McLaren Project Endurance Revealed – Le Mans Hypercar for the Few

Ferrari’s Le Mans streak continues – but McLaren’s 2027 return is now in motion, and this time it’s bringing customers into the campaign.

McLaren is officially back in top-tier endurance racing – and it’s bringing a few well-heeled clients along for the ride. Known as Project Endurance, the initiative centres on an ultra-limited, track-only Le Mans Hypercar developed in parallel with McLaren’s 2027 World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign.

Unlike other recently announced Le Mans–derived prototypes such as the Glickenhaus SCG 007 S or Porsche 963 RSP, what sets Project Endurance apart is the level of access it offers. Buyers will be embedded in the programme, with access to development tests, team debriefs, engineering meetings, and data from the WEC works effort. McLaren says this is the most integrated customer experience it has ever offered.

In an unusual move for Woking, chassis development is being handled by Dallara. The Italian firm already supplies LMDh platforms for Cadillac’s V-Series.R and BMW’s M Hybrid V8, giving McLaren a proven base to build from. The decision is driven by the need to guarantee 2027 homologation, and partnering with Dallara significantly streamlines the process.

LMDh regulations specify a powertrain made up of a standardised hybrid system – shared by all manufacturers – paired with a combustion engine of the team's own design. Given its experience with the Artura, the smart money is on McLaren developing a version of that car’s twin-turbo V6. When combined with the Bosch MGU, Williams battery, and Xtrac gearbox mandated by the rules, the M630 unit should easily meet the category’s 670bhp cap – and customer cars may even exceed it. The V6 also brings clear packaging advantages and helps meet the minimum weight target of 1030kg.

Each chassis is track-only and not road legal, but McLaren states the spec will be effectively identical to the WEC race car. Ownership also includes a two-year, arrive-and-drive global track programme. Each car runs with full pit crew support, engineering oversight, and pro driver coaching provided by McLaren. The technical team supporting these events will include McLaren Racing engineers, maintaining a direct link between the customer programme and the factory development effort. Think along the lines of Ferrari’s XX Programme and Aston Martin’s Valkyrie AMR Pro events – only this one is tied directly to an active race campaign.

Like the powertrain, the launch livery is a hybrid – weaving together McLaren’s endurance racing legacy. Papaya orange dominates, layered with cues from the 1995 Le Mans–winning F1 GTR, including the number 59 on the flanks. It remains to be seen whether this finish will carry across all cars, or if the chosen few will be able to commission something more bespoke.

McLaren’s ambition is to go one better on its existing Triple Crown – victory at Monaco, the Indy 500, and Le Mans – by achieving all three in a single season. Project Endurance is central to that effort. Build numbers remain undisclosed, but production will be tightly capped. Each car will be assembled at McLaren’s Woking headquarters, with support from Dallara and McLaren Racing’s factory teams. More technical details and the customer selection process will be revealed as the programme unfolds.