First, there was the Porsche Cayenne. When it debuted in 2002, fans were furious because it was considered unacceptable for a sportscar maker to dip its toe into the highly lucrative SUV world.

But guess what? The critics later realized that in order to keep making the beloved 911, Porsche needed to make money, and the Cayenne–later the Macan, too–was the solution. Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lotus and even Ferrari followed suit with their own interpretations of “non-an-SUV” and now McLaren is about to do the same.

Known globally for its numerous racing wins, as well as for the record-setting 30-year-old McLaren F1, the Woking-based British automaker is in a bit of a financial pickle. Even though you may have seen several Youtubers flaunting their 540, 720 and more recently Artura supercars online, the company that got its name from New Zealand-bord Bruce McLaren lost more than half a million dollars per car last year, according to Road & Track, who sat down with the company’s CEO Michael Leiters about what’s next.

Even though it’s been in business for over three decades, losing so much money per vehicle is beyond the imagination of even new startups, but Leiters has several solutions to turn things around.

The first is to limit the number of cars that roll off the assembly line. McLarens are exclusive supercars, known for their low weight and sensational handling, but even with 2,137 cars sold worldwide in 2023, the automaker’s CEO said they need to cut back to keep residual values high. An identical approach is used by Ferrari, and it seems to work wonders for the Italian brand.

Another solution to get McLaren out of the financial slump is to get into the SUV space. But, just like Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Lotus, don’t expect to see the SUV acronym anywhere near McLaren’s future supercar on stilts.

The 2013 P1 was McLaren’s first plug-in hybrid

“To unlock our full potential as a company, we believe there is a second stage, to enlarge and expand our lineup beyond the segment where we are today,” Leiters said for Road & Track. “We have called this ‘shared performance,’ because you can share the performance with more people than you can have in a McLaren today.”

In other words, you’ll need to wrap your head around yet another automotive moniker–SPV, or Shared Performance Vehicle. In the case of McLaren, the SUV-that’s-not-an-SUV will likely use a plug-in hybrid powertrain, either with a V-6 or V-8 engine under the hood.

Another possibility is for the British automaker to team up with a bigger car company to shove its hybrid setup into an existing platform. Leiters didn’t say what that automaker may be, but Road & Track theorized that BMW might be a worthy candidate, seeing how it dabbled with McLaren in the past and it has a ready-made high-performance, hybridized platform in the form of the XM.

The 2023 McLaren Artura uses the company’s latest chassis and PHEV tech that includes an axial flux e-motor

That said, McLaren is all about lightness, and the BMW XM is anything but light, weighing a hefty 6,200 pounds. According to Leiters, however, the Woking supercar maker could use its expertise to make whatever platform lighter. “The core attribute of a McLaren is lightweight. We have world-class competence we could bring into a partnership, even talking about structural elements of a platform,” McLaren’s CEO added.

Pricing-wise, the British automaker’s plug-in SPV would be closer to a Ferrari Purosangue and Rolls-Royce Cullinan rather than the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga. That suggests a price tag of around $400,000.

Besides dabbling in the SUV segment, McLaren is also working on its first-ever all-electric supercar that has a target weight of just 3,300 lbs. Referring to the likes of the Rimac Nevera, Pininfarina Battista and Lotus Evija, Leiters said that his definition of a supercar is based on weight, not just performance.

“For me, a supercar that weighs two tons is no supercar,” he said. “It is easy to have a better power output to increase the performance. This is longitudinal performance if you like. Acceleration. But the better question is, what is the lateral performance? You cannot deliver that if the weight is too high.”

Shots fired, we’d say.

McLaren Working On PHEV SUV That Isn’t An SUV: CEO

In a recent announcement, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt revealed that the renowned British automaker is currently developing a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that defies the traditional conventions of an SUV. This new vehicle, which Flewitt describes as a “two-seater with all-wheel drive,” is expected to offer the high-performance and luxury elements for which McLaren is known, while also incorporating the environmental benefits of electric power.

Despite the growing popularity of SUVs in the automotive market, McLaren has opted to take a different approach with their PHEV model. According to Flewitt, the decision to create a vehicle that challenges the traditional SUV design was driven by a desire to offer customers a unique and exciting driving experience. By combining the power and efficiency of a PHEV system with the dynamic handling and precision engineering that McLaren is renowned for, this new model aims to push the boundaries of performance and sustainability in the automotive industry.

While specific details about the PHEV model have not yet been released, Flewitt hinted that it will feature a hybrid powertrain that delivers impressive performance capabilities as well as reduced emissions. This aligns with McLaren’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, as the automaker aims to reduce its environmental impact while continuing to produce high-performance vehicles.

In addition to the PHEV model, McLaren has also announced plans to introduce a fully electric supercar by the end of the decade. This demonstrates the automaker’s commitment to embracing electric technology and developing innovative solutions for the future of mobility.

Overall, McLaren’s decision to develop a PHEV model that challenges the conventions of an SUV showcases their dedication to pushing the boundaries of automotive design and performance. With a focus on sustainability, performance, and luxury, this new vehicle is sure to excite and inspire automotive enthusiasts around the world. Stay tuned for more updates on McLaren’s latest developments in the world of high-performance, eco-friendly vehicles.