McLaren Automotive will introduce a next-generation V-8 engine to power its future supercars, the automaker announced on Tuesday.
The engine is being developed in-house and will be manufactured under contract by Ricardo, the British engineering company that supplies McLaren’s current V-8 and V-6 engines.
McLaren’s current V-8, a turbocharged 4.0-liter unit, traces its roots to the turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 that debuted in the 12C supercar more than a decade ago, an engine that itself has links to a Nissan V-8 originally developed in the late 1980s for endurance racing.
McLaren hasn’t said when the new V-8 will be introduced, but there are at least two models where the engine will likely end up. These include successors to the P1 hypercar and new 750S supercar. The successor models are expected to arrive in 2026, when McLaren is expected to exclusively offer electrified cars.
The supply agreement for the new V-8 will extend into the next decade, according to Graham Ritchie, Ricardo’s CEO, meaning McLaren isn’t planning to phase out V-8 engines anytime soon.
“We are extremely pleased to have concluded this new engine supply agreement with McLaren Automotive for their next generation high-performance V-8 powertrain, which extends the long-term relationship between both companies into the next decade,” he said.
Despite McLaren planning to stick with V-8 engines, the company is also investigating electric powertrains. However, the automaker has said existing EV technology isn’t appropriate for supercar applications due to weight and charge duration issues.
