McLaren Announces 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar 'McLaren MCL-HY' and Exclusive Project: Endurance Track-Only Model 'MCL-HY GTR'

Formula 1 World Champion McLaren has announced the MCL-HY, an FIA Hypercar that will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class from 2027. With this machine, McLaren will return to the top class of the Le Mans 24 Hours, challenging to achieve motorsport's Triple Crown once again.

The development of the MCL-HY will proceed with a comprehensive 2026 testing program using test vehicles, aiming for homologation by next winter.

In parallel with the racing car, a customer-focused track-only model, the MCL-HY GTR, is being developed. As part of Project: Endurance, this offers an extremely exclusive track driving program and the experience of being part of a race team to McLaren's special customers.

On May 4th, McLaren announced the FIA Hypercar MCL-HY. This sports car will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), highlighted by the Le Mans 24 Hours, from 2027. Furthermore, the customer-focused track-only model based on it, the MCL-HY GTR, is currently being offered to McLaren's VIP owners through the Project: Endurance program.

The MCL-HY will continue its rigorous testing program throughout 2026, preparing for homologation by next winter. The unveiled vibrant 2026 test livery is inspired by the McLaren M6A. Bruce McLaren once dreamed of competing at Le Mans with an M6GT based on the M6A. The MCL-HY is a declaration of intent to inherit that heritage. Sports car racing is in McLaren's DNA. McLaren dominated Can-Am in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the McLaren F1 GTR achieved a legendary victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1995.

For McLaren, returning to the top class of Le Mans is also the beginning of a challenge to achieve motorsport's Triple Crown again (winning the Monaco GP, Indy 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours). As McLaren already competes at the pinnacle of Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series, the MCL-HY completes the final piece for McLaren to achieve a grand goal that only it can accomplish.

The McLaren Hypercar team will commence the circuit testing program for the MCL-HY in May 2026, in preparation for its WEC debut in 2027. This testing will also involve the simultaneous development of the customer-focused track-only model alongside the racing car.

The 2026 testing program will be led by McLaren Hypercar team works driver Mikkel Jensen, supported by McLaren Driver Development Program (DDP) drivers Grégoire Saucy and Richard Ferschoor. Additionally, United Autosports driver Ben Hanley will participate, bringing valuable machine development experience to the team.

Designed in accordance with ACO / IMSA LMDh regulations, the MCL-HY combines lightweight construction with unparalleled balance, featuring a carbon-fiber monocoque structure. A race-spec twin-turbo V6 engine and MGU hybrid system generate a total maximum output of 520kW (707PS), driving the rear wheels. With a minimum weight of 1,030kg, it boasts a highly efficient power-to-weight ratio. Developed to pursue an optimal balance of overwhelming performance and the efficiency required in endurance racing, it is designed to compete at the highest level in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the grueling Le Mans 24 Hours.

McLaren's FIA Hypercar was shaped through close collaboration. It applies world-class engineering and advanced aerodynamics from McLaren Racing, leveraging McLaren Automotive's design expertise to embody McLaren's unique design DNA.

Furthermore, this is the first time McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive have collaborated in the form of a customer-focused track-only model like the MCL-HY GTR. The MCL-HY GTR was designed in parallel with the racing car but was intentionally developed without the LMDh hybrid system mandated for the FIA Hypercar. Powered solely by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged racing engine, its weight is reduced while maintaining high performance.