McLaren Ends the Holdout: Its First SUV Is Now Official

McLaren has finally given in. The British sports car maker confirmed it will build an SUV, the first in its 63-year history — a decision that ends one of the longest-running refusals in the performance car world.

The move follows a well-worn path. Porsche broke the ground back in 2002 with the Cayenne, and since then Jaguar, Maserati, Lotus and Ferrari have all added high-riding models to their lineups. McLaren was among the last prominent sports car brands still insisting it would never go down that road.

No timeline, platform details or powertrain specifics were included in the confirmation, so it remains unclear when the vehicle will arrive or what will power it. What is clear is that McLaren now joins the SUV club it once publicly avoided.