McLaren mulls four-seater

Porsche has the Panamera, Ferrari has the GTC4Lusso. And now it seems McLaren could be plotting its own four-seat flame-thrower.

The British company has offered a three-seat sports car in the past – the legendary McLaren F1 had a central driver's seat, flanked by two rear seats. Its replacement, the BP23, will offer the same.

But the idea of a four-seat vehicle has not yet been explored by the company. Until now…

McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt was at the Shanghai motor show this week spruiking the brand's virtues to the Chinese market. In conversation with UK publication

"I can see four seats, but not four doors," Flewitt said in China.

"We'd look at it, see if it's what the market wants and see if it would still have the driving attributes that you'd want from our cars".

Back in June 2016, during the Goodwood Festival of speed, motoring.com.au spoke to McLaren's former global corporate communications manager, Duncan Forrester (Forrester now works for Volvo's sports car offshoot Polestar) who confirmed a four-seat Macca was under consideration.

McLaren later withdrew Forrester's remarks.

With Flewitt's statements this week, however, we think it's fair to spotlight the Goodwood remarks. There, the then-comms-boss stated: "I think we'll play with it [a four-door], but I don't think there's much of an appetite for a family McLaren," he said.

McLaren has in the past said it has no plans to expand its model range beyond the current three vehicle tiers, they being Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series vehicles.

So how would a longer, more spacious (albeit still likely 2+2) four-seat McLaren fit in?

The answer depends very much on customer demand and factory capacity.

The company has no appetite for an SUV, to rival the likes of the Lamborghini Urus or Porsche Cayenne.

"We are not going to build an SUV. I can tell you that straight out," Forrester told motoring.com.au in 2016.

"What we know is that today we build, I would argue, the world's best two-seater mid-engine sports car. That's what we're known for and that's what our strength is, that's what our DNA is and that's what our customers ask us for.

"Today, and as far into the future as we can realistically predict, customers aren't going to be coming to McLaren and saying "What I really want is one of these cars, but raised up about a foot".

But a four-seat sports car? It now appears it IS a case of watch this space.