How McLaren plans to bring Hypercar vibes to a track day car

When McLaren announced Project: Endurance back in June, it became the latest Hypercar manufacturer – after Ferrari and Aston Martin – to offer an unrestricted, track-only version of its FIA WEC top-class challenger for private customers.

The idea has been years in the making, the result of a partnership between McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing, which describe the initiative as “a unique opportunity to own an authentic Le Mans Hypercar and become part of McLaren racing history.”

According to Neil Underwood, McLaren’s head of HyperTrack cars, the concept even predates Ferrari’s 499P Modificata launch in 2023.

“We started work on it three years ago,” he tells RACER. “We had initial discussions and it became clear that there would be an appetite for this sort of joint collaboration, with Racing and Automotive using their expertise to manufacture, design and run racing cars, and our knowledge of what high-net-worths are looking at.”

McLaren has already proven there’s a strong appetite for exclusive track-day cars. Its Solus GT project – 25 examples of a single-seater V10 designed for Pure McLaren track days – was a smash hit. So naturally, the company has become more ambitious for its next product.

“With Solus GT, customers wanted to go even further than that,” Underwood explains. “They want heritage Formula 1 cars, for instance. So we looked at this as an alternative to bring customers to the absolute pinnacle of endurance racing. It will be immersive.”

Once McLaren's lengthy evaluation process for the Hypercar race program, which dated back to the Hypercar ruleset’s inception in 2018, ended with sign-off earlier this year from McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and the board, it led to Project: Endurance receiving the green light.

Between 30 and 35 cars are expected to be built, with buyers signed up for a multi-year agreement. Customers will sharpen their skills alongside factory drivers, drive on world-class circuits, and gain front-row access to McLaren’s racing effort as it develops. McLaren is selling directly to a curated client list across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. 

The buy-in will come with a hefty price tag, but Underwood stresses the experience is just as valuable as the car itself.

“It’s not so much about the car,” he underlines. “Although the car is important, it’s about the experiences, to go behind the scenes for what we believe will be a very competitive car, seeing how it evolves and develops and the races. We will be bringing these customers along for the journey.”

Participants will experience the car’s development from the inside.

“They’ll be given details about the engine fire-up, aero testing, they’ll attend tests, they’ll do their seat fit, do a simulator session, and it will also culminate in them being on site at Le Mans in 2027 to see the car on track.”

On the surface, the Project: Endurance track car looks nearly identical to the LMDh unveiled at Le Mans this summer. However, key adjustments make it more user-friendly for less experienced drivers. 

“It’s a customer-friendly version of the car that an amateur can drive,” Underwood explains. “The car won’t have any of the scrutineering sensors or torque sensing for BoP. It will also have different traction control systems and engine map to make sure it’s more drivable. The idea is that across the two-year track program the customers will grow with the car, learn how to be a better race driver. The car is extreme to drive; it’s the real deal.”

McLaren is also working to accommodate a wider range of driver physiques.

“The cockpits are small; there’s not much we can do about that,” Underwood admits. “But we are doing a study at the moment about freeing up more space, so if you’re a bigger build, we can mold the seat around you and make use of an adjustable pedal box.”

To simplify logistics, McLaren will run an ‘Arrive and Drive’ program that manages everything for the first two years: car prep, storage, maintenance, and operation. As well as ensuring convenience for the customers, it also allows McLaren to take complete control of the more complex elements of its fleet of hybrid-powered prototypes. 

Owners will receive 12 track days across six events with the option to add more special events, potentially including the opportunity to run at night.

“Later this year, we will announce the 2026 event calendar to support our existing ultimate series track cars on European circuits, and the plan is that we will look to gain momentum over 2026 and 2027 so that in 2028, when we are running Project: Endurance, we have a wider choice of circuits,” Underwood says.

“Project Endurance owners get 12 days of track time, inclusive of the car, at six events, and can add to that with special events. The idea is that on top of the existing program, we give customers the chance to drive the car almost where and when they want, at exclusive tests or with a group.”

Buyers will also be able to personalize their cars to a degree. Each will be delivered in raw carbon, then finished with a customer-designed livery guided by McLaren Special Operations’ visualization team. 

“It won’t be personalization at the level of Solus GT when it comes to paint and interior colors; it’s much more of an authentic Le Mans experience, to keep the cars looking right for the race track and not the garage,” Underwood says.

The program’s schedule is ambitious but achievable. The first validation prototype is set to hit the track in summer 2026, shortly after the LMDh race car begins testing. Final specifications will be frozen following homologation, and customer deliveries are slated to begin in 2027, with the full track program running through 2028.

Production duties fall to Dallara, McLaren’s long-standing IndyCar partner and a trusted supplier in the Hypercar and GTP arena. Autotecnica Motori will provide engines.

“We will have a really good development window between then and production of the car, which will start sometime in mid-2027, and then we will probably have produced all the cars by the end of 2028,” Underwood explains.

“It’s not long away, but we are very confident in Dallara’s abilities. We’ve worked with them on IndyCar, and they know what they are capable of. They also engineered the 499P and 499P Modificata, they have a pedigree in this.”

McLaren believes that with Project: Endurance, it can add real value to its forthcoming race program. With deliveries due in just two years, it is all systems go at Woking...