McLaren’s once-a-decade debut augurs all-hybrid supercar future
McLaren Automotive’s first new vehicle chassis in a decade will carry a big burden, underpinning the supercar maker’s launch into gas-electric hybrid models debuting next year.
The carbon fiber architecture unveiled Tuesday is purpose-built to enable the British manufacturer to transition entirely to electrified supercars, McLaren said in a statement. Its composites technology center in Northern England’s Sheffield region developed the chassis and will produce it.
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McLaren has struggled in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on sales and idled its Formula One racing franchise. It raised 150 million pounds ($196 million) last month from the National Bank of Bahrain, an affiliate of Mumtalakat, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund and its largest shareholder.
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The company had previously warned it could run out of money by mid-July after noteholders opposed a plan to raise funds by mortgaging its headquarters and a historic car collection.
While Aston Martin has scuppered plans for an electric supercar after struggling with bloated inventory and debt, Porsche introduced its first all-electric model -- the Taycan -- last year.
