McLaren’s tune on offering an SUV has changed over the years. The automaker’s new CEO admitted last August that he loved them and that they are “a really important market.” It wouldn’t be the first time a company like McLaren ventured into building highly profitable SUVs, but the company has iterated on several occasions that any such model would have to reflect and embody the company’s thrilling DNA.
A pair of new renderings attempt to do just that, transferring the brand’s corporate styling onto a larger, high-riding body. The McLaren SUV wears it well, with the headlights set deep in the fascia, tucked above the gaping vertical intakes. The lower bumper features additional intakes squeezed to the outsides and a small lip spoiler.
Gallery: McLaren SUV Renderings
The rendering’s rear is a tad less exciting to look at but equally as sporty. The SUV’s back end has thin oval taillights above a busy rear bumper caked with carbon fiber. It’s almost a bit much with it extended into the liftgate. However, the chunky split diffuser with massive fins draws the eye. It’s big and would indicate that the powertrain underneath the hood means serious high-speed business.
McLaren hasn’t confirmed if it’s truly developing an SUV, but one is already under official consideration. Details are scarce, with the rumor mill suggesting that the company has already begun development and the SUV will be an electric vehicle, making it the brand’s first. Those are wild allegations, but McLaren is unlikely to reveal anything soon about the potential model. A McLaren SUV isn’t expected to arrive until the second half of the decade, so we could be waiting a few years for official info.
It’s easy for enthusiasts to belittle cars like the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, and many other high-performance SUVs. Still, no amount of groveling negates their popularity. They allow more people to experience the thrills of high-performance cars with some added utility. That’s a trade-off many are willing to make, which helps fund the sports cars enthusiasts love to drive and collect. McLaren’s lack of an SUV makes it an outlier among its competitors.
