The Average Selling Price of a New McLaren Is Too Low

McLaren wants its $312,000 average selling price to increase—even if it means selling fewer cars.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Aug 20, 2024 at 4:23am ET

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This just in: supercars are expensive. But how much money are people really forking out for a high-end, low-volume performance car? In McLaren's case, that magic number would have to be £240,000, or approximately $312,000 at current exchange rates. The interesting disclosure was made by CEO Michael Leiters in an interview with Automotive News Europe.

The man in charge of the Woking-based brand wants that number to go up and believes it will this year. McLaren sold more "affordable" Arturas in 2023 whereas in 2024, the pricier 750S is proving to be popular. The 720S successor typically sells for £250,000-£260,000 ($325,000-$338,000). Leiters says the company could artificially jack up the starting price of its cars and command a higher premium for options but that would be wrong: "You could increase the pricing, but without the product substance that doesn't make sense."

McLaren's "Ultimate Series" lineup of models gives the company "a lot of space above the 750S." Think Solus GT, Speedtail, Senna, Elva, and the forthcoming P1 successor. The latter is codenamed "P18" and is rumored to receive an all-new V-8 engine with roughly 1,000 horsepower. It'll supposedly land in the United States in 2026 with an estimated sticker price of $2 million.

Although McLaren doesn't intend to limit production, it ideally wants to sell fewer cars with bigger profit margins. The head honcho claims focus has moved away from volume and the company is no longer stockpiling cars at dealers in the United States. In the 750S's case, the production run is generated exclusively from orders received from customers. The intent is "to create scarcity and exclusivity for the product," a formula that archrival Ferrari has perfected.

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Despite the "less is more" approach, the lineup is likely to expand to include a 2+2 model or even an SUV. It's a 180-degree turn compared to previous product planning strategies, which all firmly excluded SUVs. A more practical car requires a huge investment, which is why McLaren is considering adapting an existing platform from another automaker. Leiters told Automotive News the firm is already having "very promising" negotiations with several automakers.

McLaren is one of the last brands without an SUV of its own. Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and even Ferrari have jumped on the sport utility vehicle bandwagon. Bugatti, Koenigsegg, and Pagani have so far resisted the temptation, but for how long?