Inside the Dream Factory – McLaren Track22 Product Roadmap

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McLaren Automotive is a clear favorite in the supercar world.  Just look at the rocket-like launch trajectory of the firm in just six years!  It is causing serious pain to rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini, all while delivering great pleasure to its growing owner base. 570S GT4-2 1900 copy

The launches come fast and furious from Woking, however, and it can be confusing.  Or, just irritating… depending on how recently your new McLaren was superseded by an even newer, hotter model.

So it is good to hear that there is method to the rapid product rollouts, ultra-short model cycles of McLaren Cars.

Track22 is what McLaren calls their medium-term product roadmap — and details the plan in the below video from the Geneva auto show.

An actual flowchart of what is coming when?  That would be nice… but is not present in this general strategy outline. 6281-Track22_076280-Track22_06_001

There are delicious details to satisfy the future-cars lover in all of us:

— full EV drivetrain in development for 2019 McLaren ‘P2’ — Ultimate Series car to replace the P1.  Not likely to be called the P2, by the way, despite its clean and simple appeal.   Or perhaps E1 would be better, and not make anyone think of Podium 2 position.  Aka second place.  Touchy subject.

The ‘E1’ will be no kitty cat.  It is expected to use twin Motor Generator Units for an AWD vehicle.  McLaren already is a key F1 supplier to many other teams using this tech.  It also sees duty in every FIA Formula E car as the sole powertrain.

— 15 new models and variants before 2021.  Coming soonest?  No confirmations, of course, but we’d wager they are:  P1 Spider, P1 LongTail, 570S Cabrio, 675 Speedster and more.

— the LT longtail badge will grow from the 675LT into a track-focused subbrand for McLaren.  So, one might assume a 590LT may be en route with loud exhaust, track springs and some lurid wings.

All seems well and good. The McLaren team certainly has found stellar homes for its range of mid-engine exotics.  One engine and core chassis…. births 30-plus models over its lifetime?!  Impressive.

The names, though.

It is a disjointed alphabet soup, and only getting worse with every NEWNEWNEW! model.  GTR ,GT3, GT4, MSO, LT, Sprint, 12C, MP4, 540C, 570S, 570GT, 650S…..   so many badges.

Not sure how to fix that, or if it needs fixing.  The core “McLaren” brand does rise to the top when surrounded by alphanumerics.  Perhaps that was the goal all along.  Even so, clean it up a bit guys.

As a special bonus, here is a look inside the dream-factory preparing P1 GTRs to match their very wealthy owners’ personal track style!

TRACK22 – THE ROAD TO 2022

As well as unveiling the new 570GT at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt also used the occasion to make some important announcements about the future of the company more broadly. 

‘We’ve been in business now as a company for six years, and we’ve taken a lot of time to look out into the future,’ Mike explained, standing on McLaren’s new, larger show stand. ‘We’ve redefined our business plan for the coming six years, taking us out to 2022. We’ve called it ‘Track22’ because it defines the track we’re on, into the future, and it’s a track that gives us a very profitable and sustainable business.’

Highlights of the Track22 plan include an investment of £1 billion into R&D over the coming six years, leading to the launch of 15 all-new cars or derivatives. Mike confirmed this investment will be self-funded.

McLaren will continue to focus purely on two-seater sports and supercars, and Mike revealed that a spider version of the Sports Series is already in the pipeline, to join the 570S and new 570GT. Standing alongside the McLaren 675LT Spider – which made its public debut at the show – he also said the LT badge will become a track-focused sub-brand for McLaren, with further models to come.

Finally, the plan encompasses new powertrains, with a fully electric system already in the prototype stages for evaluation in a possible future-generation Ultimate Series car. By 2022, the Track22 plan says that at least 50 per cent of McLaren cars will feature hybrid technology, following in the footsteps of the hugely successful petrol-electric McLaren P1™.

‘Above all, this Business Plan confirms that McLaren Automotive will remain proudly and fiercely independent by continuing to build the world’s finest two-seater sports and supercars, hand-crafted by our team in Woking, England.’ Mike concluded. 

P1 GTR Workshop