McLaren to invest £500m in UK manufacturing, adding 1,000 jobs and a performance SUV
McLaren Automotive will invest £500m in its UK manufacturing and engineering, adding a new assembly plant, in-house engines and its first performance SUV.
- £500m
- at least 1,000
- up to 3,000
- two
What Happened
McLaren Automotive has announced a £500m investment programme to expand its UK manufacturing, engineering and operations and accelerate development of its next generation of models. The programme forms part of a larger commitment from shareholder L'IMAD, a sovereign investor of the Government of Abu Dhabi, and the company says it reinforces its commitment to Britain, where Bruce McLaren founded the company in 1963. The investment is meant to expand production capability and increase vehicle output so the next generation of McLaren cars is built in Britain, including a newly confirmed performance SUV, made possible by a new vehicle assembly facility planned in the UK. For the first time in its history, McLaren's future powertrains will be designed and built in-house, starting with two new engines and transmissions, supporting its hybrid engine strategy that began with the McLaren P1.
- New vehicle assembly facility planned in the UK
- Expanded operations at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking
- Expanded carbon-fibre manufacturing and research at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in South Yorkshire
- Recently opened design and innovation centre at the McLaren Creation Centre in Bicester
- Recently opened testing and vehicle development facility in the Midlands
at least 1,000
Across McLaren's UK operations, while safeguarding existing roles and doubling the UK manufacturing workforce, supported by new apprenticeships.
Bruce McLaren founds the company in Britain.
McLaren Automotive is launched.
McLaren Group Holdings Limited is established as the holding company for McLaren Automotive.
Target date for at least 1,000 new direct and indirect jobs across McLaren's UK operations.
“Over the past 20 months, L'IMAD has worked closely with McLaren Automotive's management team, supporting the business in sharpening its strategic direction and positioning itself for long-term growth. This investment reflects our confidence in its potential and our commitment to backing the business through its next chapter, building on the heritage, engineering excellence, and distinctive brand that has defined McLaren for more than six decades.”
“This investment gives us the platform to grow, develop and build on what makes us distinctive, while investing in the people, technologies and products that will keep us competitive for decades to come.”
“McLaren Automotive is doubling down on Britain, keeping the design, the engineering and the building of every future car here, and taking on a thousand more people to do it. Their investment will create high-quality apprenticeships, jobs and drive growth far beyond their factory gates. It is how you get skilled work, decent wages and pride back into a place. It's this kind of partnership between government and business that will help us reindustrialise communities and make every part of Britain better off. I want young people to see that and know there is a future for them in making things, wherever they grew up.”
Previously from McLaren Automotive Ltd.
McLaren has been reshaping its product line in the months before this announcement. In July 2026 it unveiled the 788HS, described as the final evolution of its 720S/750S/765LT supercar series, limited to 200 examples and featuring a 788PS twin-turbo V8. In August 2026 it showed the McL 6GT concept at Monterey Car Week, a lightweight carbon-fibre V8 with the brand's first manual transmission since the 1992 F1, with a production model due in 2028.
- McLaren 788HS: Final Evolution of Supercar Series with 788PS V8, Limited to 200 Units
- McLaren McL 6GT concept revives Bruce McLaren's M6GT dream with manual V8; production due 2028
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of McLaren Automotive Ltd.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The money is part of a larger commitment from McLaren's Abu Dhabi shareholder L'IMAD and is framed as a bet on Britain, where the company says at least 1,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created by 2032, with up to 3,000 more expected across the supply chain. It also marks a first for the carmaker: McLaren will design and build its own engines and transmissions in the UK, and its manufacturing workforce is set to double.
Terms in This Story
- Powertrain
- The complete system that generates power and delivers it to the wheels, including the engine, transmission and related components.
- Carbon fibre
- A lightweight, high-strength composite material often used in the body and structures of performance cars.
- Lightweighting
- An engineering approach that reduces a vehicle's mass, typically to improve performance and efficiency.
- Sovereign investor
- A state-owned investment fund that invests capital on behalf of a national government.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.