Ricardo and McLaren Automotive announce long-term multi-year V8 engine supply agreement partnership for future high-performance hybrid powertrains

Ricardo partnership with McLaren for the continued supply of high-performance engines continues into the next decade.

Ricardo, a global strategic environmental and engineering consulting company with specialisms in niche manufacturing and industrial engineering has announced a long-term, multi-year partnership with British supercar company McLaren Automotive to manufacture its next-generation V8 power unit.

Designed in-house by McLaren’s powertrain team, the new high-performance V8 engine will power the next generation of lightweight, high-performance hybrid supercars as part of the company’s Future of Performance strategy. 
 
This is the third extension and fourth generation of the engine supply agreement between the two companies. Ricardo has built both the V6 and V8 engines that will power McLaren’s existing and future high-performance hybrid supercars.  

Since the introduction of McLaren’s first series production supercar, the 12C in 2011, Ricardo has produced over 34,000 McLaren powertrains at its purpose-built assembly facility at Shoreham-by-Sea in the UK, before delivering them to the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, in the UK, where McLaren designs and hand builds its supercars.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ricardo will supply both hybrid and non-hybrid variants. To support this, Ricardo and McLaren will make further investment in the high-performance engine production facility at Shoreham, with over 100 expert manufacturing engineers and technicians committed to supplying McLaren’s high-performance powertrains. 

Graham Ritchie, Chief Executive Officer, Ricardo plc, said: “We are extremely pleased to have concluded this long-term multi-year engine supply agreement with McLaren Automotive, for its 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.”

Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive said: “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.”