McLaren Fundamentally Confirms a New Vehicle with More Than Two Seats

McLaren has been busy rolling out the Artura and the wild W1, but the bigger headline this week is what comes next. Newly installed CEO Nick Collins says the brand has a product on the way with more than two seats. He stopped short of naming it outright, yet the message is clear. McLaren is preparing to move beyond its traditional two seat supercar template.

That shift fits the new reality in Woking. McLaren Automotive is now under CYVN Holdings with Forseven folded into the business, and there is fresh emphasis on speed to market and smarter industrial partnerships. Collins has talked about tapping supplier tech and manufacturing know how in a way that keeps McLaren’s feel intact while trimming build times and complexity. In plain terms, the goal is to get better McLarens into customer driveways faster.

So what is this mystery model. The safe money says SUV. An SUV would open the brand to families and daily duty in a way a mid engine coupe never will, and the market has already shown there is room at the top for performance heavy, six figure utility. Think of how Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche carved out volume with vehicles that still drive like their badges promise. McLaren has the chassis expertise, the hybrid powertrains, and now the backing to make that formula work.

There is another path worth mentioning. McLaren could revive the grand spirit of the F1’s practicality with a modern 2+2 sports car or something similar. A lighter, lower, four place machine would preserve the brand’s razor sharp dynamics while adding day to day usefulness. Enthusiasts would love it, and it would keep McLaren anchored to the road car DNA that made the company famous. Still, if you poll industry watchers, most believe the first out of the gate will be an SUV.

Timeline hints are already out there. Collins says the product plan is locked through 2030 and early design work is complete across the slate. That means the big architectural decisions have been made, the look is taking shape, and the engineering teams know what they are building toward. It also means McLaren can line up supplier content earlier, an important lever now that the group has broader ties into Asia and the Middle East.

Powertrain direction remains pragmatic. McLaren is clearly not rushing to do a full battery electric halo car. Hybrids like Artura and the V8 hybrid in W1 show where near term focus lies while the company watches the EV segment mature. If this new multi seat model does arrive first, expect an electrified setup that fits McLaren’s lightness first mantra and delivers the immediate torque customers expect in a premium utility or 2+2.

If you are a long time McLaren fan, the idea of a school run McLaren might feel like heresy. History says otherwise. The brands that stay independent longest are the ones that find sustainable volume without walking away from what they do best. A McLaren that seats more than two, steers like a McLaren, and looks every bit the part could be the bridge that keeps the supercar lineup sharp for years to come.

Bottom line. McLaren is widening the lane. Whether the first stop is an SUV or a clever 2+2, the company is gearing up to give buyers a McLaren they can use more often without losing the magic that makes the badge special. We will be watching closely as the covers start to come off.

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