McLaren's Hypercar Breaks Cover As It Chases The Racer's Triple Crown
McLaren has released the first images of its MCL-HY prototype, the LMDh car it plans to campaign in the World Endurance Championship beginning in 2027.
Unlike the display car it showed at Le Mans last year, this is a very real race car, with testing set to brgin in the coming weeks.
The MCL-HY wears a look that nods hard to McLaren’s past. The orange-and-black paint job pulls from the automaker's M6A Can-Am car designed by Bruce McLaren in the 1960s. McLaren has been explicit about tying this project to its pursuit of the so-called motorsports Triple Crown: Monaco, Indianapolis, and Le Mans.
The MCL-HY follows the current LMDh formula. It’s built around a Dallara chassis and powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 paired with a standardized hybrid system. Total output is around 700 horsepower, in line with WEC regulations and subject to Balance of Performance adjustments.
This program represents McLaren’s first serious attempt at an overall Le Mans win since 1995, when the F1 GTR took victory on its debut. In the thirty years since, the company has largely concentrated on Formula 1.
McLaren now operates across the global motorsport spectrum, with a presence in Formula E and IndyCar, and now, with a WEC Hypercar entry, it will compete across three of the sport’s highest-profile world championships at the same time.
There’s also a road car component to the project. McLaren Automotive is developing a track-only variant called the MCL-HY GTR, which will use a version of the V6 without hybrid assistance and should produce around 720 horsepower. As with previous McLaren GTR programs, it’s aimed at a small group of loyal and affluent customers.
Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, went over the wall during the Rolex 24, and wrenched in the intense IndyCar paddock.
More by Michael Accardi
Comments
Join the conversation