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McLaren's next hypercar won't arrive until the middle of the 2020s

McLaren will slow its cadence of hypercar launches until the middle of the 2020s, according to its chief executive. It released the Senna, the Speedtail, and the Elva in rapid-fire succession, and it's now ready to take a break. "We've come to the conclusion that actually we didn't need to launch another Ultimate Series car after Elva," revealed company boss Mike Flewitt in an interview with Automotive News. He added that his team made this decision after realizing that "the market was getting a little bit overpopulated," and he stressed that the on-going coronavirus pandemic wasn't the main push behind the company's shift from hypercars. In hindsight, the writing was on the wall. McLaren unveiled the Elva (pictured) in 2019 as a roof-less, window-less roadster with 800 horsepower and 399 available build slots each priced at $1.7 million. It backpedaled in April 2020 and said that only 249 examples would be built, which was a big reduction and an unusual move. Officially, the firm's customers said they wanted more exclusivity, but the difficulty of filling 399 orders was likely a factor, too. It sounds like the next Ultimate Series will be well worth the wait because it will be the long-awaited successor to the gasoline-electric P1 released in 2013. Flewitt said it will make its debut near 2025, undoubtedly as a limited-edition model, and all signs point to another hybrid powertrain with jaw-dropping horsepower and torque figures.  "All of the significant launches going forward will be hybrid cars. I think by 2026, we'll be fully hybridized right across the range," Flewitt told the same publication in a separate interview. He indicated that the next Ultimate Series model will not be electric, because the company's first battery-powered model isn't scheduled to make its debut until 2028 at the very earliest. Engineers still need to solve key packaging-related problems. Although hypercars are on hiatus, new product launches will carry on as planned, and McLaren isn't out of ideas. It announced in Nov. 2020 that its first series-produced hybrid model will be called Artura when it makes its debut during the first half of 2021. It will ride on a new platform developed specifically for electrified powertrains, and it will ditch the brand's V8 for a smaller, lighter V6 that partially offsets the battery pack's weight. Related Video:

Fernando Alonso to retire from F1 at end of season

Double world champion Fernando Alonso will retire from Formula One at the end of the season, his team McLaren said in a statement on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Spaniard is competing in his 17th Formula One season and his fifth with McLaren, and has been widely expected to race in the Indianapolis 500 next year as he attempts to win the Triple Crown of motorsport. Alonso, a double Monaco Grand Prix winner, won the Le Mans 24 Hours on his debut with Toyota in June this year and is ninth in the Formula One drivers' championship standings. "After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it's time for me to make a change and move on," Alonso said. "There are still several grands prix to go this season, and I will take part in them with more commitment and passion than ever." McLaren worked with Andretti Autosport to field a car for Alonso for the 2017 Indy 500 where the Spaniard put himself in contention, leading for 27 laps before suffering an engine failure with 21 laps remaining. McLaren has been exploring the possibility of working again with Andretti to field an IndyCar team to run the entire series next year or might consider putting together their own team. Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner of the 2014 Indy 500 and a team mate of Alonso's with Andretti for the one race, said the Spaniard would be welcomed back and would be a great addition to the series. "It would be appealing to me if I were him," said Hunter-Reay during a conference call ahead of this weekend's IndyCar race at Pocono. "I spent time with him as his teammate and know he's as hungry as ever to win. "We worked very well together and would welcome him, no doubt, but I have no idea where this whole thing is going right now. "I don't know where McLaren stands with it ... a lot of speculation at the moment, but I think he would be a great addition to IndyCar and have a lot of fun here." Alonso thanked Formula One Chief Executive Chase Carey and the sport's owner, Liberty Media, for trying to get him to change his mind and leaving the door open on a possible return to the circuit. "I know (McLaren) will come back stronger and better in the future, and it could be the right moment for me to be back in the series; that would make me really happy," he added. "I made this decision some months ago, and it was a firm one.

McLaren won't offer 540C in United States

McLaren launched its new entry-level Sports Series in New York with the 570S, and followed up in Shanghai with the more affordable 540C. However we can now confirm that the 540C won't be offered in the United States. In correspondence with Autoblog (and following rampant speculation circulating the Internet), McLaren spokesman Wayne Bruce confirmed: "Following a series of previews in which interest from American customers has been exclusively in the 570S, we will now concentrate on only this model for the launch of Sports Series in the US to satisfy demand." That means the 570S will remain (for the time being at least) the most affordable model – if a term has ever been more relative – McLaren will offer in the US, priced at $184,900. We can also expect additional versions of the Sports Series to follow, including a roadster and a third bodystyle as well. The cheaper 540C won't be kept out of North America altogether, though: it will be offered in Canada. North of the Border, the 540C is priced at $196,500 Canadian (equivalent to about $158k at current exchange rates), with the 570S going for $219,750 Canadian (~$177k). Related Video: