The unthinkable has happened in Woking. McLaren, the British supercar maker that built its reputation on pure two-seater adrenaline, is finally admitting defeat. The company just confirmed what many thought would never happen. A McLaren with more than two seats is coming.
The Sacred Two-Seat Rule Is Dead
For years, McLaren stood alongside Ferrari as the last holdouts. While other luxury brands chased SUV money, these two remained stubborn. They believed supercars should only seat two people. That philosophy worked when the world was different.
But times change, and so do sales. Even Ferrari caved in 2022 with the Purosangue. Sure, they refuse to call it an SUV. They branded it a “Ferrari Utility Vehicle” instead. The acronym FUV sounds better than SUV, apparently.
Now, McLaren CEO Nick Collins has dropped the bombshell. The company will “definitely” build something with more than two seats. The announcement should come before the end of this year.
What Could McLaren Possibly Build?
Collins stayed tight-lipped about specifics. He only said McLaren would enter “adjacent segments” while staying true to its core values. That leaves plenty of room for speculation. The safest bet? A four-seat grand touring coupe. Think of it as McLaren’s answer to the Ferrari FF or the iconic GTC 4 Lusso.
Two doors, four real seats, and enough luggage space for weekend trips. This approach would maintain some brand purity. But McLaren could go bolder. A shooting brake wagon would turn heads at every country club. Or they might shock everyone with a full-blown four-door sedan. Imagine a McLaren limousine for billionaires who need back seats.
The wildest possibility? A proper SUV to compete with the Purosangue. McLaren has never built an AWD car. But the new management might change that rule, too.
New Money, New Possibilities
McLaren’s recent sale to CYVN Holdings changed everything. This Abu Dhabi investment group also owns Gordon Murray Technologies and holds stakes in Chinese EV maker Nio. Suddenly, McLaren has access to cutting-edge electric tech and lightweight construction methods.
Gordon Murray’s iStream technology could be game-changing. It reduces car weight by over 20 % while making bodies stronger. That expertise could help McLaren build a four-seater that still feels like a proper supercar.
Conclusion
Let’s be honest about why this is happening. Two-seat supercars are becoming a niche within a niche. Wealthy buyers seek practicality alongside performance. They need cars that are suitable for both family duties and business meetings.
Ferrari learned this lesson the hard way. The Purosangue became their best-seller almost immediately. McLaren closely monitored those sales numbers. The purists (including us) will cry betrayal. They’ll claim McLaren is selling its soul for profit.
But companies need to survive, and survival sometimes means evolution. Even the most sacred automotive traditions eventually bend to market forces. McLaren’s biggest plot twist is about to unfold. Would you buy a McLaren SUV if they made one? Let us know in the comments below. Keep following the Arabwheels Blog for more content like this.