McLaren commits to not building SUV
On the heels of Lamborghini unveiling its Urus 4x4 and Ferrari confirming it will build a sport utility within two years, McLaren has reaffirmed that of the 12 new vehicles it wants to debut by 2022, not one will be an SUV.
“I’m not the first person to point out an SUV is neither particularly sporty or utilitarian,” Top Gear recently quoted Dan Parry-Williams, McLaren’s chief stylist, who uses the expression “Everything for a reason” to define the company’s minimalist design philosophy. “(An SUV is) not ‘everything for a reason,’ unless the reason is to clutter up the streets.”
The supercar manufacturer has previously been quite transparent regarding its Track22 plan outlining the next five years. The 12 new cars it plans to reveal in that time will slot into its three ranges: the entry-level Sports Series (540 and 570); the mid-range Super Series (720S and similar); and the hypercar-grade Ultimate Series (the P1, Senna, and BP23). The cars will be the result of some $1.7 billion in research and development.
Nearly every volume automaker today either builds an SUV or has plans to build one, even high-end sports car manufacturers Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Lotus. Executives at Ferrari had previously vowed never to build an SUV, but this week conceded they are planning a “Ferrari Utility Vehicle,” while Rolls-Royce plans this year to launch its first “highriding” vehicle.
Among the only volume automakers not to have divulged plans to build an SUV are Bugatti and Smart.