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McLaren’s New Track-Only Hypercar Is Even More Powerful Than the Race Car It’s Based On

The customer race cars makes 720 hp even without a required hybrid system.
May 08, 2026
Futuristic silver and orange race car in a bright white studio showroom in side view.
Photo: McLaren

Sometimes the rules really are holding us back.

The British performance specialists have finally unveiled their latest Le Mans racer, the MCL-HY. Even more exciting, though, is the customer version, the MCL-HY GTR, which may be the more hard-core of the duo since it doesn’t have the rules.

Top-down view of a futuristic orange, white, and gray race car with a large rear wing and sleek cockpit.
Both McLaren MCL-HYs feature a carbon-fiber body designed to be as aerodynamic as possible Photo: McLaren

With the success McLaren has achieved in Formula 1 over the last two years, it’s little wonder that the is ready to give the 24 Hours of Le Mans another go. Despite taking the overall checkered flag in 1995, the automaker has precious little experience at the famous race. That’ll change next year, though, when McLaren Racing rejoins the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The ultra-sleek MCL-HY, which will be driven by Mikkel Jensen with support from Gregoire Saucy and Richard Verschoor, is powered by a hybrid-assisted 2.9-liter V-6 that’ll pump out a combined 697 hp.

Two race cars—orange and gray—lean into a curve on a sunlit track at sunset, chasing the apex.
The McLaren MCL-HY GTR (left) and MCL-HY Photo: McLaren

The race car, which was shown off in a Papaya inspired by the McLaren M6A prototype from the 1960s, is a true speed machine, but the customer version takes things even further. That’s because the MCL-HY GTR won’t be subject to any road or race regulations. The primary result of this is the automaker has retained the race car’s six-cylinder but chosen to forgo the FIA-required hybrid system. The mill, unburdened by the extra hardware and competitive restrictions, is even more potent, generating as much as 720 hp.

Silver and black high-performance race car with orange accents parked in a bright white studio.
Photo: McLaren

Not only is the customer version more powerful than the race car, it’s also lighter. McLaren hasn’t said how much the final MCL-HY GTR will weight, but it will be less than Le Mans’s minimum 2,271-pound limit. That means it’s already superb power-to-weight ratio will be even better.

Orange and white prototype race car with a large rear wing parked in a bright indoor garage, sunlight streaming through windows, red taillights glowing.
Deliveries of the MCL-HY GTR are expected to start before the end of 2027 Photo: McLaren

McLaren has yet to mention a price tag for the MCL-HY GTR, but you can expect it to be one of the less-accessible vehicles the automaker has in the works. The company has previously said the car will only be offered to hand-picked “VIP” clients through its Project: Endurance program. Testing will begin later this month, with deliveries slated to begin before the end of 2027.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.

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