McLaren ponders potential manufacturing beyond UK borders

In an exciting development for the luxury automotive industry, Nick Collins has taken the helm as CEO of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group Holdings, following a consolidation with EV startup Forseven. Collins, a seasoned industry veteran, has set his sights on elevating McLaren to new heights.

Collins' primary objective is to achieve an operating level in Woking that runs smoothly and attains world-class levels of quality. He has praised the prior leadership team for bringing McLaren to its current position, but has also hinted at potential changes, without providing specific details.

Recent weeks have seen McLaren joining forces with a young company claimed to have expertise in electric vehicles. This partnership is expected to accelerate McLaren's transition towards a more sustainable future. The decision-making process at McLaren, following the merger, is considered to be quite clear.

Collins has affirmed that supercar building will continue at the McLaren Technology and Production Centers, which he referred to as the "geographic soul of the company." However, he has also hinted at the possibility of building vehicles outside the U.K., although Woking will remain home base for its supercars.

There is no information available about which cars McLaren could build outside its headquarters in Woking. What is certain, though, is that McLaren's current standard of production is "the best quality cars we've ever built," according to Collins.

In addition to focusing on quality and production, Collins is also aiming to get stock levels in retailers down to an idealized level by the end of the year. This move is intended to underpin residual values of the car and make customers feel better about their cars' worth when trading them in.

The car sales business is facing headwinds, but it could be argued that the McLaren brand has never been stronger. McLaren is likely to lock up both Formula 1 drivers' and constructors' championships in a few months, a testament to the company's racing prowess.

Moreover, McLaren recently announced a plan to join the top class of endurance racing. This move signals McLaren's commitment to expanding its presence in the motorsport world.

Meanwhile, Lotus apparently avoided moving automotive production from its U.K. facility to another location, thanks to intervention from the British government. This decision underscores the government's support for the U.K.'s automotive industry.

Collins replaced former CEO Michael Leiters in April. Under his leadership, McLaren is poised to navigate the challenges of the evolving automotive landscape and continue its journey towards becoming the best in the world in terms of quality.