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McLaren today showed the MCL-HY FIA Hypercar; the sports car that will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027. MCL-HY is also the underpinning for an exclusive track car derivative, dubbed the MCL-HY GTR, currently being offered to VIP McLaren clients through the Project: Endurance program.
“Years and months in the making and here we are, revealing the MCL-HY to the world. McLaren Racing now has three race cars ready to contest the biggest motorsport series in the world; Formula 1, IndyCar and WEC. This means McLaren, its partners and fans can challenge for the Triple Crown of Monaco GP, INDY500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans together – a unique cross-series story that sets us apart,” said Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing.
The revealed car will be developed throughout a test program in 2026 ahead of homologation in the winter, was presented in the 2026 test livery inspired by the McLaren M6A. This was the car Bruce McLaren once dreamed of taking to La Sarthe as the M6GT. Sports car racing is the basis of McLaren’s DNA, from its dominance of Can-Am during the late 1960s and early 1970s, to the win at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans with the McLaren F1 GTR.
Built to the ACO / IMSA LMDh regulations, the MCL-HY combines lightweight carbon fiber monocoque chassis construction with exceptional balance. Power comes from a twin‑turbocharged V6 race engine paired with a hybrid MGU system, delivering up to 520kW (707PS) to the driven rear axle. With a minimum weight of 1,030kg and a highly efficient power‑to‑weight ratio, the MCL‑HY has been developed to balance outright performance with endurance racing efficiency, designed to operate at the very highest level of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans.
McLaren’s return to racing in the premier class at Le Mans is also the beginning of a challenge to once again take the Triple Crown of motorsport: Winning at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With McLaren already competing in Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series, the MCL-HY is the final piece needed.
The McLaren Hypercar Team will commence on-track testing of the MCL-HY in May 2026, a program that will support the simultaneous development of both the race car and its track car counterpart ahead of McLaren’s WEC debut in 2027.
For the 2026 test program, McLaren Hypercar Team works driver Mikkel Jensen will be supported by McLaren Driver Development Program (DDP) drivers Gregoire Saucy and Richard Verschoor. In addition, United Autosports driver Ben Hanley will bring his development experience to the team.
The MCL-HY GTR track car variant isa first collaboration between McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. Engineered in parallel with the race car, the track car variant has been deliberately developed without the FIA Hypercar’s mandated LMDh hybrid system and is powered purely by the 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged racing engine, resulting in a lower dry weight while also developing ~730PS.
“This decision ensures that clients benefit from a purer driving experience on track days; one that delivers authentic Hypercar performance and feel without additional complexity, and a simpler ownership model that prioritizes accessibility above all else,” McLaren claimed.
McLaren Automotive has developed a program offering unprecedented access to McLaren Racing’s World Endurance Championship operation. Project: Endurance will immerse clients in the team’s journey, from testing and development, through to the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Inclusive of this, MCL-HY GTR owners will also take part in a two-year, six-event track driving program at premier international circuits, which includes opportunities to drive their car on PURE McLaren track events. Each client will have professional driver coaching, a dedicated pit crew and race engineering support, participating on a fully inclusive arrive-and-drive basis. Deliveries of the McLaren MCL-HY GTR track car are to begin towards the end of 2027.
“This is an exciting moment in McLaren’s history, and we are thrilled to launch this new journey through the Project: Endurance program. The MCL-HY GTR will offer an FIA Hypercar experience, unprecedented in its accessibility, to track driving enthusiasts. Those who come with us on this journey will see and feel the absolute best of McLaren, and how our racing heritage is shaping our future more than ever,” said Nick Collins, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Racing Return! McLaren MCL-HY 2027 WEC Hypercar Shown
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McLaren today showed the MCL-HY FIA Hypercar; the sports car that will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027. MCL-HY is also the underpinning for an exclusive track car derivative, dubbed the MCL-HY GTR, currently being offered to VIP McLaren clients through the Project: Endurance program.
“Years and months in the making and here we are, revealing the MCL-HY to the world. McLaren Racing now has three race cars ready to contest the biggest motorsport series in the world; Formula 1, IndyCar and WEC. This means McLaren, its partners and fans can challenge for the Triple Crown of Monaco GP, INDY500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans together – a unique cross-series story that sets us apart,” said Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing.
The revealed car will be developed throughout a test program in 2026 ahead of homologation in the winter, was presented in the 2026 test livery inspired by the McLaren M6A. This was the car Bruce McLaren once dreamed of taking to La Sarthe as the M6GT. Sports car racing is the basis of McLaren’s DNA, from its dominance of Can-Am during the late 1960s and early 1970s, to the win at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans with the McLaren F1 GTR.
Built to the ACO / IMSA LMDh regulations, the MCL-HY combines lightweight carbon fiber monocoque chassis construction with exceptional balance. Power comes from a twin‑turbocharged V6 race engine paired with a hybrid MGU system, delivering up to 520kW (707PS) to the driven rear axle. With a minimum weight of 1,030kg and a highly efficient power‑to‑weight ratio, the MCL‑HY has been developed to balance outright performance with endurance racing efficiency, designed to operate at the very highest level of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans.
McLaren’s return to racing in the premier class at Le Mans is also the beginning of a challenge to once again take the Triple Crown of motorsport: Winning at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With McLaren already competing in Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series, the MCL-HY is the final piece needed.
The McLaren Hypercar Team will commence on-track testing of the MCL-HY in May 2026, a program that will support the simultaneous development of both the race car and its track car counterpart ahead of McLaren’s WEC debut in 2027.
For the 2026 test program, McLaren Hypercar Team works driver Mikkel Jensen will be supported by McLaren Driver Development Program (DDP) drivers Gregoire Saucy and Richard Verschoor. In addition, United Autosports driver Ben Hanley will bring his development experience to the team.
The MCL-HY GTR track car variant isa first collaboration between McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. Engineered in parallel with the race car, the track car variant has been deliberately developed without the FIA Hypercar’s mandated LMDh hybrid system and is powered purely by the 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged racing engine, resulting in a lower dry weight while also developing ~730PS.
“This decision ensures that clients benefit from a purer driving experience on track days; one that delivers authentic Hypercar performance and feel without additional complexity, and a simpler ownership model that prioritizes accessibility above all else,” McLaren claimed.
McLaren Automotive has developed a program offering unprecedented access to McLaren Racing’s World Endurance Championship operation. Project: Endurance will immerse clients in the team’s journey, from testing and development, through to the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Inclusive of this, MCL-HY GTR owners will also take part in a two-year, six-event track driving program at premier international circuits, which includes opportunities to drive their car on PURE McLaren track events. Each client will have professional driver coaching, a dedicated pit crew and race engineering support, participating on a fully inclusive arrive-and-drive basis. Deliveries of the McLaren MCL-HY GTR track car are to begin towards the end of 2027.
“This is an exciting moment in McLaren’s history, and we are thrilled to launch this new journey through the Project: Endurance program. The MCL-HY GTR will offer an FIA Hypercar experience, unprecedented in its accessibility, to track driving enthusiasts. Those who come with us on this journey will see and feel the absolute best of McLaren, and how our racing heritage is shaping our future more than ever,” said Nick Collins, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.