Bugatti. Ferrari. McLaren. Throughout automotive history, certain performance companies burned brighter than the rest. Dedicated teams of passionate individuals, working around the clock. Even risking their lives on the track. Why? Obsession. The sort of passion that only the purity of speed can inspire.

These small, gifted, and driven tribes shone like beacons of craftsmanship in an otherwise ambivalent, gray world. They win the hearts of racing fans and drivers. They inspire devotion.

But inevitably, some rich Boss Hog buys them out. He bids on the prestige distilled from decades of blood, sweat, and tears. He wins. And he milks that brand for every last penny possible, destroying it in the process. Then he says, “Why don’t y’all slap that badge on an SUV?”

Now, it’s McLaren’s turn.

McLaren’s last stand is over

CYVN Holdings out of Abu Dhabi bought McLaren in December. According to Bloomberg, it plans to merge McLaren with British EV startup Forseven. The goal? “Leverage McLaren’s storied brand for a new lineup of vehicles.”

Bloomberg put it bluntly: McLaren “is taking a step closer to producing high-end sport utility vehicles and sedans.” Why? Money.

Supercars are tough to sell in a world of emissions laws and shrinking margins. SUVs? They print money. Porsche proved it with the 2003 Cayenne. Lamborghini followed with the 2018 Urus. Ferrari swore it would never build an SUV—bowed for the applause—then announced the 2023 Purosangue just months later.

McLaren was the last true holdout. No front-engined cars. No grand tourers disguised as supercars. Track times above all. Just raw, unapologetic speed. And of course no McLaren SUV. That’s over now.

Welcome to the club SUV club, McLaren

We’ve seen this before. Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin built SUVs. The first Ferrari SUV is already outselling the 296 GTB. Maserati caved with the 2016 Levante. Lotus followed with the 2022 Eletre. Even Mercedes-AMG (1999 ML55 AMG) and BMW M (2009 X5 M) couldn’t resist.

They all followed the same script. The execs said, “An SUV will fund our sports cars.” But that’s not how this works. You don’t buy the devotion of purists by selling out. And you need true purists to build legends like the F1, the P1, and the Senna. So you just move the goalposts until your brand is unrecognizable.

Is a McLaren SUV really so bad?

I know what you’re thinking: “Dumb automotive journalist. My Ford Explorer ST go FAST!”

I’m here to tell you there are things you just can’t buy. Sure, if your checkbook is big enough you can drop a supercharged V8 into a brick and get straight-line speed. But you can’t buy agility. Or balance. And not that gut-wrenching thrill of threading a perfect apex faster than your body believes is possible.

A sports car is about what you’re willing to give up. Ground clearance. Cargo room. Maybe even a back seat. When you slice away everything unnecessary, whatever left is what you value the most. A sports car wears its values on the outside. And when you slap a supercar badge on an SUV, you’ve made yours clear.