New McLaren Hybrid Supercar Will Have Over 600 HP

It's been nearly ten years since McLaren built its last all-new series production car, theMP4-12C. Now, the British automaker is preparing to embrace electrification with anew plug-in hybrid entry-level supercar. Previewed in recent teaser images andleaked patents, McLaren's new hybrid, will replace McLaren's current 570S, 570GT, and 600LT Sports Series cars and slot in between theMcLaren GTandMcLaren 720Sas part of a new High Performance Hybrid series. For the first time, McLaren's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 will be replaced with a twin-turbocharged V6 paired with a plug-in hybrid system, which will still be built by Ricardo. This setup will deliver "astonishing levels of performance and a uniquely intense driving experience."

According to Autocar, this electrified powertrain will be more powerful than the current 562-hp McLaren 570S and have an output "well in excess of 600 hp." There will also be a "substantial increase in torque" thanks to the electric motors. For reference, the 570S has 443 lb-ft of torque on tap.

Slotting between the GT and 720S also suggests McLaren's new hybrid supercar will have between 612 hp and 710 hp, but Autocar's claim suggests the output will be closer to the 720S than the GT. The electric battery will also enable a pure electric driving range of a "touch under 20 miles."

Inevitably, adding a heavy battery pack and electric motors will increase the car's weight, but McLaren boss Mike Flewitt is confident the car will only be around 66-88 pounds heavier than the 570S so expect it to weigh around 3,300 pounds - that's less than a Honda NSX and Ferrari SF90 Stradale. To keep the car light, the new hybrid supercar will be underpinned by the newMcLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture, which replaces the Monocell carbon-fiber tub that debuted on the MP4- 12C and was updated in 2015 as the MonoCell II.

Like the original Monocell, it will combine a carbon fiber central structure with aluminum subframes. Flewitt claims the new lightweight chassis is "every bit as revolutionary" and has "greater structural integrity and higher levels of quality". It will also have greater bodystyle and powertrain flexibility, so expect future McLaren models to have more distinct designs.

As we've seen in the teasers and leaked photos, McLaren's new hybrid will have an evolutionary design. The front will be inspired by the Elva speedster and 720S, while the interior could inspire future models. McLaren's new hybrid is also expected to have a higher asking price than the current Sports Series cars. The 570S starts at $192,500, but the new hybrid could cost almost as much as the $299,000 McLaren 720S. A final name for the High Performance Hybrid hasn't been confirmed, but exotic trademark names such as Artura, Vion, Arkon, Veo, and GTZ registered by McLaren could provide some clues. We'll find out more details when McLaren's new hybrid supercar debuts in the first half of 2021.