McLaren has announced that a 500 million pound sterling (RM2.7 billion) investment programme will expand the supercar maker’s manufacturing, engineering and operations towards the development of its next-generation models, which will include a performance SUV.
The expansion of McLaren Automotive will include a new vehicle assembly facility in the United Kingdom for the production of its SUV, while McLaren Automotive will also have two new engines and transmissions built in-house for the first time in its history, according to the brand.
Operations will also expand its operations at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, and its carbon-fibre manufacturing and research facility at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in South Yorkshire, it said.
According to Autocar, the upcoming McLaren SUV could feature a carbon-fibre tub construction, and this could spawn other, front-engined models for the brand in the future. In addition to the SUV, McLaren plans to enter new product categories, said the manufacturer.
McLaren said that its product expansion programme will create at least 1,000 new jobs, directly and indirectly, across McLaren operations by 2032, while safeguarding existing jobs. The workforce at McLaren Automotive is set to double in the United Kingdom, it said.
Mclaren chief operating officer Michael Straughan told Autocar that the brand’s growth into new car segments requires the increase of production capacity.
“No longer will we be only rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive cars. There’s going to be front-engined, and either four-wheel drive or perhaps rear-wheel drive in the future. It’s very difficult off one assembly line, so we need another assembly line – wherever we decide to put that,” Straughan said.
The British supercar maker would not look to build its cars on a production line within another manufacturer’s factory in the United Kingdom as “low volume is quite disruptive to an OEM’s larger volumes”, so its new production facility will be all-new and bespoke, the report wrote.
Never say never? McLaren isn’t the first supercar maker to capitulate on SUVs. Historic rival Ferrari was of a similar sentiment before it rolled out the Purosangue.
Whenever I see a British carmaker say they want to bring more things “in house”, I recall that fire extinguisher scene from The IT Crowd comedy. McLaren as of now isn’t really all that better than JLR in terms of reliability anyway.