McLaren, Ricardo ink multi-year powertrain deal

McLaren Automotive announced that it has signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Ricardo, an English engine supplier.

According to the British automotive marque, the latter will manufacture next-generation V8 power units for the former, based on the long-term investment deal the two companies have entered.

“Our new high-performance, hybrid V8 powertrain will form an integral part of McLaren’s next-generation product line-up delivering best-in-class performance and thrilling driver engagement. This new agreement with Ricardo is, therefore, an important part of our ‘Future of Performance’ strategy and builds on the enduring relationship between the two British companies, providing a boost for jobs and ensuring increased investment in what is a vitally important domestic engineering supply chain for future technologies,” McLaren Automotive Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Leiters was quoted saying.

In line with the Woking-headquartered carmaker’s Future Performance strategy, the agreement between McLaren Automotive and Ricardo will see the two companies continue their long-standing relationship as the engine supplier has produced around 34,000 McLaren powertrains at its purpose-built assembly facility at Shoreham-by-Sea prior to the deal.

Both companies will also make a further investment in Ricardo’s high-performance engine production facility at Shoreham with over 100 expert manufacturing engineers and technicians dedicated to supplying McLaren’s high-performance powertrains.

“We are extremely pleased to have concluded this new engine supply agreement with McLaren Automotive for their next-generation high-performance V8 powertrain, which extends the long-term relationship between both companies into the next decade. Like McLaren, Ricardo has a proven track record of engineering excellence, delivering high-performance technology and the highest standards of product quality supported by the upstream supply chain. With this agreement, we look forward to continuing our established and highly successful relationship with McLaren into its third decade,” stated Ricardo CEO Graham Ritchie.

To recall, McLaren’s next generation of hybrid supercars started with the release of the Artura. So, it is possible that future iterations of the nameplate — and the models that will be made after it — will carry the powertrains made by McLaren and Ricardo.

Photos from McLaren Automotive and Ricardo

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