McLaren plug-in hybrid supercar to get V-6 engine

McLaren Automotive's upcoming plug-in hybrid supercar, the pivotal vehicle in the brand's transition to a 100 percent electrified portfolio, will feature the British exotic's first V-6 engine.

McLaren revealed in August that the unnamed model, code-named P16, will be built on a new architecture specifically developed to accommodate hybrid powertrains. The automaker has since named it the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture.

While the new model is not the automaker's first hybrid — the P16 will follow the P1 and Speedtail hybrid hypercars— it will be the first McLaren with a V-6 engine. McLaren has relied solely on V-8 engines, with the exception of the iconic F1 from the 1990s, which featured a BMW-sourced V-12.

McLaren has yet to release details such as power output or an official range for the car, but CEO Mike Flewitt told Automotive News in August that the vehicle will have an electric range of roughly 19 miles (31 km), with a charge time of three to four hours. The electric motor sits between the engine and the gearbox.

As with other vehicles across the industry, the plug-in hybrid's launch will be delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

McLaren is aiming for deliveries to begin around May, more than six months after its planned on-sale date, Flewitt said in August.

"We would have started talking about the car at Goodwood, followed by a Pebble Beach launch, in terms of showing the car, and started selling in October," Flewitt said.

The automaker also says that its Sports Series of vehicles will end once production of the 620R wraps up by year end. McLaren introduced the entry-level Sports Series of models in 2015. It grew to include the 570S coupe and convertible, the 570GT and the 600LT coupe and convertible.

As a result, the GT will be McLaren's entry point going forward.

McLaren said the plug-in hybrid will slot between the GT and 720S in its lineup.