Introduced in 2015 during the New York International Auto Show, the Sports Series brought the McLaren Automotive brand to more customers than ever before thanks to the lower starting price and shorter waiting times. But five years on, the time has come for the British automaker to deliver the second generation of its best-selling family of supercars.
We don’t know how the newcomer is called, and enthusiasts can’t seem to agree on its nomenclature either. McLaren may continue with three digits and a letter or it may switch to proper nameplates such as the Senna, Elva, Speedtail, and so forth. Whatever the future holds in this regard, we do know that big very changes are hiding under the skin.
For starters, forget the twin-turbo V8 with 3.8 liters of displacement from the outgoing Sports Series. McLaren didn’t shy away from confirming that it’s working on an electrified vehicle architecture and a twin-turbo V6, translating to plug-in hybrid assistance. The high voltage stickers on this prototype confirm the automaker’s statements as well as the rumors, and hearsay suggests up to 20 miles of EV driving range.
The powerplant may be downsized from the M840T that McLaren utilizes in everything from the 720S to the Speedtail, but with two fewer cylinders at 0.5 liters each. That would put the engine on par with the 3.0-liter Nettuno that Maserati developed for the MC20, a twin-turbo V6 with 630 metric horsepower and no electrification at all.
Maserati will sweeten the deal with a three-motor EV option at some point in the future, but McLaren isn’t prepared to make the switch to all-electric powertrains fo the time being. The British automaker’s explanation is rather simple, and the weight of lithium-ion batteries is the biggest culprit to the corner-carving capabilities of an otherwise light car.
Built at the McLaren Composites Technology Center, the carbon-fiber tub of the new Sports Series “utilizes innovative, world-first processes and techniques to strip out excess mass while improving safety attributes.” The new architecture also enables the automaker to transition to 100-percent electric powertrains, but as mentioned beforehand, don’t get your hopes up for all-electric propulsion before 2025 or thereabouts.
For starters, forget the twin-turbo V8 with 3.8 liters of displacement from the outgoing Sports Series. McLaren didn’t shy away from confirming that it’s working on an electrified vehicle architecture and a twin-turbo V6, translating to plug-in hybrid assistance. The high voltage stickers on this prototype confirm the automaker’s statements as well as the rumors, and hearsay suggests up to 20 miles of EV driving range.
The powerplant may be downsized from the M840T that McLaren utilizes in everything from the 720S to the Speedtail, but with two fewer cylinders at 0.5 liters each. That would put the engine on par with the 3.0-liter Nettuno that Maserati developed for the MC20, a twin-turbo V6 with 630 metric horsepower and no electrification at all.
Maserati will sweeten the deal with a three-motor EV option at some point in the future, but McLaren isn’t prepared to make the switch to all-electric powertrains fo the time being. The British automaker’s explanation is rather simple, and the weight of lithium-ion batteries is the biggest culprit to the corner-carving capabilities of an otherwise light car.
Built at the McLaren Composites Technology Center, the carbon-fiber tub of the new Sports Series “utilizes innovative, world-first processes and techniques to strip out excess mass while improving safety attributes.” The new architecture also enables the automaker to transition to 100-percent electric powertrains, but as mentioned beforehand, don’t get your hopes up for all-electric propulsion before 2025 or thereabouts.