Controversial electric SUV lies at the heart of McLaren's relaunch

McLAREN Automotive is at a crossroads - under new ownership and leadership, and on the brink of a radical push into electric SUVs as its range is overhauled.

- By Phil McNamara [e-mail]

Abu Dhabi investment fund CYVN Holdings acquired the supercar business and a non-controlling stake in McLaren's Formula One race team in April. CYVN immediately merged McLaren with its other automotive assets: a 700-employee British engineering startup then operating under the name Forseven, the technology division of Gordon Murray Automotive and a technology licence deal with Chinese EV maker Nio.

This new British luxury car group – McLaren Group Holdings – has vowed to transform McLaren Automotive under Nick Collins, Jaguar Land Rover's former R&D boss.

"We'll do what McLaren has always done, but do more of it and do it even better," the new CEO told Auto Express in an exclusive interview.

The McLaren W1 hybrid hypercar (right) is on course for launch in 2026, followed by a push into electric SUVs potentially as soon as 2027.