In an attempt to expand the use of technology from its greater vehicles, McLaren will be featuring a hybrid powertrain adapted from its P1 hypercar in its successor for the current 650S and 675LT.
Speaking to Car and Driver, McLaren Automotive CEO, Mike Flewitt, said that its next supercar will focus on having lighter electric components. The 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 will also feature several updates, and will remain at the heart of the coming supercar, codenamed “P14” for now.
“The P1 had 375 pounds (170 kg) of electric powertrain if you added it up; I think that today we’re within a 70- to 110-pound (31 to 50 kg) 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. But that’s in the future, it’s something we’re constantly driving,” said the CEO.
The hybrid powertrain unit is also something that the company will reportedly reserve only for its 650S/675LT successor. This is said to create a greater distinction between its prime supercar and its more affordable range of Sport Series models.
Expected at next year’s Geneva Motor Show (formerly anticipated in 2018), the new supercar will feature an “eyebrow-raising” look, according to Frank Stephenson, design director at the British company. “It’s a big leap for McLaren. It’s unpredictable — it will definitely raise eyebrows. It’s got a lot of things that haven’t been done in car design before,” said the design boss. He went on to say that the new car will bring new additions that’s going to make other companies go, “why didn’t we do that?”
Among the new items said to feature in the P14 are new “ultra-powerful LED lights,” a “completely rethought” cabin and a new control interface system were mentioned. The publication also expects that the new model’s name will start with a “7” and not a “6” like the current 650S and 675LT, denoting its power increase.
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It’s 675LT