Look, it’s McLaren’s new all-electric SUV!*

McLaren, famed for Formula One racing and a road car division that builds multiple carbon tubbed mid-engined turbocharged wallop-chariots, has a new SUV. Yep. An electric SUV.

This is not, however, a zero-emission rival to the Bentley Bentayga and Aston Martin’s DBX. Rest easy. McLaren is still an out-and-out supercar maker. This is simply the McLaren Racing contender for Extreme E.

Extreme E? That’s the burgeoning racing series for identical electric SUVs featuring male/female teams headed up by the likes of Jensen Button, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton. 

It’s supposed to highlight the plight of the planet and encourage climate change action, by ragging around in areas of the world affected already by humanity’s activity. 

McLaren’s ‘Odyssey’ buggy, like the others it will compete against next year, will develop 550 near-silent horsepower and, naturally, it’s very orange. 

The car will be raced by New Zealand rally ace Emma Gilmour, and American race / stunt driver Tanner Foust. The livery as revealed at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, to the obvious delight of His Royal Highness Prince Charles. Who is not, we’re led to believe, the team’s secret reserve driver.

Hopefully a royal Extreme E team will be announced any day now.