Nick Collins, a newly appointed CEO of McLaren, has given an interview to Car and Driver where he explained his vision of the British marque’s future. Design and styling will be prioritized now, and the company is looking into releasing an affordable and practical four-seater.
According to Collins, the company may no longer survive exclusively on mid-engined supercars with two seats. The lineup needs to be expanded soon, and the models added should be different from the current offerings. This sounds like a possible hint an SUV coming further down the line, but McLaren hasn’t confirmed it yet.
Design-wise, the automaker plans to enlist the help of the UK-based startup firm Forseven, which has previously worked with the automaker and proven its expertise.
The electrification is still in the plans, but it won’t be total. Collins says the future of the industry is in hybrids right now, so the classical V8 engine isn’t quite ready for retirement. A fully electric supercar might be viable, but even if it does get released, it will probably stick to select markets, like China.
Collins stepped in to lead McLaren after its acquisition by Abu Dhabi-based CYVN Holdings this spring. As soon as the deal with the investor was finalized, the British company settled all of its debts, meaning it can now consider various long-term revitalization strategies. To keep itself afloat, McLaren had to slash the planned vehicle production to just 2,000 units in 2025, as opposed to 3,000 the year before. Company representatives explained that it was being done to support the residual value of the cars already on sale and to prevent excess inventory buildup.
