It turns out that McLaren isn’t thinking about making a mainstream hatchback as we originally reported here. We’ve now been tipped from Inautonews that the manufacturer was formally asked and it replied through an official representative that it “has no plans to create and build a car in the C-segment.”
Here's what McLaren said: "Actually it was not really a news and Frank Stephenson said that more on a joke tone… McLaren has no plans to create and build a car in the C-segment. In 2015, McLaren will launch the next all-new sportscar, and will take McLaren into a lower pricepoint (top-end Porsche 911/Audi R8)."
So, it turns out that designer Frank Stephenson who spoke to a Dutch site was either wrong or just joking and the humor got lost in the translation/interpretation part.
Granted, it was a bit far-fetched to begin with, but it would not have been the first time that a manufacturer had to resort to selling cars not at all close to the company philosophy, in order to make its trademark vehicles – Porsche and Aston Martin come to mind here
Chances are we will never ever hear of this McLaren hatchback, but it was fun to think what such a thing could have realistically been like. To me it sounded like a car that would be similar in dimensions to a BMW 1-Series , yet with McLaren design and distinguishing traits.
By Andrei Nedelea
Note: 12C pictured
