The McLaren Senna may have been a monster, but it was ugly. The brand wants its next hypercar to look a little better
April 23, 2024 at 19:15
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- Code-named the P18, McLaren’s next hypercar is coming in the second half of 2026.
- Although the P18 will have race-inspired aero elements, it won’t be ugly.
- The P18 will be powered by a newly-developed V8 hybrid powertrain that will underpin other future models.
The demands of aesthetic design and aerodynamic efficiency aren’t always perfectly aligned, and you don’t need to look any further than the McLaren Senna for proof. While the hypercar proved shockingly effective on the track, its appearance was equally shocking to look at. However, the automaker has taken this lesson to heart, and its next hypercar is promised to be more visually appealing.
McLaren’s upcoming hypercar is code-named the P18, and it is set to land in the U.S. in the second half of 2026. When it arrives, it will feature F1-inspired technology, body work penned by McLaren’s new designer, Tobias Suhlmann, and it will ring in at around $2 million.
Read: McLaren Confirms Plans For New Hybrid V8 Supercar
This and more information were revealed during a retailers’ meeting in Las Vegas on April 16, as reported by Autonews.
The P18 will feature state-of-the-art aerodynamic design, with its body honed in McLaren’s new wind tunnel. This will include floating fenders to enhance airflow around the car, an active splitter below the “eye-socket” headlights that can open and close to reduce drag, and a large air scoop above the C-pillar. This scoop serves to draw cooling wind into the engine compartment and allows the driver to hear the V8 engine that will power the car.
The hypercar will also get a big carbon fiber diffuser that spans the entire width of its rear end. The aero element will sit below dual titanium exhaust pipes, and a McLaren P1-style active rear wing whose mechanism has been described as “jewelry-like” by dealers who were shown renders of the P18 ahead of its debut.
Despite all of those impressive aerodynamic design elements, McLaren is working hard to ensure that the design remains cohesive. “The [P18] has a lot of technical aspects of the Senna, but it’s a hell of a lot prettier,” a dealer told the publication. The hypercar will also ditch the brand’s trademark butterfly doors for top-mounted gullwing doors.
Under the hood, power will come from a new hybrid powertrain. The V8 engine at its core has been designed from the ground up and is not related to the impressive V8 of the 750S or the wide-angle V6 of the Artura.
More: McLaren Teases New Design Language And Wraparound Cockpits
The engine will be connected to a hybrid system that’s 70 percent lighter than McLaren’s current kit, thanks to a high-density battery that was first designed for the automaker’s Formula One racecars. Unfortunately, a power figure has not yet been communicated, but the P18 is expected to make over 1,000 hp.
Although McLaren will produce just 400 examples of the hypercar, it will be an important model for the brand. The new V8 engine will power future models, and the P18’s design language will be applied to future vehicles, including the four-door model that the brand is considering.
