Erin Baker: McLaren in full bloom

What we have known for a while, ever since they released a teaser image of the new carbon-fibre tub, is that the new car is a replacement for the 650S. McLaren is publishing seven teasers before its official unveiling – so far the public knows the new car has 50 per cent more downforce than the 650S, an active rear wing the full width of the car and a new dihedral door design.

Of longer-term interest, though, is the rise and rise of McLaren Automotive, a company only formed in 2010, to build the brand’s road cars. The new car is one of 15 new models and derivatives pledged by the marque between now and 2022, part of the grand Track 22 business development plan that is CEO Mike Flewitt’s baby.

Is McLaren Automotive the blueprint for a successful British performance car company these days? It remains self-funding, describing itself as “fiercely independent”, and has pledged to invest £1billion in research and development by 2022 – 25 to 30 per cent of turnover is reinvested in R&D which is unusually high. The company is now present in 30 markets, with 80 retailers, which will rise to 100 and then stop.

The company has been consistently profitable since 2013, and production volume grew by 99 per cent year on year in 2016 – after taking on a second shift at the factory in Woking, they are projected to hit maximum volume of just over 4,000 cars a year, or 20 cars a day, in 2017. “And that’s where we’ll stay”, said a spokesman.

Every model they have built in the past couple of years has been a runaway success. The current range comprises the Sports Series (540C, 570S and 570GT), Super Series (650S in coupe and spider form and 675LT in coupe and spider versions) and Ultimate Series (we’ve waved goodbye to the P1 and P1 GTR, and await the three-seat BP23 “heightened GT”, for which there’s already a long waiting list).

McLaren’s inevitable electrification programme is well underway – as well as the pure electric prototype they’re working on for a new Ultimate Series car, half of all McLarens will feature hybrid technology by 2022.

Keeping the traditional performance essence of McLaren is vital, however, and so there will be no self-driving McLaren – “that’s not what we’re about”, said Mark Vinnels, Product Development Director, pointedly at the new-car unveiling. Instead, they’re all about “the most fun and engaging McLarens we’ve ever built”.

Not a bad company strategy, going forward.