Yesterday

McLaren confirms new 820hp supercar for 2027

Having left an Easter egg on a literal bird, McLaren officially announces McL 820

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As you might have heard, McLaren revealed a statue of a giant Kiwi in Covent Garden this week. Usually this sort of softball marketing campaign, aimed at catching the attention of big-city dwellers, is about as interesting as a mid-roll YouTube advert. But some passersby were sufficiently bored by the street entertainers to notice that the liveried-up bird came with a name on the side: McL 820. 

Cue a predictable (and targeted, obviously) amount of internet discussion on what exactly that might mean; 24 hours later, came the official confirmation. ‘McLaren today announces McL 820, the next McLaren series supercar, coming in 2027.’ And though it does not specifically mention the outgoing 750S - the model it retired at the start of the month - clearly the newcomer will be the replacement for the firm’s long-running and highly regarded flagship. 

As you might expect, the appearance of the new name on the side of a flightless bird is not incidental; next-generation McLaren has been very forthright about its intention to make better use of its heritage, and the Kiwi - a favoured emblem of Bruce McLaren - obviously signifies that continuing effort. It also reflects the manufacturer’s new naming structure, which kicked off with the McL 6GT that it revealed at Pebble Beach in the summer. 

Since then, McLaren has busied itself with the headline-making statements about its bold plans for expansion, not least in terms of buildings and additional staff, but also in its endorsement of the elephant in the room: a future, in-house-developed SUV. It has less to say about the supercar that will precede its arrival, except to confirm that the 820 name does indeed refer to the car’s output in PS.

How it will arrive at that number is for now an open question, although given McLaren’s previous acknowledgments about where its engine technology is headed, it is safe to assume that the new V8 it plans to self-build will make its debut in the McL 820. The expectation is that the new unit will be lightly hybridised, and built to compete with top-flight options currently offered by its nearest rivals. While it offers a healthy increase over the 750S, the number is also conservative enough to allow for plenty of headroom when it comes to limited edition variants. 

Whatever the precise nature of the powertrain, expect it to be mounted in the middle of the McL 820, and for the supercar to make continued use of architectural carbon fibre - a construction method McLaren understands as well as anyone. The SUV will be built on a front-engined platform still on the drawing board, making its core model the most prominent carrier of the firm’s established DNA. And with production of the Artura and GT winding down next year, McLaren will need a formidable mid-engined poster child more than ever. Further details are promised in due course. 

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• McLaren brings curtain down on 750S
• New McLaren Mcl 6GT gets first manual since F1

[Orangutangerine]

If its styling fuses a little 6GT with a little 720S, I can't see it going far wrong.

Building an SUV is a sad but perhaps necessary evil. Performance manufacturers should really look at a different set of priorities to luxury marques. A McLaren, Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche, or even Bentley SUV should be something that could conceivably win a race. Make the body low and wide, and if it has to be jacked up, make it jacked up for sand dunes and mud pits, not Kensington kerbs and speedbumps. Most importantly, make it weigh less! Else there's no S about it, it's just a big fat squishy UV.

[ManyMotors]

Whatever technical brilliance McLaren may offer, it is becoming an also-ran. And the likely coming economic environment will not be kind to the brand. Plus, the UAE needs money for reconstruction, not shaky investments.

[PCaluta]

Orangutangerine said:

If its styling fuses a little 6GT with a little 720S, I can't see it going far wrong.

Building an SUV is a sad but perhaps necessary evil. Performance manufacturers should really look at a different set of priorities to luxury marques. A McLaren, Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche, or even Bentley SUV should be something that could conceivably win a race. Make the body low and wide, and if it has to be jacked up, make it jacked up for sand dunes and mud pits, not Kensington kerbs and speedbumps. Most importantly, make it weigh less! Else there's no S about it, it's just a big fat squishy UV.

Given McLaren's precarious current position, what you've suggested would not be a good idea financially, at all. Why would they go to the trouble and great expense of making a car just to satisfy what you'd like but with such a limited market that no-one would buy vs one that those who drive over Kensington kerbs and speed bumps be potentially interested in purchasing?

The Cayenne is a "big fat squishy" SUV yet without it, there'd likely be no Porsche. Same for Lotus with their Lifestyle vehicles.

[woops]

There are those that say all publicity is good publicity, but I find the use of this "stunt" to be highly questionable. Were the dumpy, flightless kiwi already strongly associated with McLaren, it might make sense, but literally no one sees as a distinctive asset for the brand, certainly not the average shopper in Covent Garden. It does seem that automotive brands are increasingly bewitched by the idea that people find literally anything they do in a teaser campaign to be both fascinating and translatable into people becoming brand advocates, even if it is utter BS. Though I doubt they will face the backlash Jaguar had to deal with after their "Copy Nothing" brand film, this is no better as a way to reinvigorate the brand.

[user123987]

woops said:

There are those that say all publicity is good publicity, but I find the use of this "stunt" to be highly questionable. Were the dumpy, flightless kiwi already strongly associated with McLaren, it might make sense, but literally no one sees as a distinctive asset for the brand, certainly not the average shopper in Covent Garden. It does seem that automotive brands are increasingly bewitched by the idea that people find literally anything they do in a teaser campaign to be both fascinating and translatable into people becoming brand advocates, even if it is utter BS. Though I doubt they will face the backlash Jaguar had to deal with after their "Copy Nothing" brand film, this is no better as a way to reinvigorate the brand.

What about the fact that kiwi birds are endearingly cute

[spikyone]

woops said:

There are those that say all publicity is good publicity, but I find the use of this "stunt" to be highly questionable. Were the dumpy, flightless kiwi already strongly associated with McLaren, it might make sense, but literally no one sees as a distinctive asset for the brand, certainly not the average shopper in Covent Garden. It does seem that automotive brands are increasingly bewitched by the idea that people find literally anything they do in a teaser campaign to be both fascinating and translatable into people becoming brand advocates, even if it is utter BS. Though I doubt they will face the backlash Jaguar had to deal with after their "Copy Nothing" brand film, this is no better as a way to reinvigorate the brand.

It was part of their original logo back in the 1960s - it couldn't be any more a part of their brand. The fact that some people don't know about their history is largely irrelevant, and it's in no way comparable to what Jaguar have done. McLaren are using their heritage, Jaguar have abandoned theirs.

It's fine not to know about something, but so many posters seem to use their own ignorance of McLaren as a stick to beat them with, usually within the first half a dozen posts on a story about them. At least this gets points for originality, but still...

[Mr.Grooler]

Orangutangerine said:

Else there's no S about it, it's just a big fat squishy UV.

Traditionally the S means it’s for doing sporting things, not being sporty itself - like going skiing or towing your boat. Plenty of SUVs are increasingly sporty themselves of course, but all the soft squishy ones are still SUVs.

[nismo48]

McLaren deserves some praise for their continued development and innovation.
Let's hope this new model can build on this.

[flight147z]

A little underpowered for 2026

[Mr Tidy]

McLarens all look much the same to me.

If I had silly money to spend I'd have moved a few miles from Woking to Windlesham and bought a GMA complete with an N/A engine and manual gearbox.

[Big_Steve]

So long as it doesn’t look like the 6 gt, I’ll be happy.