McLaren’s McL 820 Tease Points To 809-HP 750S Successor

A hidden McLaren McL 820 badge, new hybrid V8 plans, and a second UK engine factory point to a harder-hitting 750S replacement.

Photo by: McLaren

By: Brian Potter

Oct 30, at 2:44am ET

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McLaren has hidden its next supercar's name inside a giant kiwi statue, and the numbers behind it point to a serious jump in power. The company placed the sculpture in London's Covent Garden this week, with "McL 820" painted on its flank in black and orange livery.

That number lines up with where McLaren's core supercar line is headed as the 750S winds down production after a decade on sale in various forms. If the naming logic holds, the replacement will pack close to 809 horsepower, a notable jump from the outgoing car.

As reported by Autocar, the 820 figure is read as metric horsepower, which converts to roughly 809 bhp. That would put the new car well ahead of the 750S, which McLaren rates at 740 hp.

McLaren McL 820: What the Name Reveals

McLaren's numeric naming has always tracked metric horsepower. A jump from 750 to 820 isn't just marketing flourish, it's the company stating, in its own shorthand, how much harder the new car hits than the one it replaces.

The "McL" prefix itself is new. It first showed up on the McL 6GT, a retro-styled hypercar with a manual gearbox unveiled at Monterey Car Week this past summer. That car signaled a rebrand was underway, but nobody knew yet whether it would spread to McLaren's mainstream lineup.

The kiwi reference isn't random either. It's McLaren's "Speedy Kiwi" mascot, a nod to founder Bruce McLaren's New Zealand roots that the brand has used more heavily in its marketing push this year.

None of this is officially confirmed as a production badge. McLaren hasn't put out a statement tying "McL 820" to a specific model. The clue remains, for now, exactly that: a clue stitched onto the side of a statue.

McL 820 Powertrain And 809-HP Output

McLaren "Speedy Kiwi" Mascot Sketch

Photo by: McLaren

The 750S is officially scheduled to end production in 2027, closing out a core supercar family that has run for roughly ten years in various forms. Early reporting suggests the car that follows will offer the highest series-production output McLaren has delivered so far, based on the projected 820 metric horsepower figure.

That power is expected to come from one of two new hybrid powertrains McLaren is developing in-house, a shift away from relying on outside suppliers for engine work. McLaren chief operating officer Michael Straughan said the new engines are "obviously going to start with the current V8 products or the future generation of that."

Building its own powertrains ties into a bigger infrastructure move. McLaren is constructing a second factory in the UK where it plans to assemble engines in-house for the first time.

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That marks a departure from how the brand has sourced its engines historically, and it signals ambitions beyond just one new model.

The shift toward hybrid power also connects to McLaren's broader lineup plans, which include an SUV and continued expansion of electrified options across its range. For now, the McL 820 badge and its roughly 809-horsepower implication remain the clearest data point on what comes after the 750S.