McLaren’s new CEO, Nick Collins, isn’t wasting any time shaking things up at the British supercar maker. Fresh off securing Saudi Arabian investment that wiped out the company’s debt, Collins has already cut production by a third for 2025. The move addresses a painful reality for McLaren owners – their cars consistently depreciate faster than Italian rivals like Ferrari and Lamborghini, with some models losing 20-25% of their value in just three years according to industry data. Now Collins is exploring something McLaren has resisted for years: the creation of something that has more than 2 or 3 seats.
The production cuts are dramatic but strategic. McLaren will build just 2,000 cars in 2025, down from about 3,000 last year – a dramatic reduction aimed at increasing exclusivity and protecting resale values. The goal is clear – make McLarens rarer and more desirable during a time when recent models have suffered depreciation rates that would make any owner wince.
Collins openly admits what many enthusiasts have been saying for years – there’s “not enough differentiation” in McLaren’s current lineup. Every model follows the same formula: two seats, mid-engine layout, similar styling cues. To fix this, McLaren merged with UK startup Forseven, which is owned by CYVN, which also owns Gordon Murray’s technology development company. They’re building a new state-of-the-art design studio that promises to deliver more distinctive models going forward.
The company’s engineering priorities remain refreshingly focused on what makes supercars special. That new 916-horsepower twin-turbo V8 from the W1 hypercar will power more models in the future. Collins confirmed combustion engines and plug-in hybrids will dominate McLaren’s lineup for “a very long period of time,” with electric models potentially limited to specific markets like China. Weight reduction stays paramount too. As Collins puts it, lightness unlocks “the spirit of the car” in ways that technology can’t fake.
Perhaps the biggest news is Collins’ confirmation that McLaren is seriously exploring vehicles with more than two seats. While he won’t call it an SUV yet, the writing is on the wall. Every luxury performance brand from Lamborghini to Aston-Martin has caved to SUV demand, and even Ferrari’s Purosangue (which they insist isn’t an SUV) proves the market is there. A McLaren SUV would likely target buyers above the Range Rover Sport and Bentley Bentayga, offering something more exclusive and performance-focused.
The timing couldn’t be better for these changes. McLaren’s updated Artura has already been spotted testing, suggesting Collins’ improvements to existing development programs are bearing fruit. He promises more design, technology, quality, and “attribute integrity” in upcoming models. With debt cleared and fresh investment flowing, McLaren finally has the resources to properly compete with established rivals who’ve been building supercars for over a century.
Source: Car And Driver
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