It really is inevitable, isn’t it? After holding out for what seems like an eternity, McLaren could now be the next supercar maker to turn to the dark side. Speaking to Autocar UK in an exclusive interview, new McLaren Automotive boss Michael Leiters said that they are open to launching an SUV, and the carmaker is now actively investigating what form such a model may take.
Leiters is no stranger to SUVs, having overseen two launches of such models, one in Ferrari (as Chief Technology Officer), and one in Porsche. “I love SUVs […] I think it’s a really important market,” Leiters says. “It still is, and it continues to grow. It’s very attractive as a market segment.”
The CEO says that McLaren will not be building one just because he likes it, however. “What we have to understand as McLaren is, ‘how can we find a product that is in line with our DNA?’. We shouldn’t do a classic SUV,” he added, insisting that the model is still very much in the discussion phase, and McLaren is also open to other ideas and models instead of, or in addition to, an SUV.
Why the sudden change of heart from McLaren? At the end of the day, it always comes down to money, especially after seeing its competitors post record-breaking sales figures led by crossovers and SUVs.
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Porsche delivered more cars in 2021 than at any point in its 91-year history, with the Macan and Cayenne together accounting for well over its 300,000 sales. In contrast, the 911 only accounted for 38,464 units.
The Lamborghini Urus is now the Italian marque’s best-selling model of all time, and the DBX also made up half of all Aston Martin global sales in 2021 – and that’s just in its first full year on sale.
Leiters said that a McLaren SUV will have a knock-on effect onto its current range of sports cars, as it would lead to greater brand awareness and acceptance. He added that at Porsche, many of their Cayenne customers ended up buying a 911 too.
The advancement of its own electric technology and carbon-fibre chassis also allowed McLaren to experiment with different sizes, proportions, and body styles.
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Rumours are rife about McLaren entering into a partnership with another major carmaker, with talks with BMW and Audi known to have taken place. The McLaren SUV may be one of the first models to spawn from said partnership. Leiters confirmed that McLaren was interested in working with a partner, although he clarifies that no deal was imminent.
“You have two sides of a partnership, one is technology and one is financial,” he said. “And if you find both in one, definitely that will be the best. But the first thing is to have a technology partner to create synergies. But it has to be the right partner.”
“We have to maintain our DNA; I’m not interested in any partner which gives me only ‘me too’ technology. So the question is to find the right partner; the question is not to find a partner,” Leiters added.
