The McLaren Speedtail is hailed as the company's first-ever Hyper-GT. Thanks to a hybrid powertrain rated at 1,035 horsepower, the Speedtail is McLaren's most powerful road car ever. The Speedtail isn't McLaren's first hybrid, however. That would be the McLaren P1, which formed part of the holy trinity of hybrid hypercars alongside the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder.

However, McLaren hasn't electrified any of its mainstream Sports Series models, but this will soon change. Later this year, McLaren will introduce its first-ever hybrid Sports Series that will replace the 570S - and this could be our first look at it in action.

While McLaren has already been caught test 570S mules, this is the real deal. Development of the new hybrid has reached the next stage, as our spy photographers have caught McLaren testing a prototype of its upcoming Sports Series hybrid for the first time.

How do we know it has a hybrid drivetrain? Take a look at the rear fender and you can clearly see a "hybrid prototype" sticker. As we saw in a leaked photo taken from the digital display, the styling appears to be inspired by the McLaren 720S, incorporating similar daytime running lights and slim oval-shaped tail lights. The dual exhaust system has also been repositioned between the taillights, mimicking the McLaren 720S.

McLaren's first hybrid Sports Series will be a plug-in hybrid, but the charging port hasn't been fitted to the prototype yet. Power will be provided by an electrified twin-turbo V6 offering an electric range of around 20 miles, but performance specifications are still being kept under wraps. This will also be the first McLaren model powered by a V6.

McLaren was planning to reveal its first-ever hybrid Sports Series this summer ahead of customer deliveries later this year, but we won't be surprised if it gets delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and go on sale next year as a 2022 model.