McLaren's future plans include a mysterious model with more than two seats (2 photos)
McLaren’s Future Plans
McLaren will announce an all-new model by the end of this year. Future models are expected to include advanced components from Nio. CEO Nick Collins aims to build the company ready for the next 50 years.
Mergers and new opportunities
Earlier this year, CYVN Holdings, the Abu Dhabi-based investment group that owns McLaren Group, announced a merger of the automaker with an unknown startup called Forseven. The company had been operating in secrecy and had plans to launch a number of luxury cars when CYVN decided that combining the two entities would be a smart move.
The partnership is set to transform the McLaren brand in the coming years. Now under Nick Collins’ leadership, the company will launch a number of new models, including one due to be unveiled this year. Collins also confirmed that there will definitely be a new McLaren with more than two seats.
Expanding the range
We know – plus or minus 10 percent – everything we’re going to do by 2030, and we have a design brief for each new product. There will be more of what we’ve always done, but better, and then we’ll go into the adjacent segments. You’ll definitely see something with more than two seats, but that still leaves us with a fairly broad field. And as I said, even in the two-seater segment we could have a lot more variety.
What this means in practice is still unclear. Collins did not specify whether the new model will be a sedan, an SUV or something else. Given the huge popularity of SUVs and the fact that key competitors such as Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini also sell SUVs, following their example would probably be a wise decision for McLaren. If such a car also sells in large numbers, it could help finance new sports cars and supercars. 
Partnership with Nio
The deal between McLaren and Forseven also includes Chinese automaker Nio, as CYVN owns a 20% stake in the brand. As a result, future McLaren models will include “Nio components… much earlier than you think, at the component level,” Collins said.
A decade-long strategy
Whatever the future holds for McLaren, the company has the investment it needs to become a significant player in the market.
This is not a two-year or three-year private equity deal. It’s also not the other end of the spectrum – not an ego project where they’re going to fund losses forever. We want to build a business that can generate free cash flow that can fund its own future. Only if we do that will we ever create the kind of legacy we’re talking about. I want people to be able to come to McLaren for many, many years to come. We can’t just look at a 10-year horizon. We have to build a company for 50 years.
A new model announcement by the end of the year, especially one with more than two seats, could dramatically change McLaren’s market position. Integrating Nio’s technology could give their cars a competitive edge in electrification and smart systems. McLaren’s long-term strategy of building a sustainable business sets it apart from many other manufacturers that often focus on short-term results. The success of this strategy could determine not only the future of the brand, but also the development of the entire premium car segment in the coming decades.
