McLaren announces new £50m chassis facility in South Yorkshire

McLaren has announced it will build a £50m factory in Rotherham to manufacture its carbonfibre chassis.

The new facility will create 200 jobs and is set to begin construction early this year with full production slated for 2020.

McLaren boss: new South Yorkshire factory is nothing to do with Brexit

It is the first purpose-built facility outside of the current McLaren campus in Austria and has been formed through a partnership between McLaren Automotive, the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in Rotherham and Sheffield City Council.

McLaren, which is gearing up to reveal the 650S successor at Geneva, says it hopes the new centre will save around £10m compared to current costs, while providing an extra £100m to the local economy by 2028. It also says there is opportunity for expansion, which would aim to double that figure to £200m.

The university and McLaren will collaborate on two years' research and development prior to the opening of the Composites Technology Centre, and McLaren Automotive will start training its apprentices immediately.

McLaren’s CEO Mike Flewitt said the company's rich heritage in carbonfibre chassis - starting with the McLaren MP4/1 Formula 1 car of 1981 - as well as its use in current production models such as the McLaren 570S and 675LT Spider, made it an obvious decision to invest in this factory.

“Creating a facility where we can manufacture our own carbonfibre chassis structures is therefore a logical next step,” he said.

Flewitt added that the company evaluated “several” options but found this opportunity with AMRC and the University of Sheffield compelling.

“At the AMRC, we will have access to some of the world’s finest composites and materials research capabilities, and I look forward to building a world-class facility and talented team at the new McLaren Composites Technology Centre,” he said.