McLaren Already Working On Lightweight Hybrid V8 For New Hypercar

Apr. 28, 2023 5:41 PM ET by Ian Wright Rumor / 6 Comments

It's for a new F1-inspired supercar.

McLaren launched its first hybrid supercar last year but is already telling dealers about a new, lighter hybrid powertrain, according to Automotive News.

The new powertrain will be used in a new flagship F1-inspired car, part of the Ultimate Series. It will reportedly arrive in 2026 to replace the 750S.

These revelations come via "two dealer sources" who attended a global retailer meeting in the UK. These sources said the powertrain would be based around an in-house developed V8 engine, with the hybrid system being 70% lighter than the already lightweight system in the Artura. The new hypercar will also feature a new dihedral door design, 3D-printed suspension parts, and aerodynamic design concepts inspired by Formula 1.

McLaren

McLaren

The current system is based around a small, lightweight axial flux motor. The whole car weighs just 3,303 pounds and, matched with the turbocharged V6, makes 671 horsepower. According to the sources, the new system "produces much more horsepower and delivers the power more directly to the transmission."

It sounds like McLaren will be gunning for the upcoming Ferrari LaFerrari successor. The report also circles back to the long-rumored and hinted-about McLaren SUV.

It quotes McLaren as saying it will "bring in another class of automobile in 2028," Specifically, McLaren's director of product strategy, Jamie Corstorphine, says, "Stay tuned. It may have four doors and four seats."

CarBuzz

2022-2023 McLaren Artura Rear-Facing View

CarBuzz

We assume McLaren means another class for the brand rather than the market in general because all the permutations are already available worldwide, including Ferrari's SUV, which it says isn't an SUV.

How high-riding it is, whether it's a crossover, that's to be decided," Corstorphine has said before.

What we can be sure of is that the four-door vehicle won't be all-electric. When CarBuzz spoke with Corstorphine about EVs at the Artura's launch, he was unconvinced by all-electric cars. He talked about other alternatives and now tells dealers, "McLaren doesn't feel EV technology is there. It's an answer, but it's not the answer."