McLaren P47 (Hybrid Performance SUV)

McLaren Makes Room for Five

McLaren is preparing its first performance SUV, a major shift for a company whose production cars have never had more than two seats. The four-door, five-seat project is known internally as P47 and will use a hybrid powertrain. It puts the brand into the same rarefied utility-vehicle territory as Ferrari and Lamborghini, but with the handling expectations attached to a McLaren badge.

A Big Bet Behind the Bodywork

McLaren has tied a £500 million investment in UK engineering and manufacturing to the SUV program. The funding covers expanded research, development, and production capacity, including work toward building future engines in-house. Dealers have seen a clay model described as heavily sculpted and wearing 24-inch wheels; those preview details are a glimpse of the design, not a final specification sheet. The company's stated goal is a performance-focused vehicle rather than an ordinary family crossover.

Why P47 Matters to the Whole Range

The SUV is expected around 2028 and is part of a wider plan for new McLaren models. Its four usable doors could bring in buyers who cannot make a two-seat supercar work, while its sales help fund the next generation of sports cars. The open question is how convincingly McLaren can carry its driving character into a much larger shape. That is what will make P47 interesting well beyond the SUV market.