McLaren is expanding its return to top-level endurance racing with a new customer program that will give select buyers access to a powerful track car connected to the company’s future Le Mans Hypercar project.
The initiative, known as Project: Endurance, was announced last year as part of McLaren’s broader push into the World Endurance Championship. Through the program, customers with the necessary financial resources will be able to own a machine related to the race car McLaren plans to field in the 2027 season.
McLaren’s upcoming competition entry will follow the LMDh regulations and will be built around a chassis supplied by Dallara. The race car will use a twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain. Under the rules governing the class, the system will be limited to a combined output of 671 horsepower.
The version offered to customers, however, will differ from the actual race machine in several key ways. While it uses the same 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine as the competition car, the track-focused model will not include the hybrid system required in the championship. Instead, the internal combustion engine will operate on its own.
Without the hybrid components, the customer car will deliver a higher peak output from the gasoline engine alone. The engine is expected to produce 720 horsepower, giving it 49 horsepower more than the regulated output allowed for the race car competing in the championship.
Project: Endurance is designed as a two-year track program rather than a simple vehicle purchase. Owners will take part in organized driving events held at several of the world’s well-known circuits. McLaren plans to provide full operational support at each event, allowing participants to arrive at the track and drive without managing the technical logistics themselves.
Each participant will receive guidance from a professional race driver along with a dedicated pit crew and race engineers. The program also includes access to the development and preparation behind McLaren Racing’s LMDh effort. Customers will be able to interact with team members and drivers while following the progress of the endurance racing program.
By integrating owners directly into the environment surrounding its endurance racing return, McLaren aims to connect customers to the technology, personnel and development process behind its future Le Mans Hypercar effort.
Shawn Henry