McLaren Confirms It’s Working on Its First SUV and Announces a Massive Investment in U.K. ProductionCar and DriverCaleb MillerWed, September 16, 2026 at 5:07 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleMcLaren Officially Announces Plans for Its First SUVMcLarenMcLaren announced a £500 million injection from a sovereign investment fund run by the Abu Dhabi government, focused on expanding U.K. production.McLaren also confirmed that it's developing its first SUV, along with two new engines and transmissions that will be designed and built in-house.Separately, a report from Automotive News states that the Artura will be discontinued by 2028 and replaced by a new twin-turbo V-6 hybrid mid-engined supercar.Big changes are coming at McLaren. In October 2024, the British supercar maker was sold to CYVN Holdings, an Abu Dhabi investment group, which also owns a British startup called Forseven that it then merged into McLaren. Now, McLaren has announced a massive £500 million investment from shareholder L'IMAD, a sovereign investment fund run by the Abu Dhabi government, which will expand McLaren's manufacturing presence in the United Kingdom and bring a new high-performance SUV.McLarenThe investment is the equivalent of around $672 million at current exchange rates and is centered on manufacturing and engineering for McLaren's next-generation models. McLaren plans to build a new vehicle assembly facility in the United Kingdom, and the company also says that all of McLaren's future powertrains will be fully designed and built in-house. This will kick off with two new engines and transmissions.AdvertisementAdvertisementMcLaren says it will also add to its existing operations at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England, and its carbon-fiber manufacturing and research plant at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in South Yorkshire. The investments in these facilities will supplement two new U.K. sites that recently opened, a design building in Bicester, and a testing and development facility in the Midlands, showing McLaren's commitment to the United Kingdom. McLaren says the moves will create at least 1000 new jobs across the different sites by 2032, with its manufacturing workforce set to double.McLarenNo specific details were revealed about the upcoming McLaren SUV, but a report from late 2025 suggested that it will pack an all-wheel-drive V-8 hybrid powertrain. It will be the first McLaren with four doors and five seats, and it was described as having a similar silhouette to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe, with a large rear spoiler and diffuser.Along with McLaren's announcement, a new report from Automotive News suggests another notable change in the near future, with the entry-level Artura supercar set to be discontinued in 2028. AN cited an anonymous McLaren dealer who was briefed on the plan and stated that the delayed launch—caused by the pandemic-related semiconductor shortage—and early quality issues involving the oil pump and software dissuaded many potential buyers.The Artura was the brand's first plug-in hybrid and aimed to signal a new future for the brand, but the move from a V-8 in its predecessor, the 570S, to a V-6 hybrid, and the underwhelming styling also contributed to slower sales than expected, the dealer told AN. The Artura is set to be replaced by a new mid-engined model, codenamed P34, which should arrive by the end of 2027. While it is expected to continue with a twin-turbo V-6 hybrid setup, reports put the power output at around 800 horsepower, with a more upscale cabin and a dramatic design that references the iconic McLaren F1.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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