McLaren Automotive has announced an investment of around £500 million in its UK research, engineering and manufacturing operations. The programme is expected to create at least 1,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2032, while also confirming one of the biggest changes yet to McLaren's product strategy: a new vehicle described by the company as a performance SUV.
The UK government says the investment will expand McLaren's research and production footprint in South Yorkshire and create a new vehicle assembly facility in Britain. Capacity at Woking and at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre will also grow. The government estimates that the programme could support as many as 3,000 additional jobs across the wider automotive sector.
Powertrain development is changing too. McLaren says future powertrains will, for the first time, be designed and built in-house, beginning with two new engines and transmissions. The company links that move to its hybrid strategy. Top Gear's report on the announcement connects the new in-house powertrain programme with the forthcoming SUV.
That vehicle will take McLaren beyond the low, two-seat supercars that have defined its modern road-car business. The company is clearly looking for greater scale, but says the design, engineering and manufacturing of its future cars will remain in the UK.
The investment forms part of a broader commitment from L'IMAD, the Abu Dhabi government-backed sovereign investor that owns McLaren. McLaren has not yet disclosed the SUV's production name, launch date or detailed technical specification. For now, the confirmed development is the combination of a major UK industrial expansion, new in-house hybrid powertrains and the decision to add a performance SUV to the range.