McLaren intends to build new production facility to rival Maranello
First came Paragon, the terrifically high-tech McLaren Technology Center that is the corporate and production HQ for Ron Dennis' various company interests. Now, Dennis is planning a McLaren Production Center (MPC) that will engineer and build "McLaren Automotive's range of innovative high-performance sports cars from 2011."
Speaking of the need for in-house production, Ron Dennis said "It would be easy enough to consider building McLaren sports cars in existing productive and experienced foreign factories.... 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."
A planning permission application was submitted this week. If approved, the MPC would sit next to Paragon and employ 800 people who could churn out 20 McLaren sports cars, like the P11, each day. As with Paragon, it would is expected to be designed by the firm of Fosters+Partners and employ some of the same environmental principles, with site landscaping and building placement aimed at minimizing visual impact.
[Source: F1SA]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TORONTO 8:30AM (5/22/2009)
So..... ummm.... where do I apply ?
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stoil_in 8:35AM (5/22/2009)
McLaren is definitely a great company, but it was founded by New Zealander :)
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zthomasz 9:03AM (5/22/2009)
.....of british descent, who lived in britain and headquartered the company in britain and crammed it full of british people. :)
TigerMil 8:55AM (5/22/2009)
Not enough money to buy 20 cars/day.
It dumbs down the brand, like maserati, when any soccer mom can buy, much less drive one, with a cell phone in their freakin' hand.
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jpollock 12:47PM (5/22/2009)
Seriously, isn't the P11 going to be like $200K? Good luck keeping up with the demand, oh wait...
TANKD0G 9:12AM (5/22/2009)
Not bad for a company that doesn't even have a current production car on sale.
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Metar 1:02PM (5/22/2009)
...but won 8 Formula 1 titles, and consistently competes at the sharp end of the sport.
They already have what is probably the most advanced F1-base in the sport.
Beastage 9:21AM (5/22/2009)
I have a feeling we going to hear later how they apply for subsidies from the British government... the words Ron Dennis uses implies that in my opinion.
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thipps 9:54AM (5/22/2009)
i have been here (was not easy to get in) and i just dont see how they could build a better facility. i wish i was allowed to take a camera. If you have seen any of the men in black movies. its just like that inside. no dirt no dust. all white and aluminum.
awww im dreaming of it right now
Redline 10:25AM (5/22/2009)
So... will their cars closely resemble those from Maranello?
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Franz 12:08PM (5/22/2009)
Only if a disgruntled Ferrari employee steals some sketches and design plans, then gives the lot to them.
big L 11:58AM (5/22/2009)
from aerial shot, it looks like depiction of yin and yang...
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tump 3:50PM (5/22/2009)
Yeah, I thought that, too, but apparently not. It's more jelly bean shaped: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=51.345672,-0.546699&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=17&sll=51.345572,-0.54702&sspn=0.004905,0.009581&ie=UTF8&t=k&z=17
jinsei888 12:44PM (5/22/2009)
this money comes from where?
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Metar 12:59PM (5/22/2009)
Years of work as a top F1 team, with large sponsorship backing? And a few Persian Gulf private backers?