It’s official—McLaren Group has a new owner. Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, has taken complete ownership of the automaker, expanding its stake from 60 percent to 100.
There are few clear details about what this could mean for McLaren Automotive. The group’s executive chairman, Paul Walsh, said the move “will further enable us to focus on delivering our long-term business plan.” That will include investing in new products and technologies.
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McLaren Automotive likely now has the financial support it needs to fund the development of future models and electrify its lineup. The supercar maker has run into money issues in recent years, selling some of its historic vehicles in 2022 to fund the delayed Artura supercar. A year before that, McLaren sold its headquarters and Formula 1 factory.
The outfit got a new CEO in 2022 and launched the 750S in 2023, the successor to the successful 720S. It also introduced a refreshed version of its practical supercar late last year, turning the GT into the GTS.
There are rumors the company could launch its new hypercar by the end of the year. McLaren is already “fine-tuning” it, which will allegedly pack a plug-in hybrid V8 engine making over 1,000 horsepower. It’ll reportedly ditch the brand’s dihedral doors for gullwing ones, get an all-new carbon-fiber chassis, and feature 3D-printed suspension components.
A few months after Michael Leiters took over as McLaren CEO, he admitted that past models were “non-mature products.” The new owners should help bring funds and stability to the company as it works to expand, adapt, and improve the quality of its product.