Heart set on getting a McLaren supercar? Soon, soon...
McLaren Automotive, the UK-based company responsible for the greatest supercar of all time – the McLaren F1, which was launched in the 1990s – has now announced plans to enter the Asia-Pacific region, and we’re sure India will be an important part of their future plans. The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, McLaren Automotive Asia Pte Ltd., will be based in Singapore.
‘2011 is a landmark year for McLaren. This is an exciting new chapter in our history, and success in the Asia Pacific region is vital to our ambitions,’ says Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman, McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group. The group currently has just one car in its lineup – the MP4-12C – a modern, lightweight and high-tech supercar that is not afraid of taking on any Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche. McLaren Automotive Asia Pte Ltd., which will be responsible for all of McLaren’s operations in Asia, will handle the import and distribution of the company’s cars and will also take care of functions like logistics, marketing and technical support.
There is a small, but rapidly growing, niche for high-performance sports cars and supercars in India. Established European marques already have a presence here and companies like Ferrari and Porsche have gone on record saying that they anticipate strong growth in the Indian market in the mid- to long-term future. Things may be a bit more tough for a small company like McLaren, which is certainly not as well known as a lot of the bigger European brands. ‘Future expansion in Asia is anticipated, but will be conservative and strategic, aimed at supporting excellent returns for retail partners,’ says a release from McLaren. The company makes it clear that it will first set up and expand operations in more affluent markets like Singapore and China, and a foray into the Indian market might only happen by 2013-14.
‘For our new automotive business, the Asia-Pacific region shows huge potential – both economically and demographically. GDP annual growth rates are expected to outperform all other global regions, whilst the growth in numbers of high net worth individuals in the region is world-leading, especially as that growth is driven by younger entrepreneurs who are keen to invest in luxury products – sports and cars are of huge interest, putting McLaren front of mind,’ says Ron Dennis.
It might take a year or two, but with McLaren having set up base in Singapore, we believe they will be India sooner rather than later. So if you have your heart – and bank account – set on owning a MP4-12C, you could fully expect to walk into a McLaren showroom in Delhi or Mumbai sometime in the near future and fulfil your need for speed.
