WEC: McLaren unveiled two versions of the hypercar MCL-HY

      As planned, on May 4, McLaren Racing unveiled their latest hypercar, the MCL-HY, which starting in 2027 will compete in the World Endurance Championship, including the "24 Hours of Le Mans." Additionally, alongside the racing version, a more moderate variant, the MCL-HY GTR, has been created based on it, which is offered to select McLaren clients as part of a special Project: Endurance program.

      The homologation of the presented technology at the FIA level will only take place next winter, and before that, the car will undergo intensive testing throughout the year. The impressive livery in which the hypercar will be tested is inspired by the historic sports prototype McLaren M6A, developed by Bruce McLaren and his engineers nearly six decades ago for the Can-Am series. Testing of both versions of the MCL-HY on real tracks will begin as early as May. The cars will be piloted during the tests by Mikkel Jensen, a factory driver for the McLaren Hypercar Team, along with Gregoire Saucy and Richard Verschoor, participants in the team's youth program. Ben Hanley, an experienced driver from United Autosports, will also be involved in this work.

      The MCL-HY hypercar is built under the WEC/IMSA technical regulations, with a composite monocoque chassis design; it features a hybrid system engine producing around 707 hp. The car has been developed through the joint efforts of specialists from McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive – the automotive division of the company. However, the GTR version has a different engine – McLaren has deliberately deviated from the FIA regulations, and this power unit is structurally simpler, lacking the hybrid component. It consists of a 2.9-liter twin-turbo engine; its power is 730 hp.

      For clients who can afford to purchase the MCL-HY GTR, a special two-year testing program has been developed, consisting of six stages that will take place on the world's famous racetracks. Each owner of such a hypercar will have a personal coach, their own team of engineers and mechanics. These cars will be delivered to clients closer to the end of 2027. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing: "Years and months of work on this project are behind us, and now we present to the world the hypercar MCL-HY. We have already created three cars that are ready to participate in the most important racing series – in Formula 1, IndyCar, and WEC. This means that McLaren, with the support of partners and fans, will be able to compete for the Triple Crown by participating in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the '24 Hours of Le Mans.' These unique prospects excite us."