Abu Dhabi investor agrees to buy McLaren

British carmaker McLaren has just sold its supercar production unit.

It’s an attempt to overcome the mounting financial struggles the company has faced recently.

CYVN Holdings was named a new stakeholder in a deal presided over by the Emirate’s crown prince himself.

There are a number of reasons for this, as we’re about to find out.

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The struggle of the supercar maker

Even though it’s known for crafting high-performance and ultra-luxurious cars, like the Solus GT as unboxed by Supercar Blondie herself, recently the Woking-based carmaker has come into financial trouble.

Hard to believe considering one of its cars has a $2.6 million price tag.

But in 2023, McLaren posted annual losses of £349m, which ballooned to £924m in 2024.

Needless to say, the carmaker needed to do something drastic.

Largely to blame were car sales, with the company selling just 2,248 cars last year, down six percent from the previous year.

There were also disruptions to the supply chain which upped the price of essential components such as semiconductors.

Adding to that were enhanced quality control measures, which seriously delayed production timelines.

The British carmaker has relied on sales of its Artura, which was recently added to the Dubai Police’s fleet, as well as its GT, another staple in its portfolio.

The future of McLaren

Until now, McLaren has been owned by the state-owned Bahraini investment outfit Mumtalakat.

The firm has sold McLaren’s automotive business—the division responsible for designing, manufacturing, and selling cars—to CYVN Holdings, backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.

The sale, presided over by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, did not include McLaren’s racing division, which remains under Mumtalakat’s control.

CYVN Holdings has also invested in a Chinese electric car company and in helping the UAE to diversify away from oil and gas.

It’s hoped that the firm can carry McLaren into the electric era.

Selling a few of its $4 million Solus GTs would probably help turn things around too.