Friday, January 08, 2016

Supercar News: McLaren delivers more than 1,650 cars in 2015, another record year in sales for them


McLaren Automotive, the British producer of luxury sports and supercars, ended 2015 with another record year. A total of 1,654 cars were delivered to customers across 30 markets.  The global demand for the range of McLaren Automotive cars, especially the recently-launched Sports Series, has driven the need for a second shift at the world-class McLaren Production Centre and the immediate recruitment of 250 skilled production team members. 


Note that whilst some places, like here in Malaysia, are going through an economic slowdown, there is no slowdown in people buying high performance cars globally. Expansion is going on. If there are any of you out there with the necessary skills you ought to try sending your resume and see whether you have a chance at getting a job over in the UK with McLaren. Who knows. 


PRESS RELEASE
McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE POSTS SUCCESSIVE SALES RECORD, 

DRIVING 250 NEW MANUFACTURING JOBS 

 More than 1,650 McLaren cars delivered from the McLaren Production Centre in 

2015

 Strong global demand fuels 250 new jobs and second shift in the McLaren 

Production Centre

 Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, 

welcomes success and recruitment of world-class engineering talent on visit to 

McLaren Technology Centre

McLaren Automotive, the British producer of luxury sports and supercars, ended 2015 with

another record year, as it has done every year since the company began production in

2010.  A total of 1,654 cars were delivered to customers across 30 markets.  The global

demand for the range of McLaren Automotive cars, especially the recently-launched

Sports Series, has driven the need for a second shift at the world-class McLaren

Production Centre and the immediate recruitment of 250 skilled production team members.

Welcoming the 2015 success for McLaren Automotive and the recruitment of 250 new

production roles at the McLaren Production Centre was the Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP,

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.  On a visit to the McLaren

Technology Centre on Thursday 7 January 2016, Mr Javid commented: ‘McLaren road

cars are some of the most iconic in the world and that is down to the excellence of British

design, engineering and manufacturing. Today’s news that it is creating 250 new jobs is a

sign that the UK auto industry continues to thrive.

‘I was particularly impressed to hear that over half of all the components and parts that go

into their cars are manufactured here in the UK, and this is creating countless more jobs in

the supply chain.’

SALES SUCCESS IN 2015

The record year by McLaren Automotive was supported by the launch of no less than five

new models, as well as introducing the new three tier product family – Sports Series,

Super Series and Ultimate Series.  At the Geneva Motorshow in March, McLaren

Automotive launched two cars at the pinnacle of their respective model Series – the

McLaren P1TM GTR in the Ultimate Series and the 675LT Coupé in the Super Series.

Built in response to requests from existing McLaren P1TM customers, the McLaren P1TM

GTR was designed as the ultimate track car for the most exclusive owners’ club. Hand-

assembled to the exacting specification of its owner, the cars are used on a selection of

the world’s most famous racing circuits as part of the McLaren P1™ GTR Driver

Programme. This exclusive owners’ club opens up the world of McLaren to a small group

immersing them in a full suite of personal racing services, including seat fitting, use of the

McLaren racing simulators and fitness facilities as well as full trackside support and driver

training from a host of world class engineers and drivers, including Driver Mentor, Bruno

Senna.

The McLaren 675LT Coupé is the first modern-day McLaren to wear the ‘LT’ or ‘Longtail’

name, and was limited to 500 cars. It sold out almost immediately.  The track-focused

675LT Coupé, featuring lighter weight, increased power and enhanced driving dynamics,

was joined in December by a Spider variant which, again, is limited to 500 cars and sold

out in just two weeks.

In April, at the New York Autoshow, McLaren Automotive revealed the new Sports Series

family, designed to be the most accessible form of McLaren ownership.  The first car

launched, the 570S Coupé, has been almost universally awarded five-stars by all of those

who have driven it since its arrival.  This was followed by the reveal of the 540C Coupé at

the Shanghai Autoshow later the same month.  By the time the Sports Series is complete

in 2017, the range will include two further bodystyles and is expected to account for two

thirds of total annual sales volumes.  Despite only having started production in November,

the McLaren retailer network is already holding over six months worth of orders for Sports

Series cars.

2015 also marked the end of production of the road-going McLaren P1TM from the Ultimate

Series.  The last of the limited run of 375 McLaren P1TM supercars was delivered to its

customer in December.  The end-of-production of the McLaren P1TM, the first of the new

generation of hybrid supercars, coincided with a number of triple tests that confirmed the

position of the McLaren P1TM as one of the world’s greatest supercars ever produced.

Alongside the record sales development, the McLaren Automotive global retailer network

also grew in 2015 to 80 retailers covering 30 markets.  Twelve new retailers opened in

2015 covering important territories such as Seoul, Mexico City and Houston.  Further

development is planned in 2016, with a focus on controlled and sustainable growth within

existing markets rather than significantly increasing the total number of markets covered.

In addition to progress with new car sales and retailer openings, the McLaren Automotive

pre-owned programme, McLaren Qualified, continued to expand in 2015.  Over 700 cars

were sold as the programme expanded into new retailers and new markets. McLaren

Qualified will continue to develop in 2016 as a significant opportunity for retailers, as well

as representing the first stepping-stone into McLaren ownership for many new customers.

Commenting on the 2015 end-of-year performance, Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer of

McLaren Automotive said: ‘2015 was a year of rapid expansion for McLaren Automotive.

When the company was set up in 2010, we set ourselves an ambition to launch one new

car every year.  In 2015, we launched five!  This accelerated development has led to yet

another record year, with unprecedented levels of demand for all of our cars, especially the

new Sports Series, for which we are currently holding more than six months worth of

orders.  This goes to show that the team at the McLaren Technology Centre and around

the world, together with our retail partners, are creating and building the world’s most

desirable sports and supercars.

‘The need to add a second shift in the McLaren Production Centre is another great

example of the progress that McLaren Automotive has made in its short history.  I look

forward to receiving the 250 new production team members into the company shortly.  All

of these developments in 2015 give me a very positive sense of confidence that our

product range and long-term business plans are heading in exactly the right direction’.

NEW MANUFACTURING ROLES AT THE McLAREN PRODUCTION CENTRE

The sales success of 2015, linked to the unprecedented levels of forward orders for the

new Sports Series, has led to the initiation of a second shift at the McLaren Production

Centre.  A total of 250 new roles will be created in the Production, Quality and Logistics

departments as the company invests for its future.  These will be apportioned as

approximately 200 in Production, 30 in Quality and the remaining 20 in Logistics.

The second shift is scheduled to start in February 2016.  The new roles, which are being

recruited immediately, will add approximately 40 percent to the existing headcount at the

world-class production facility and will take production rates from the previous 14 cars per

day up to 20 cars per day by mid-2016.

The increase in production resource comes on top of the significant investments in

Research and Development previously announced in the company’s 2014 financial results.

In June 2015, McLaren Automotive confirmed that it had reinvested 20 percent of its

annual turnover of £475.5m, or approximately £92m, in Research and Development.

Significant investment continued in 2015, funding Research and Development for new

models, technologies and innovation.

Mike Flewitt continued: ‘The launch of the new Sports Series is a step-change for McLaren

Automotive.  It opens the company up to new markets, new customers and consequently,

new sales volumes.  The reception to the new Sports Series and the levels of customer

orders tells us that now is the time to invest in the second shift and 250 new production

team members to ensure that we are able to reach our assembly objectives once the full

model range is available.’

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