According to rumors, McLaren is secretly developing “a car for family purposes.” The company wanted to add more product lines to its portfolio to increase sales. Once more, there are whispers about a McLaren SUV. The procedure has allegedly already begun, according to UK-based Car magazine’s interview with McLaren CEO Michael Leiters. Leiters strongly implied that McLaren’s “family vehicle” will also be all-electric and its first SUV.
In the interview, Leiters’ statements sound ambiguous because he has discussed how a McLaren SUV may materialize rather than providing a definitive denial that it is presently in production.
A Car for Family Purposes
The CEO of McLaren said that he wouldn’t want to produce an electric supercar using today’s modern lithium-ion batteries simply because it would cost too much and not handle as effectively as an ICE or hybrid McLaren. However, an electric SUV or “limousine” might be acceptable, since handling wouldn’t be as crucial and it could make it highly strong.
It’s plausible to conclude that Leiters meant “a car for family purposes” to refer to an SUV even though he never specifically said such a vehicle was in the works. Admittedly, Leiters had served for Ferrari, wherein his final project was the Purosangue, before joining McLaren. Additionally, Leiters worked as a project manager at Porsche before joining Ferrari, where he contributed to Cayenne’s development.
Financially speaking, a “Super SUV” is an excellent idea for McLaren. Other supercar manufacturers have launched SUVs with remarkable success. Making an SUV would surely be a wise choice given McLaren’s continued financial difficulties.
