Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Have you noticed something strange about McLaren Automotive in the past few years? From designations such as 570S and P1, the British manufacturer has now switched to nameplates like the Senna, Elva, and Speedtail.
As we wait for the second generation of the Sports Series to be unveiled with a twin-turbo V6 and plug-in hybrid powertrain, Macca also finds itself in a bit of a pinch. Not only did it restructure in such a fashion that a quarter of the employees have been laid off, but the Woking, Surrey headquarters and car collection have been mortgaged for $333 million or thereabouts last month.
Despite this turmoil, McLaren is pretty active behind the scenes. The BC-03 limited edition – pictured in the photo gallery – is under development as the life-sized version of the Vision Gran Turismo Concept. Essentially a Senna with a racecar-like shark fin and an electric motor, the yet-to-be-named-and-revealed special edition is said to number merely 15 examples of the breed.
As the headline implies, the legal team is also hard at work with international trademark filings. “Sabre” has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on June 10th under “sports cars and structural parts therefor.”
Sports cars also means supercars and hypercars in legal jargon, and this makes us wonder what kind of mid-engine marvel will come out of it. But first, remember what sabre actually means – typically a curved blade, suggesting that the mystery model will carve corners with the precision that a swordsman has with his sword. Typical of McLaren, and better than the alphanumeric names that have given us washing machines like MP4-12C.
Back in 2018, Macca announced a $1.6 billion business plan known as Track25. No fewer than 18 new models or derivatives of existing models have been confirmed, including a successor to the now-defunct P1 plug-in hybrid hypercar. Regardless of the form the Sabre will take, don’t forget that the Track25 strategy involves the hybridization of the entire lineup.
Despite this turmoil, McLaren is pretty active behind the scenes. The BC-03 limited edition – pictured in the photo gallery – is under development as the life-sized version of the Vision Gran Turismo Concept. Essentially a Senna with a racecar-like shark fin and an electric motor, the yet-to-be-named-and-revealed special edition is said to number merely 15 examples of the breed.
As the headline implies, the legal team is also hard at work with international trademark filings. “Sabre” has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on June 10th under “sports cars and structural parts therefor.”
Sports cars also means supercars and hypercars in legal jargon, and this makes us wonder what kind of mid-engine marvel will come out of it. But first, remember what sabre actually means – typically a curved blade, suggesting that the mystery model will carve corners with the precision that a swordsman has with his sword. Typical of McLaren, and better than the alphanumeric names that have given us washing machines like MP4-12C.
Back in 2018, Macca announced a $1.6 billion business plan known as Track25. No fewer than 18 new models or derivatives of existing models have been confirmed, including a successor to the now-defunct P1 plug-in hybrid hypercar. Regardless of the form the Sabre will take, don’t forget that the Track25 strategy involves the hybridization of the entire lineup.
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