McLaren names its forthcoming Hypercar the MCL-HY

McLaren Racing has revealed the name of the FIA Hypercar that will bring the iconic motorsport brand back to top-level endurance racing. The McLaren MCL-HY will compete for overall honors in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2027.

Alongside its WEC and Le Mans program, McLaren has announced a track car variant and supporting track day program that also provides exclusive access to the team’s return to sports car racing’s top class through the hyper-exclusive Project: Endurance.

The MCL-HY adopts McLaren Racing’s established Formula 1 naming convention, combining the "MCL" prefix with the Hypercar designation "HY" reinforcing the brand’s unified motorsport identity across the highest categories of motorsport.

For the MCL-HY GTR track car variant, McLaren Automotive has chosen a storied name for this unique proposition.

“The MCL‑HY GTR proudly continues a lineage that began with the McLaren F1 GTR’s outright Le Mans victory in 1995 and then continued with the McLaren P1 GTR and McLaren Senna GTR track cars. This badge stands for moments that define McLaren. With the MCL‑HY GTR, we are writing the next chapter for our most focused, authentic, and uncompromising track cars,” said Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Chief Commercial Officer, McLaren Automotive.

This announcement precedes the full reveal on May 4 of both the 2027 race car and its track car counterpart, which have been developed through close collaboration between McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive.

“Taking the McLaren name back to the pinnacle of sports car racing is a huge milestone and it’s a proud time for everyone within McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive to share the name of our new Hypercar that follows in the footsteps of an incredible lineage of McLaren racing cars," said James Barclay, executive director of McLaren Endurance Racing. "We are in a golden era of sports car racing and the Hypercar category continues to be extremely successful, and our new car name shows respect to that. Our development MCL-HY will be revealed in its incredibly cool test livery ahead of our first rollout.”