McLaren Confirms Reborn F1

WOKING, U.K. – McLaren Automotive confirms it will launch in 2019 a new gasoline-electric hybrid 3-seater inspired by the company’s original F1 supercar.

Billed as a “hyper GT,” McLaren says the car is “designed for long journeys, but with the high levels of performance and driver engagement expected of any McLaren.”

Just 106 examples of the new McLaren model are to be produced, the same number as the original F1, with each already having been sold to preferred customers, the British supercar manufacturer says.

Leaving little doubt about its positioning, McLaren says it will be the “most exquisitely crafted and luxurious road-going McLaren to date.”

Known under the codename BP23 – a working title unlikely to be retained for production versions, development of the limited-volume McLaren is being overseen by former Caterham boss Ansar Ali. The codename signals it is the second bespoke model to hail from McLaren Special Operations, with the numeral three denoting its 3-seat layout.

McLaren’s first bespoke model, the one-off X-1, was unveiled in 2012.

The new F1 Homage, as McLaren officials refer to the new 3-seater, is planned to showcase the ability of McLaren Special Operations to develop cars to exacting standards. Each of the 106 customers is being encouraged to work closely with company to develop bespoke color and trim features for their cars.

In announcing the BP23, McLaren releases a single image of the car, a sketch that reveals the new model’s seating layout that features a central driving position and a seat set slightly rearwards on either side of it, similar to that of the earlier F1.

Little is known about the styling of the BP23, although it has been confirmed it will receive dihedral doors, a feature found on all existing McLaren models. The doors will be power operated and extend into the roof, as on the F1. Another classic cue is the roof-mounted air scoop that characterized the initial McLaren 3-seat supercar launched in 1994.

Customers have been advised the new McLaren will be produced only as a coupe, with no convertible planned. The British automaker also rules out a track variant, suggesting the car’s grand-tourer specifications and 3-seat layout make it unsuitable as a race car.

McLaren officials remain tightlipped on the drivetrain set to power the BP23, saying only that it will be a gasoline-electric hybrid and one of the most powerful McLaren models yet produced.

Despite suggesting the BP23 has been designed for longer journeys, the company says it also will offer “high levels of performance and driver engagement expected of any McLaren.”

The expected drivetrain likely will feature McLaren’s twin-turbocharged 3.8L V-8 combined with an electric motor that draws energy from a lithium-ion battery pack in a layout similar to the company’s P1 hypercar. It is not expected to top of the heady 903 hp of the P1, but should exceed the 666 hp of the 675LT.

A business plan, known under the working title Track22, was announced by McLaren boss Mike Flewitt in March. It confirmed additional hybrid models as part of 15 new cars from the company – both regular production and limited-edition models – planned to be launched by 2022. The new 3-seat GT marks the first of those cars.

McLaren has not yet confirmed pricing for the BP23, although it hints at a base of $2.5 million prior to personalization measures.