Following Lamborghini’s roofless mystery prototype that seems to be a mixture of the hybrid Sián FKP 37 and the track-only Essensa SJV12, here’s our latest update on the secret McLaren halo car that was codenamed BC-03 back in October 2019. It has since appeared in fully camouflaged form in California as the McLaren Sabre, the latest in the line of Woking’s Ultimate Series models. And with McLaren going for a fully electrified lineup starting next year with the hybrid successor of the Sports Series, you won’t be surprised to learn that this car is pretty much a Senna GTR LM in hybrid form.
Standing next to a Speedtail, a McLaren representative told me not too long ago that given the slow sales of the Elva speedster, we are unlikely to get a new Ultimate Series before 2025, or late 2024 at the earliest. Yet by that time, the McLaren Sabre project has been well along its way.
In fact, thanks to various Instagram accounts including @spy.shots, not only did we get a glimpse at a BC-03/Sabre prototype doing its thing around a U.K. proving ground, but there are also digital renders showing this hybrid ultra-limited model from all major angles:
Now, fellow Insta warriors @KRNSpeed go even further, revealing info that may or may not come from the folks rolling around in this camouflaged prototype, and so should be taken with a grain of salt until we hear more from Woking:
“McLaren revealed some 3D images of this car in 2019, and it was codenamed as “BC-03. According to some reports, McLaren Automotive has filed a trademark application for registration of the name “Sabre” at the American Patent Office. The Sabre is a track-biased monster inspired by the Senna GTR, and the Vision GranTurismo. It forms part of the ‘Ultimate Series’ lineup. The Vision GT is an insane concept car that was created for the video game Gran Turismo. The Sabre has an aggressive front splitter with extended side blades, traditional McLaren-style headlights, and a vented front clam. On the sides, it has the Senna-style half-cut Windows, and Gorilla Glass panels on top of the doors. The rear end is a representation of monstrosity. It has a fully-covered rear deck lid w/ eight air inlets, a central shark fin, deck-mounted central exhausts, an aero-obsessed rear wing and a knife-edge diffuser. The brake lights/taillights are vertically mounted on the rear wing arms and central fin, respectively. The Interior is pretty similar to the Senna GTR. Fully digital instrument cluster, race-style steering wheel, full carbon bucket seats, carbon fibre overload, etc.”
So far, looking at the renders and the prototype, all that seems legit. Then comes the real fireworks:
“It’ll be powered by the M840TR 4.0L twin-turbo V8 from the Senna, making 800 horsepower and 590 foot-pounds. Yet it’ll also get hybrid assistance, so the combined power output will be around 1,150 hp and 944 foot-pounds of torque. That’ll make this the most powerful McLaren ever made. Only 15 units are expected to be made, with pricing is expected to be around $3.3-4.4 million.”
In other words, McLaren is ready to tap into the price and performance territory of the Koenigsegg Jesko, Pagani Huayra BC and Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport. This ain’t a gran turismo.
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