McLaren's Next Super Series Will Go Hybrid, Could Debut Next Year


McLaren will widen the gap between its newly launched Sports Series and Super Series range with the introduction of the next-gen 650S and 675LT.

Equipped with a similar setup as the P1 hypercar, the new vehicle, code-named P14, will adopt a hybrid powertrain, with an updated twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 serving as the centerpiece and a lighter electrification system.

"The P1 had 375 pounds of [electric powertrain] if you added it up; I think that today we’re within a 70- to 110-pound weight penalty for hybrid. I want to eliminate that, get it to zero—and then really hack off my engineers by saying we want to make it even lighter than a conventional powertrain would be ", McLaren CEO, Mike Flewitt, told Car and Driver.

Besides being faster than the 650S and 675LT, the new car will also have improved aerodynamics, with designers and engineers working closely together throughout the development.

"It’s not about us creating something beautiful and then throwing it at the engineers and saying 'build it', and them saying 'we can't'. We've worked together at every step of the process", said the firm's design director, Frank Stephenson. 

When it comes to its exterior design, the new Sports Series will be a "big leap for McLaren" and "it will raise eyebrows", added Stephenson. 

Rumor has it that the replacement for the 650S and 675LT will likely debut next year, at the Geneva Motor Show. 

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