to produce larger carbon fiber structures.
In order to achieve the lowest possible weight, the SUV will use composite materials on a large scale. ‘[A big McLaren] has to be lightweight. And carbon fiber is one of the best ways to do lightweight," Leiters told Car Magazine. It is still unclear whether the structure will consist mainly of a carbon fiber monocoque, as in the sports cars, or whether a hybrid structure will be used, in which a carbon fiber body is combined with an aluminum chassis, he told the publication.
The McLaren SUV Comes Purely Electric
However, it is already clear that the SUV will be McLaren's first pure electric car. According to Leiters' interview, "[Impressive] longitudinal acceleration with battery cars is not a problem: you can have that in a limousine or an SUV with 1000kw [of power]."
A new state-of-the-art software should also provide McLaren with improved dynamics. "With an EV, it’s even more important to have a connected car, to have good control systems to use all the potential you have with electric motors," the article states. The software could ensure that the power delivery feels more linear and not as abruptly as usual with electric motors. In order to fully exploit this potential, the McLaren SUV will probably also have all-wheel drive to control the torque output at each individual wheel.
The Design and Names of Future McLaren Will Change
Leiters told Car Magazine more visual variation among McLaren models, alongside a new naming scheme, is coming for the brand. "Branching out into new body styles gives McLaren design a great opportunity for a new direction," Leiters said. "We haven’t differentiated our cars sufficiently from a visual standpoint."
Additionally, he told the publication McLaren wants to use its know-how from Formula 1 to achieve the best possible aerodynamics for its SUV, and the model is likely to get a new name as he finds the current number-based naming scheme perplexing. McLaren still needs to hammer down the production site for its future SUV, Car Magazine reports, with the model potentially going on sale in 2026.