Mclaren Automotive is looking for a long-term success, confirms new P13 sports car
McLaren Automotive made both an operating and pre-tax profit for the first time in 2013, during only its third year of car production. This is a significant achievement for an independent British car company operating in such a highly competitive global market. The British racing team was initially working with Mercedes-Benz on the Mclaren SLR and the company had also rolled out a limited edition Mclaren F1, which was the then world’s fastest car.
McLaren Automotive has also confirmed that its next all-new sportscar, codenamed P13, will be available before the end of 2015 and will take its range into a lower price-point - making McLaren more accessible and thus also increase its sales volume. P13 will be a comfortable, usable, and beautiful mid-engined two seater sportscar, built around a carbon fibre chassis. It will be available in more than one derivative and once fully on sale, McLaren Automotive’s total annual production will increase to around 4,000 units per year.
At the other end of its range, McLaren Automotive has also confirmed that it will produce a limited run of track-only editions of its award winning McLaren P1 hypercar. Available only to clients who have ordered one of the 375 road legal versions, the car will be the company’s most powerful car yet. It will also be its rarest and will be a part of the collectibles for several.
As a result of on-target global car sales, McLaren Automotive’s revenues rose by £18.8m to £285.4m in 2013. The company delivered 1,359 12Cs and 36 examples of the McLaren P1 during the year. When McLaren Automotive was launched, it promised to unveil a new car or derivative every year.
Commenting on the results, Ron Dennis, Chief Executive and Chairman of the McLaren Group and Chairman of McLaren Automotive, said: “Since launch, McLaren Automotive has outperformed predictions and rivals, setting new benchmarks in the sportscar market with a range of models that push boundaries through innovation and technology, while remaining true to the core values of the brand. The latest financial results, and returning a profit so early in the life of the company, are a real credit to the tremendous team within McLaren Automotive, and reflect their hard efforts.”
It continued to deliver on that promise during 2013, with the launch of the McLaren P1 at the international Geneva Motor Show. Production began on schedule last September and more than 100 are now in customer’s hands. In 2013 McLaren Automotive also continued to expand its geographical reach, opening 13 new showrooms and growing its global network to 50 retailers in 28 international markets. This included opening four new retailers in China in: Shanghai; Beijing; Guangzhou and Chengdu. The company plans to open another 20 retailers during 2014 and to have over 100 locations in its global network by 2018. This plan also involves the Indian car market as well.
Being born and brought up in a family that has been a part of the Automotive industry for over seven decades, Rachit has cars in his blood. Four wheelers are his childhood love, and he has grown up playing with bolts and spanners. To add more value to this passion, he studied automobile engineering and even karted at National level competitions.
Soon after that, he got into motoring journalism- where began the process of testing and evaluating cars. He has driven a wide range of cars beginning from Tata Nano to the Aston Martins, most of the cars that are currently sold in the Indian car market. Apart from this, he has also done many long road trips, and shall continue to do so. Rachit was one of the first journalists to take a Nano across the Golden Quadrilateral.
