--- title: "A McLaren SUV Seems Inevitable Now, But It Won’t Build It Alone: Report" date: "2025-03-14" modified: "2025-03-14" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-mclaren-suv-seems-inevitable-now-but-it-wont-build-it-alone-report" categories: - "McLaren News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "mclaren" - "suv/crossover" --- # A McLaren SUV Seems Inevitable Now, But It Won’t Build It Alone: Report ![A McLaren 720S is seen on a production line as Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge tours the factory floor in Woking, west of London on September 12, 2017, during a visit to McLaren Automotive Production Centre. During the visit the Duke toured the technology centre and production centre where he got to see McLaren cars throughout the years as well as walk the factory floor to view the building of their commercial cars and speak to employees. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / CHRIS J RATCLIFFE (Photo credit should read CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AFP via Getty Images)]() *\Chris J. Ratcliffe/AFP via Getty Images\* McLaren's [on-again](), [off-again]() SUV might finally see the light that awaits at the end of a production line. Big changes are happening at the supercar manufacturer, according to a recent report, and [McLaren]() will soon stand in the middle of a bigger, more mainstream group. Citing "people familiar with the matter," *[Bloomberg]()* reported that CYVN Holdings, the Abu Dhabi government-owned investment firm that purchased McLaren's car-building division in December 2024, will merge the company with a British EV start-up named Forseven. "Who is Forseven," you ask? Excellent question. It's another brand in the CYVN portfolio that wants to make "exceptional cars that blend British elegance with ferocious intelligence to forge a new legacy, forever." Damn. The brand's [website]() touts sophistication among other things, but it doesn't list cars; that's because Forseven has not released one yet. It hasn't revealed what it plans to make, either. One of the few official tidbits of information about Forseven is that it signed a technology agreement with Shanghai-based Nio in 2024. The tie-up gives Forseven access to Nio's arsenal of EV technology, which hints that the first cars the startup will roll out will be purely electric. The insiders who spoke to *Bloomberg* say that McLaren will play a significant role in helping CYVN craft Forseven into what sounds like an alternative to [Jaguar](). The investment firm wants to "leverage McLaren's storied brand for a new line-up of vehicles," the report explains. Fear not: It sounds like McLaren will continue to build supercars. Michael Leiters will keep his role as McLaren CEO, and former Jaguar Land Rover executive Nick Collins will lead the merged brand. The new structure will be announced in the coming weeks, *Bloomberg* wrote. *Bloomberg* concluded that, with the imminent merger, McLaren "is taking a step closer to producing high-end sport utility vehicles and sedans." What's missing from the report is the crucial link between the merger and the SUV segment. We already know that McLaren will build an SUV; In 2024, Leiters [announced]() that the brand wants to make "a shared performance vehicle" with "two seats plus," and odds are that he's not talking about a coupe with three seats like the [F1](). Reading the tea leaves suggests that Forseven will design an SUV and give McLaren access to the platform. That's the best-case scenario; the worst-case scenario is that the SUV becomes a product of badge engineering. ![McLaren logo]() **McLaren** Entering the SUV segment makes a massive amount of sense from a financial standpoint. Carmakers can charge more for an SUV than for a comparable sedan, wagon, or hatchback, and SUVs sell exceptionally well. SUVs are the "get rich quick" schemes of the car industry, and McLaren needs that right now. It recently had to [sell some of its heritage car collection](), [sell its applied technologies division](), and [sell its Woking, England, headquarters]() to raise cash. It now leases its headquarters. SUVs built by high-end brands aren't nearly as controversial as they once were. The original [Porsche Cayenne]() made its debut over 20 years ago, and nearly everyone has jumped on the bandwagon since. Bentley has [the Bentayga](), Rolls-Royce has [the Cullinan](), Lamborghini has [the Urus](), Aston Martin has [the DBX](), and Ferrari has [the Purosangue]()—and they all stand out as the best-selling cars in their respective range. Cast in that light, why wouldn't McLaren build an SUV? Why hasn't it yet? Ex-McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt once told [*Top Gear*]() "There's more than enough SUVs in the world, and we don't need another one," but that was in 2018. The market has changed since; McLaren's financial situation has, too. Building an SUV could give the brand the cash it needs to continue making [kick-ass supercars](). The question, then, isn't whether McLaren needs to sell an SUV, but whether McLaren can sell an SUV designed by a start-up without diluting its image. Keep in mind that nothing is official at this stage. We've reached out to McLaren, and we'll update this story if we learn more. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()