McLaren has revealed the MCL-HY FIA Hypercar, the hybrid endurance racer that will take the British marque back to the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027.
The car will begin on-track testing this month before homologation in winter. McLaren said the 2026 test livery takes inspiration from the M6A, linking the new programme to Bruce McLaren’s sports-car ambitions and the brand’s Can-Am past. There is also the bigger Le Mans thread: McLaren won the race outright in 1995 with the F1 GTR.
The MCL-HY is built to ACO/IMSA LMDh regulations. It uses a lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque, a twin-turbocharged V6 race engine and a hybrid MGU system, sending up to 520kW or 707PS to the driven rear axle. Minimum weight is listed at 1,030kg, so the focus is not just outright pace but efficiency over long stints.
McLaren Racing will use the programme to chase the Triple Crown again, covering the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Mikkel Jensen will lead development driving for the McLaren Hypercar Team. McLaren Driver Development Programme drivers Gregoire Saucy and Richard Verschoor will support the test work, along with United Autosports driver Ben Hanley.
There is also a customer car, but with a twist. The MCL-HY GTR track derivative is being developed alongside the race car under McLaren Automotive’s Project: Endurance programme.
Unlike the WEC car, it drops the mandated LMDh hybrid system and uses only the 2.9-litre twin-turbo racing engine, making about 730PS. McLaren said that keeps weight and complexity down for private track use.
Deliveries of the MCL-HY GTR are due towards the end of 2027. Buyers also get a two-year, six-event track programme at major international circuits, with coaching, pit crew and race-engineering support.
For an electrified-car audience, the interesting bit is the split personality. McLaren’s Le Mans comeback is hybrid. Its VIP track toy is not.
