CEO, MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE
McLaren, founded in 1963, was a motorsport company until 2011, when it launched its first mass-produced car, the MP4-12C. (We’ll refer to the F1 supercar of the ’90s as more of a bespoke vanity project.) Under CEO Mike Flewitt—who spent much of his career at Ford and had stints at Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and others before joining McLaren in 2012—the company has a clear product and business plan. It has gone from its first somewhat muddled launch to strong products, three years of profits, continued growth, and a sense of stability with sales in 30 markets.
You are still working on your Track 22 business plan? The plan outlined where we were going over the next seven years. The world needed to know what McLaren is doing. Each new car is a surprise because we haven’t got this history behind us. We said we would launch 15 new cars by 2022; it was called Track 22 because initially it went from 2015 to 2022.
Is Senna GTR one of the 15 cars? No, not the GTR, but we count a spider variant, so when we announced the 570S Spider last year, that was the second car. The 720S was the first. Senna is the third.
This story is from the June 2018 edition of Motor Trend.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2018 edition of Motor Trend.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
THERE’S NO REST FOR SUV MAKERS IN THE INTENSE QUEST TO BE THE BEST
THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR
Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space
AGENTS OF ZERO
WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
THEY LISTENED
THE NEW TESLA MODEL 3 HIGHLAND FIXES NEARLY EVERYTHING WE HATED ABOUT THE OLD CAR
2023 Lexus RZ
Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZ 450e is the brand’s first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexus’ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)
2024 Kia Seltos
If you’ve been a fan of Kia’s recent styling direction but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, the 2024 Kia Seltos is a great way to get a rolling piece of that design aesthetic at a reasonable price.
2023 Jeep Compass
When asked to identify an off-road vehicle, the average person will point to just about any Jeep.
2024 Hyundai Kona
The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. It’s larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something we’re already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?
2023 Ford Escape
The Escape is one of those SUVs that hasn’t ranked at the top of its class for a long time, but every time we drive one, we’re pleasantly surprised. Although it perpetually feels a little outdated, there’s some inherent goodness baked into the Escape.