McLaren Commits to Building ‘Performance SUV’ As Part of $670+ Million InvestmentRoad & TrackMike DuffWed, September 16, 2026 at 4:09 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleMcLaren Commits to Building New SUVJames LipmanNobody could criticize McLaren for lacking ambition. The British supercar maker has been through a series of funding crises and changes of ownership during the last few years, but is now set to embark on a new era involving a substantial investment and the creation of several new model lines. At a Wednesday news conference at the company's Woking headquarters in the United Kingdom, CEO Nick Collins confirmed that ownership will be investing £500 million into the business—that's about $670 million at current exchange rates—and also that the company will be building an all-new SUV on a platform it will create itself.The money isn't going to be directly spent on the new model—that will require additional investment. Instead, McLaren's first priorities are to build a new factory in Britain, in addition to the existing McLaren Production Centre in Woking and the company's carbon fiber manufacturing facility in Yorkshire. The investment will also be used to create two new hybridized engines, presumably a V-6 and a V-8, with these set to be built in-house; since 2011 every McLaren Automotive road car engine has been constructed by supplier Ricardo. The company also plans to recruit another 1000 staff by 2032, and double its production workforce.While there wasn't confirmation on the new supercar project that leaked last week, we did get more information on the forthcoming SUV. This remains an obvious hole in the company's portfolio following the success of rivals like the Lamborghini Urus and Ferrari Purosangue. It is also one that Michael Leiters, McLaren's last CEO and now the head of Porsche, was looking to fill when Road & Track interviewed him in 2024. But while Leiters admitted he was looking for a development partner—most likely BMW—the new plan is for McLaren to go it alone.McLaren"We want this to be a unique McLaren. The platform will be a McLaren platform." Michael Straughan, the company's newly-appointed chief operating officer, told journalists. He also confirming the SUV should be reaching customers by the end of the decade, and it will use a hybrid powerplant of McLaren's own design.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat doesn't appear to be decided yet is what material the new model's body structure will be made from. "Our DNA is carbon fiber," Straughan said, "but we are not committed to that at the moment, because we know there are challenges with a car as big as that. It would be aluminum if we couldn't make that work."Given the weight of a large hybrid SUV, use of a carbon structure would likely bring only marginal weight savings compared to rivals, and the difficulty is demonstrated by the fact there is currently no four-door carbon-bodied road car. But against that, as Straughan says, is the fact that McLaren has a long association with carbon fiber construction, having pioneered the material's use in a road car with the original McLaren F1. Also, the challenge of making such a complex structure would be a technical flex for the company's abilities.While Leiter refused to say "SUV" when he spoke about the planned future model, McLaren's new management are less reticent. "Yes, SUV," Straughan confirmed, citing the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX as the new model's most obvious rivals. "Purosangue? Not sure," he added, going on to say that "the concept [of the Ferrari] is a very different concept to the rest of the competitive set. Wait until you see our styling model and then you can comment."All of which suggests the McLaren is likely to be more of a tall, traditional SUV than the low-slung Ferrari.Stan PapiorAsked by R&T if a McLaren SUV would have to be the lightest car in its segment, like its supercar siblings, Straughan chose to highlight a different metric. "Power-to-weight ratio has always been incredibly important for McLaren," he said, "I don't think we'll let that go ever. But obviously with an SUV it brings in different attributes, which will be a first for us."You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State
