Ron Dennis, chairman of McLaren Automotive, has announced plans to build an advanced production center adjacent to the current McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The new production facility would allow McLaren to operate as a stand-alone automaker, rather than relying on partnerships with outside automakers and facilities. Dennis estimates the proposed McLaren Production Centre, or MPC, would support more than 800 on-site jobs, as well as stimulate 1500 more positions in the local economy.
"Ever since we revealed the McLaren F1 sports car in 1992, it has been a long-held dream of mine to launch a McLaren sports car company," Dennis said in a statement. "Designing, developing, and selling globally the best sports cars in the world is just half of that equation; building them to previously unmatched levels of quality, with ground-breaking technologies in a production facility in the UK is key to satisfying that dream."
Dennis plans to build his company's upcoming sports car, codenamed P11, at the facility for 2011 production. Dennis estimates that the initial production run would span 1000 units annually, increasing to 4000 units by the end of production. The new car is slated to be a mid-engined coupe and similar in size to the current Ferrari F430. Very few details are currently known about the car, though our spy shooters have caught a number of prototypes during testing. It is rumored that the new car, contrary to the McLaren Mercedes-Benz SLR, will not use a Mercedes engine, even though the German automaker's parent company, Daimler, owns 40% of McLaren Automotive. Dennis has asserted that Daimler has no interest in McLaren, leaving day-to-day operations as an independent function of the boutique sports car maker.
"It would be easy enough to consider building McLaren sports cars in existing productive and experienced foreign factories; a number of which are knocking on our door," Dennis said." However, McLaren is a great British company founded over 40 years ago that should, in my view, continue to design and build our own products."
Dennis retired from his position as CEO of McLaren Racing earlier this year, which saw him running the Formula 1 racing team, to focus on McLaren's production cars.
The Woking Borough Council is expected to make a decision on McLaren's planning application for the new production center by the end of July.
Source: motortrend
