McLaren's Initial Electric Supercar May Remain Exclusive to China | Carscoops

      Despite undergoing multiple ownership changes, McLaren seems to be in capable hands.

      The company's upcoming electric vehicles may be exclusively available in the Chinese market.

      McLaren will keep producing its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine for future models.

      The new owner from Abu Dhabi is a notable investor in the Chinese EV company Nio.

      Next year, Ferrari will venture into new territory with the launch of its first fully electric model, currently referred to as the Elettrica. Although one might expect McLaren to follow in the footsteps of its Italian competitor and expedite an EV of its own, newly appointed CEO Nick Collins has indicated that this is not currently in the plans.

      Collins took over leadership of McLaren earlier this year when VYVN Holdings, based in Abu Dhabi, completed its acquisition of the British manufacturer and merged it with a local start-up called Forseven. Fortuitously for McLaren, CYVN Holdings is a significant investor in the EV brand Nio and also owns Gordon Murray Technologies.

      Commitment to Combustion

      In an interview with Car and Driver during Monterey Car Week, Collins stated that McLaren will keep considering combustion engines and hybrid systems as its primary options for the foreseeable future.

      The company has no plans to phase out its long-established 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, despite the impressive case for the newer 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 seen in the Artura.

      In fact, Collins revealed that McLaren has recently enhanced its flagship V8 in the W1, boosting its per-liter output to 229.6 hp, a significant increase compared to the 185.3 hp/liter output of the 750S. The CEO mentioned that there will be future applications for this engine, although he did not specify which upcoming products might use it.

      A Measured Approach to EVs

      McLaren is not hastily embracing electrification, but the option for EVs remains open. Collins noted that if McLaren does introduce an electric vehicle, it would likely be confined to a specific market, such as China, which is the largest single market for EVs globally.

      Moreover, when CYVN announced McLaren's merger with Forseven, it stated that the automaker "will benefit from [its] strategic investment in Nio, to access visionary technologies and electrification."

      Looking ahead, Collins hinted that the first products from this new phase will arrive "sooner than you think." Existing projects that were already underway prior to the merger are expected to receive a boost from increased investment, indicating a busy and strategically focused future for the brand.