McLaren Automotive has announced a multi-year partnership with engine supplier Ricardo to manufacture its next-generation V8 power unit as part of a long-term investment deal.
Designed in-house by McLaren’s powertrain team, the new high-performance V8 engine will power the next generation of lightweight, high-performance hybrid supercars as part of the company’s Future of Performance strategy.
The agreement sees a continuation of the long-term relationship between the two UK-based companies with Ricardo building both the V6 and V8 engines that will power McLaren’s existing and future high-performance hybrid supercars.
Since the introduction of the McLaren’s first series production supercar, the 12C in 2011, Ricardo has produced around 34,000 McLaren powertrains at its purpose-built assembly facility at Shoreham-by-Sea before delivering them around 50 miles away to the McLaren Production Centre, in Woking, Surrey, where McLaren designs and hand-builds its supercars.
The agreement ensures Ricardo will supply both hybrid and non-hybrid variants and, together with McLaren, make further significant investment in the high-performance engine production facility at Shoreham, with over 100 expert manufacturing engineers and technicians dedicated to supplying McLaren’s high-performance powertrains.