The automotive industry has changed quite
dramatically over the last decade, prompting most automakers to enter new
markets in order to increase profits and expand globally. The most common
trends were to develop car-based crossovers and to up the ante in the quality
department for more premium products. Porsche saved itself from bankruptcy by
building the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sedan, while most American and Asian
companies flooded the market with crossovers of all shapes and sizes. More
recently, Lamborghini confirmed it will produce the Urus SUV, while Ferrari is
expected to also come up with a people hauler in the near future.
Very few brands remained true to their roots, one of
which is McLaren Automotive. The Brits
have expanded quite rapidly over the last couple of years by launching the
Super Series and Sport Series, two vehicle lineups that have grown to include
nearly ten models, including body style variations and race cars. But, despite
its plans to treble global sales by 2017, McLaren said it has no plans to build
an SUV. However, one such vehicle could see the light of day via McLaren
Special Operations (MSO), which is looking into creating a new architecture for
a high-riding, sporty vehicle with seating for at least four.
If this project comes to fruition, MSO will most
likely develop a high-performance sedan on the same platform as well. While
this is nothing but speculation right now, with no confirmation from Woking, we
decided to have a closer look at what a McLaren sedan would bring to the table.
To go with our speculative review, we also created a rendering of McLaren’s
first-ever four-door.