McLaren Automotive (Woking, Surrey, U.K.) has announced a £500 million investment program to expand its U.K. manufacturing, engineering and operations. The investment forms part of a larger commitment from McLaren Automotive shareholder L’IMAD, a sovereign investor of the Government of Abu Dhabi.
The investment will enable McLaren Automotive to expand its production capability, increasing vehicle output to ensure the next generation of McLaren Automotive cars are built in Britain, including a newly confirmed performance SUV. This will be made possible by a new vehicle assembly facility planned in the U.K.
For the first time in its history, McLaren Automotive’s future powertrains will be designed and built in-house, starting with two new engines and transmissions. This will support the company’s hybrid engine strategy, building on McLaren Automotive’s use of hybrid technology, which started with the McLaren P1.
Carbon fiber monocoques produced at McLaren's MCTC. Source | McLaren Automotive
McLaren Automotive will also expand operations at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking and its carbon fiber manufacturing and research facility in South Yorkshire at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC).
The company has recently opened two new U.K. sites — a design and innovation center at the McLaren Creation Centre in Bicester, and a testing and vehicle development facility in the Midlands. Together with its Woking headquarters and carbon fiber facility in South Yorkshire, they form an integrated U.K. operation, from design through to advanced manufacturing.
McLaren products, skills and jobs
The company is building a complete portfolio around the supercar — intentionally and carefully segmented, with the goal of maximizing brand value, desirability and client loyalty. The company is entering new categories, including plans to launch a performance SUV. The investment will provide the manufacturing capacity, technology and skills required to bring its future portfolio to market.
McLaren’s program will create at least 1,000 new direct and indirect jobs across its U.K. operations by 2032, while safeguarding existing roles. McLaren Automotive’s manufacturing workforce is set to double in the U.K., supported by new apprenticeships.
The investment will also strengthen McLaren Automotive’s expertise in lightweighting, carbon fiber and advanced manufacturing, while securing critical intellectual property and production capabilities in the U.K.
“This investment gives us the platform to grow, develop and build on what makes us distinctive, while investing in the people, technologies and products that will keep us competitive for decades to come,” says Nick Collins, CEO of McLaren Group Holdings and McLaren Automotive.
